JBL was in awe of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels' match at WrestleMania 12.
WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield recalled being on-hand in Anaheim, California at the Arrowhead Pond to witness Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels' legendary 60-minute ironman match that resulted in Michaels capturing the WWF Championship in overtime after the pair fought to a 0-0 draw after an hour of memorable action.
“I remember watching that match and literally thinking, ‘I don’t belong here," JBL admitted on the latest episode of his 'The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling' podcast alongside co-host John P. Pozarowski. "It was the greatest spectacle I’d ever seen. When Shawn repelled from the ceiling, he and Bret had that incredible 60-minute match, went overtime…it was one of the greatest events I’d ever seen, I just remember thinking, ‘I shouldn’t be here. I don’t have the ability to be here. I don’t have the talent to be here. I need to go back to Japan and finish up my career.’ That’s a very distinct memory. In fact, I can almost feel it today when I was sitting there at the Arrowhead Pond [WrestleMania 12 venue] watching that."
The Hall of Famer would then delve into the conversation he once had with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon about the potential of sure-fire future Hall of Famer, John Cena.
"There weren’t a ton of believers in Cena. I don’t think there were un-believers. But Vince asked me one day, he said, ‘How is he?’ I said, ‘He’s your guy, man.’ Vince said, ‘He’s that good?’ I said, ‘Yeah.'" It’s a different dynamic going from, say, eight minutes to going to 30 minutes. Now, I think he had done it with Kurt Angle too, obviously one of the greatest of all time. But when I first got out there with him, some guys never make that transition. It’s hard.”
JBL, of course, would not quit the company following the WrestleMania 12 pay-per-view and would go on to have quite the career, becoming the company's 10th grand slam champion, holding the WWE, Intercontinental, United States and Tag Team Championships as well as being an 18-time Hardcore Champion before being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021 (as part of the 2020 class).
