Former WWE Champion admits to working illegally in Mexico

There are only so many former WWE Champions in the company's history and fewer who were as remarkable as this man. But things were not always going well for the now 58-year-old veteran.

John 'Bradshaw' Layfield recently discussed his time before signing with World Wrestling Entertainment on his podcast. He admitted to working illegally in Mexico.

On Something To Wrestle With, WWE Hall of Famer JBL claimed those wrestlers who went to Mexico in the '90s for work were under "false pretenses," explaining that they had to press a button to get through. If it responded with green, then there was no issue. However, had it been red, they would have been searched. He called the whole deal "sketchy":

"So I was one of the few Americans that went and worked in Mexico illegally. I think they were talking about building a wall and having the Texans pay for it—that is what they’re talking about at the time. But yes, I was one of the few Americans who went down to Mexico and worked there illegally. [...] Oh, yeah, 100% [it was sketchy]."

The WWE Hall of Famer also revealed there was a man, 'Mr. Elizondo,' who paid off the security, and they never got work papers. So, they could always land in trouble if they went to work for another promotion.

The stay was bad but the food was free, and more importantly, it was good money. He also recounted returning to the United States with stacks of "sweaty money," but people didn't care:

"Elizondo was — you know, he had the restaurant. You got to eat there for free. And you know, you got paid. [...] And I’d come through customs with stacks of wadded-up, sweaty money. And you know, nobody ever said anything. I’d come back from Mexico to Dallas, nobody really cared either whether I was working or not. Going down there, nobody really cared unless they wanted to get a payoff." [H/T: 411Mania.com]

You can watch the whole interview below:

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The Undertaker acknowledges JBL's rise in WWE

When asked about one of his most underrated rivals, The Undertaker named John 'Bradshaw' Layfield.

While speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, The Last Outlaw credited JBL for being a 'big dude' and yet portraying a "chickensh**t heel," recounting their rivalry in 2004 over the WWE Championship. JBL's rise to main event status commenced that year and he remained the titleholder on SmackDown till WrestleMania the following year, where he dropped the belt to John Cena.

"Because he had his big run late, I don't think people really realize how good JBL was. He came in as a cowboy, and then he was an acolyte in the APA. But not until he became JBL did I think he really got to showcase his true ability. Not only as being able to cut promos, but also his work as a heel, as a big heel. He's a big dude, but he was a chickens**t heel, and that's sometimes tough to do. Just like being an amateur wrestler," Taker said.

Interestingly, while discussing current WWE Superstar Jacob Fatu, JBL noted that he wishes to wrestle the Samoan.