WWE Hall of Famer JBL recently shared some incredibly candid stories about his long and complex relationship with his former boss, Vince McMahon. He detailed two separate incidents where their relationship became strained, including one tense meeting where he thought they were “going to fight,” and another “come to Jesus” moment where he admits he was “100% wrong.”
JBL worked under Vince McMahon for over two decades, rising from a mid-card tag team wrestler to becoming the longest-reigning WWE Champion in SmackDown history. Their relationship, like many of McMahon’s bonds with his top stars, was filled with professional highs and personal challenges. These stories, shared for the first time, provide a rare glimpse into that dynamic.
A Near-Fight with the Boss
On the Something to Wrestle With podcast, JBL recounted a time during his WWE Championship reign when he and McMahon had a heated confrontation in front of other personnel after McMahon questioned his passion. The situation escalated to the point where Vince took off his jacket, and JBL thought a physical altercation was imminent.
“Me and Vince and Kevin… got crossways. We’ve Arn Anderson has told the story. Vince got up, and I thought we were going to fight one time. And I got up too, and I thought I really don’t want to fight the boss. I really don’t want to do this, but I thought I was backed into a corner. And you know, Arn had told the story. He was sitting there in the room when it happened, and Vince threw everybody out, and I thought, good Lord, we’re going to fight son of a bitch. I know I want to fight this man…Sure do [when asked what the reason for the tension]. Yup, it was over a match, and he had said something about the fact that we that the match wasn’t good, and the fact that, like it was because we didn’t care something, and that just sat with me wrong. And I told him, ‘Don’t you ever question my passion.’ And when I did, I Brother, I bucked up to him, right in front of everybody. That’s something you don’t do to Vince.”
A “Come to Jesus” Meeting
Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. JBL explained that as soon as everyone left the room, Vince hugged him and they resolved the issue. He then detailed a separate incident years later where he admittedly reacted poorly to some emails and had to have a “come to Jesus” meeting with McMahon and Kevin Dunn, a situation where he says he was completely in the wrong.
“Slightly after. And you know, I was a little bit bitter, but I wasn’t in the ring anymore, and I reacted wrong to a couple of emails. You know, emails don’t denote tone, that’s right… I read something in the wrong tone, and I responded horribly, horribly to it. And, you know, once you do that, then, you know, s–t’s on, and then it, then it tends to escalate, and it did, and we had to have a big come to Jesus meeting, and, and I was 100% wrong… I walked in and Vince hugged me and said, ‘Let’s sit down. Let’s talk about it.’ He goes, ‘I’m glad you’re here.’ And what he did, I just f—ing melted, you know. I just think, ‘I’m sorry. I’m 100% wrong. I reacted like a complete asshole, and I apologize,’ and that was pretty much it.”
These stories showcase the intense, high-pressure environment backstage in WWE and the paternal, yet demanding, relationship Vince McMahon had with his top talent. JBL is set to make a special appearance as a guest commentator at AAA TripleMania this Saturday, August 16th. The full episode of Something to Wrestle With is available on all major podcast platforms.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit AdFreeShows.com with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
