What’s the story?
JBL is at it again. Heavy.com reports that on this week’s edition of WWE Network’s ‘Bring It To The Table’ program, John “Bradshaw” Layfield mentioned ISIS when talking about Sami Zayn. Zayn is Muslim and of Syrian descent.
In case you didn’t know...
JBL has been in the news for the better part of the last month due to bullying accusations from a handful of former WWE employees. Justin Roberts details significant bullying involving Layfield in his new book Best Seat in the House: Your Backstage Pass through My WWE Journey.
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The accusations are serious in nature and detail JBL terrorising a co-worker. These bullying accusations toward JBL are not new as other notable WWE stars such as Mark Henry, Shawn Daivari, Matt Hardy, Renee Dupree, Ivory, and The Miz have each described similar situations through the years.
More recently, JBL has been linked with Mauro Ranallo’s departure from the WWE. Rumours have swirled, but nothing official has come out as Ranallo has signed a non-disclosure agreement with the WWE.Rumours have swirled, but nothing official has come out as Ranallo has signed a non-disclosure agreement with the WWE.
JBL is a WWE veteran. He’s been world champion and has had feuds with many legends including The Undertaker, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Batista, Eddie Guerrero, and more. He retired from in-ring competition in 2009 and currently is a commentator on SmackDown Live.
The heart of the matter
If all the recent heat on JBL wasn’t enough, he decided to go “there” while on a WWE program. On ‘Bring It To The Table’, when talking about Sami Zayn, who is Muslim and of Syrian descent, JBL said: “I would rather be captured by ISIS than have to have dinner with Sami Zayn.”
JBL was in the midst of discussing his dislike for Zayn when the comment was made.
What’s next?
For years JBL has been like a cat with nine lives in the WWE. His luck may have just run out and this could be the last straw. ISIS is not a topic to be taken lightly or joked about. They are a radical group who have brutally murdered people all around the world.
Just invoking that group alone is beyond stupid and careless. Invoking that group when discussing a wrestler and colleague who is Muslim is also beyond stupid and careless, but in addition, it roots itself in the bullying that JBL has been accused of for years.
The WWE is obsessed with appealing to the mainstream. With ISIS being such an important topic in the news, WWE officials are not going to defend one of their own who has used the group’s name in a humorous fashion with bullying undertones.
Author’s Take
JBL needed to be fired from the WWE a long time ago. He’s a guy that just can’t seem to grasp the direction in which the world is going. Bullying is not tolerable in a publicly traded company any longer. Period. There is no discussing that simple fact.
For that reason alone, he should be gone and good people like Mauro Ranallo should be in his seat and collecting his paycheck instead. Add this latest controversy of him saying he’d rather be captured by ISIS than have dinner with Sami Zayn? Career suicide.collecting his paycheck instead. Add this latest controversy of him saying he’d rather be captured by ISIS than have dinner with Sami Zayn? Career suicide.
First of all, no he wouldn’t and it’s a laughable comparison, to begin with. Second, of all, Sami Zayn is Muslim and it's disrespectful to invoke that group when talking about him. It shows JBL is tone deaf at the very best, but given his history of bullying, one has to assume he chose his words carefully to get at Zayn.
Regardless, his time up. He’s used his last WWE cat life and the company needs to let him go.
