Former WWE Superstar Marc Mero says he never got along with John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield during their wrestling days, noting he believed JBL was trying to hurt him in the ring.
Mero joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1996, making his on-camera debut at WrestleMania 12. This came after Marc Mero had competed for several years as the flamboyant Johnny B. Badd in WCW.
Speaking on James’ Wrestling Shoot Interviews, Mero recalled his strained relationship with WWE Hall Of Famer JBL. Mero noted that the two men never saw eye to eye but now their wrestling careers are behind them, they’ve become great friends.
Mero explained:
“At the time, one guy I never got along with was Bradshaw. Here’s the thing, he was a bully, mean to people, and before I tell you the story, I just want to tell you that he is such a great guy now. What he does for humanity and these kids in other countries, I can’t say enough great things about him. I’m honored to call him a friend now. I mean, two guys who couldn’t stand each other, we both have compassion for other people, we help a lot of people.”
Marc Mero then spoke about the matches two men had on the road, saying he thought JBL was actively trying to hurt him:
“To get back to the story where I did hate him and he hated me, I tell you what, when he wrestled each other on the road and he would give me a powerbomb, it was almost like he was trying to put me through the mat, through the ring, through the wood. He would try to hurt me and you know, I was always a tough guy, so I was not afraid. When I found out I was going to fight him at Brawl For All I was really excited.”
The two men did meet in the second round of the ill-fated Brawl For All Tournament in 1998. Mero lost the fight to Bradshaw with the ‘Wrestling God’ winning the bout on points. Bradshaw made it to the final of the competition where he was knocked all the way out by Bart Gunn in the first round.
Marc Mero also discussed his relationship with WWE EVP Triple H. The Game was Mero’s first rival when he came to the WWF and Mero noted that although the two were never friends he has a lot of respect for Triple H.