JBL's trainer reveals why the former WWE Champion is the 'hardest' opponent inside the ring (Exclusive)

WWE legend JBL took a lot of influence in his career from a wrestling legend in Japan - Stan Hansen. Stan Hansen was once widely considered as the stiffest and hardest hitter in the wrestling business.

While the days of extreme in-ring physicality are gone, JBL belongs to a generation where it was commonplace. Wrestling legend Black Bart recently appeared on UnSKripted with Sportskeeda's Chris Featherstone and opened up about training and working with JBL, back when he was known as Johnny Hawk. At the time, he used to team up with Bobby Duncum Jr. and the duo defeated Black Bart and Johnny Mantell to become Global Wrestling Federation (GWF) Tag Team Champions.

Describing JBL, Black Bart admitted that the former WWE Champion was the hardest person he's faced in the ring:

This kid [JBL] got in the ring brother. I shot him off with a tackle, just a tackle. I was feeling him out and he knocked me and hit me harder than any man has ever hit and I went over to Johnny [Mantell] and I said 'Johnny, you ain't going to believe this. Here, go in there and call a spot'. So he tagged me in, and he hit Johnny so hard, he dropped down. When he tackled Johnny, he went through the second rope onto that hard-a** table, onto that chair. And he looked at me and said 'Bart! You're rotten'. They were the hardest two [BL and Bob Duncum Jr). son of guns I've ever been in the ring with. And that includes The Road Warriors, Rick Rude, Steiners, god almighty.'

The early seed for JBL's career

JBL's encounters with Black Bart were in the initial stages of his career. It would be 1995 when he signed with WWF and go through different phases and various gimmicks before becoming John Bradshaw Layfield. It took time for him to enjoy World Championship success, but Black Bart has a big role to play in it as well.