JBL defends WWE

JBL has come out in defense of WWE. The promotion has been facing backlash over a recent move, but the WWE legend believes that the criticism is misguided.

Last Friday, WWE made a groundbreaking announcement that WrestleMania 43 would be held in Saudi Arabia. This would mark the first time that the company's flagship premium live event will be held outside North America. However, this hasn't gone down well with fans, who accused WWE of selling out.

Speaking on the Something to Wrestle With podcast, JBL shared his opinion on the criticism WWE has been facing since the announcement. He questioned people's motives for criticizing the move.

"I don't know their motives for why they're doing it. Are they doing it for selfish reasons? I don't know if it's a selfish motive, as in, 'Hey, I just wanna be heard; I'm a spoiled brat,' or 'I really believe this, and that's my voice speaking out.' I don't know where they're coming from. I think it's misguided," he said.

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He then mentioned that they cannot act as moral police, expressing his disagreement with the dissent.

"Obviously, we're not the moral police, and you say, 'Well, you can't do business with this country because of this, this, and this.' You can list that for pretty much any country, including ours, pretty easily. And so, I get people wanna have their voice heard. I 100% do not agree with that dissent at all," he added.

You can watch the video below:

Earlier, WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam defended the company's decision, saying, "It is about business."

JBL clarified his WWE status

JBL recently served as the commentator for AAA's TripleMania XXXIII event on August 16. He joined Corey Graves and Konnan to call the action on the night.

A few days ago, on the Something to Wrestle With podcast, he clarified his WWE status. He said that he is not a contracted performer for the promotion. The former world champion added that he has a good relationship with the global juggernaut, stating he will be open to doing stuff for World Wrestling Entertainment if the company gives him a call.

JBL's last lengthy WWE run spanned from October 2022 to February 2023, when he managed the erstwhile Baron Corbin on television.

If you use quotes from this article, please credit the Something to Wrestle With podcast and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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Edited by Sherjeel Malik