JBL praised the late Eddie Guerrero, stating that he owes his entire career success to the former WWE Champion. Speaking on Six Feet Under, JBL detailed how Guerrero was the driving force behind the creative decisions that transformed him from a tag team wrestler into a top-tier heel. He noted that Guerrero even advocated taking the title off himself to elevate JBL to the main-event level.
JBL said, “Eddie Guerrero not only made me, Eddie Guerrero gave me the angle that not only made me but took the title off himself. So, my whole career, I owe to Eddie. I’m putting that man over.”
The Lost Art of “Feel” and Psychological Warfare
JBL recalled a specific instance at the Staples Center where he and Guerrero went into a high-stakes match with zero planning after Guerrero rejected the agent’s idea for the bout. The result was a bloody bout that JBL attributes to Guerrero’s “live wire” energy. He emphasized that Guerrero’s understanding of pacing and heat was a “lost art” that few performers in history have mastered.
“Eddie couldn’t put a match together backstage to save his life… He felt things. He just got out there and did things,” JBL explained. “It was unbelievable… that was 100% feel with Eddie.” He also shared a story of how Guerrero once instructed him to stay in a headlock for 30 minutes just to “bore” the crowd and bring them down from a previous match’s high, only to bring them back to their feet for a massive finish.
The Heart Attack Angle and Real-Life Heat
The transition to the JBL character was solidified by the controversial “heart attack” angle involving Guerrero’s mother in El Paso. JBL credited the Guerrero family for their willingness to push boundaries to generate heat, noting that the segment led to him needing a police escort out of town. He described the deathly silence in the arena after the spot as one of the most intense moments of his professional life.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Six Feet Under with The Undertaker with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
