The last time we saw JBL in the ring was during the build-up to WrestleMania 27 when he was prematurely announced as the guest referee between Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler at the Atlanta extravaganza.
However, before he could sign the contract, Stone Cold Steve Austin trotted out to the ring, "stunnering" JBL into the recesses of oblivion where he hasn't been seen since.
Yet, seven months later, the Texan turned New Yorker posted the following on his official Facebook page:
Let's see...Bernard Hopkins won a championship older than me, so could I win...interesting. If I showed up at an even and showed I was in shape better than ever...I never promise something I don't deliver, time will confuse things! Let's dance! Within the next few months you will be aware of a monumental event! I ain't got time to kid, let's see what happens!
Is the former WWE champion alluding to an in-ring return? Certainly, a reason worth considering is that his debilitating back injury may have taken a turn for the better.
Modern medicine has had miraculous effects on back injuries, especially in wrestling. For instance, the most notable historical precedent is the "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, who returned after an almost four-year hiatus.
And that was in 2002. This is 2011, almost 2012.
Like Bernard Hopkins, the 45-year-old "Wrestling God" has a chance to make history, to continue carving a legacy he left behind and to recapture the magic as one of the company's most evocative characters.
Time has been kind to JBL, who initially attracted detractors upon becoming WWE champion in 2004. Pundits and fans could not separate the Texas tycoon persona from the inferior Bradshaw, one-half of the Acolytes tag team.
At the end of that year, though, Layfield had not only revitalized the SmackDown brand, but proved his naysayers wrong with his top-notch interviews, feuds and respectable in-ring performances.
Soon, his portrayal as the white collar businessman transcended his erstwhile characters in the WWE.
Today, we remember John Layfield as the white cowboy hat-wearing personality, whose demanding presence makes him one of the more memorable faces in WWE history.
To quote JBL, "within the next few months," the very same presence that enthralled the WWE Universe may once again be felt.
And when it is, it won't just be any event, but a "monumental" one, according to Layfield.
One cannot resist asking: What "monumental event" could he possibly be referring to in the near future?
Perhaps a feud, culminating in a bout with Undertaker at WrestleMania 28?
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/962292-wwe-jbl-eyeing-return-to-the-ring
Milwaukee Brewers New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants
