WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield has revealed that Vince McMahon strongly disliked dealing with agents during contract negotiations with WWE Superstars.
Speaking on the Something to Wrestle podcast, JBL explained that McMahon preferred to negotiate directly with wrestlers and believed that bringing an agent into the discussion could lead to a worse deal.
“I’ve never used one. I had an agent one time, and I remember he came to a show with me. I’d never use him for Vince – Vince hated agents.”
The former WWE Champion elaborated on McMahon’s negotiating style, emphasising that attempting to back the former chairman into a corner was a poor strategy.
“Vince was a pay guy, but if you tried to back Vince into a corner, it would work just the opposite. So if you brought an agent to deal with it, you’d get a worse deal than if you just went to Vince.”
JBL recalled one specific incident when his agent, who handled his media appearances for CNBC and Fox, met McMahon.
“He was a nice and competent guy, but I remember when he introduced himself to Vince, and Vince looked at him as if he’d just passed gas. The look of disgust was just… and then Vince looked at me, like, ‘You have an agent?’ I was like, ‘No no, not for you, oh my god.’ Vince hated agents.”
McMahon’s hands-on approach to contract talks has long been known, with many wrestlers negotiating directly with him rather than using intermediaries.
In another recent interview, JBL admits being surprised at where Vince McMahon drew the line with language on WWE TV.
What Did JBL Say Almost Happened To Him Prior To His WrestleMania Debut Match?
JBL spoke about how he was almost involved in a car crash prior to his WrestleMania debut match. He recalled how The Godfather picked himself and Ron Simmons up from their hotel and began driving towards the venue. However, Godfather had been partaking in recreational drugs prior to getting behind the wheel and almost crashed the vehicle whilst on his way to the venue. This led to Bradshaw and Simmons making Godfather pull over so they could drive instead.
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