WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield has returned to the blue brand for a new storyline.
Tonight’s WWE Clash at The Castle go-home edition of SmackDown on FOX saw Kayla Braxton interview Happy Baron Corbin backstage about last week’s loss to Ricochet. Corbin didn’t want to discuss the match as he’s happy and lives a good life, and doesn’t live in the past. He went on with the promo and said he knows he’s the best man in the locker room and to prove that, he was headed to the ring to issue an open challenge. Corbin promised that no matter who walked out to answer his open challenge, he would send them crawling back.
Corbin’s open challenge was then answered by Shinsuke Nakamura, who got the win. As seen in the video below, a disappointed Corbin was later shown in the back parking garage, when a white BMW limousine with JBL’s signature horns on the front came pulling up. The window rolled down and The Wrestling God spoke.
“What happened to you? Get in,” JBL said to Corbin.
Corbin then got into the limousine and they drove off together. JBL was never shown, but Michael Cole acknowledged on commentary that this sounded like the former WWE Champion.
Tonight’s SmackDown was taped last Friday in Detroit. It was reported before the tapings that JBL was to be involved with the taping, but then it was revealed that JBL was at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando to film a WWE Rivals episode with Renee Paquette, Kevin Owens, Johnny Gagano and Freddie Prinze, Jr. This confirms that JBL wasn’t actually in Detroit for the garage segment with Corbin, but he did do the voice-over.
It’s likely that JBL will not be wrestling in this new SmackDown program with Corbin. He last wrestled in the 2014 Men’s Royal Rumble Match, but that was his first match since retiring following the 25-second WWE Intercontinental Title loss to Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 25 in April 2009. JBL has made commentary and Kickoff appearances for WWE in recent years, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during the April 2021 ceremony, as part of the 2020 Class.
Perhaps JBL is here to help Corbin bounce back from the slump he’s been in, leading to a push for the 2019 King of The Ring winner. Corbin won the July 1 SmackDown Battle Royal, but his last singles win on TV was a DQ victory over Madcap Moss on the June 3 SmackDown. Besides that DQ win, Corbin’s last TV singles win via submission or pinfall was the win over Cesaro (aka ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli) on the February 11 SmackDown, which is actually his only TV singles win via submission or pinfall in 2022 so far. Corbin has also lost most of his non-televised weekend live events matches this year, but not including those, Corbin has lost all 8 of his last TV singles bouts. Since the DQ win over Moss on June 3, Corbin lost the following TV singles matches – No Holds Barred match against Moss at Hell In a Cell on June 5; Last Laugh match against Moss on the June 17 SmackDown; Fatal 4 Way on the July 1 SmackDown with winner Moss, Ezekiel and The Miz; match against Pat McAfee at SummerSlam on July 30; match against Ricochet on the August 5 SmackDown; 5-Way with winner Sheamus, Moss, Ricochet and Sami Zayn on the August 19 SmackDown; match against Ricochet on the August 26 SmackDown; match against Nakamura on tonight’s SmackDown.
There’s no word yet on exactly what WWE has planned for JBL and Corbin, but we will keep you updated.
Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more. Below are the related clips from tonight’s SmackDown:
Wait…was that @JCLayfield?!@BaronCorbinWWE #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/ZjTanAIjLU
— WWE (@WWE) September 3, 2022
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