On the “Something To Wrestle With” podcast, John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) discussed his experience as a commentator working under Vince McMahon, specifically regarding McMahon’s communication through the headsets during shows.
JBL described a unique perspective gained from this interaction: “Michael Cole and I were on the headset with Vince and Kevin Dunn, and, you know, a lot of other people were on headsets, but Vince, a lot of times, would talk to us during the show. Sometimes he’d talk to us about the show. Sometimes he talked to just me about the show because he had no one to talk to back there because he’s got his headphones on, so he’s not really got a chance to talk to somebody. So he would talk to us, and so we got insight into Vince for years that nobody had insight into. I mean, we heard the stuff that went on all throughout the backstage area that literally nobody else heard…we heard all the stuff directly from Vince.”
He refuted the idea that McMahon dictated everything, stating, “The big misnomer is that Vince dictated everything. 100% not true. Vince was the best producer I’ve ever worked with.” JBL explained that McMahon would share future creative plans with him and Cole: “Vince used to give us notes directly to me and Michael Cole, which is cool because he opened everything up. He would tell us about creative going forward because he knew he could trust us.”
JBL clarified that McMahon wouldn’t reveal everything in production meetings due to “stooges” being present. He also addressed instances where McMahon’s commentary seemed nonsensical: “When Vince would give you commentary, a lot of times, he’d say stuff, and I know this is not going to be a shock, that made no sense whatsoever, but it would make sense a week later…Vince nearly always had a plan, and sometimes he’d tell you something and I would just say it.” JBL acknowledged their role as “fake commentators” and would often repeat McMahon’s words, understanding they were part of a larger narrative. He recalls Cole saying: ‘If I get into the Hall of Fame’, which Michael Cole will one day, would say ‘I’m gonna get up there and say, I’m a fake wrestler. I called a fake sport with a fake name. Thank you’, and that’s it. We’re not real commentators.”
Ultimately, JBL’s departure from commentary was due to logistical reasons, not the job itself. “I didn’t like the travel. It wasn’t the commentary. It was the travel. I was living in Bermuda, and I was traveling two flights almost every week, sometimes all the way to the West Coast. I just didn’t like the travel. I love the commentary. If I could have done commentary in my house. I’d have done it forever.”
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.
