JBL Reveals Vince McMahon’s Bold Pandemic Strategy That Saved WWE

WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield recently shed light on Vince McMahon’s controversial decision to continue WWE programming during the COVID-19 pandemic, even without a live audience. Speaking on the Something To Wrestle With podcast, JBL not only defended McMahon’s bold choices but also reflected on his own return to the commentary desk during this unprecedented time.

As the pandemic brought the world to a standstill, live events across industries were canceled, leaving uncertainty in their wake. Against this backdrop, Vince McMahon made the widely debated decision to keep WWE operations running.

During the discussion, JBL revealed how McMahon personally reached out to him for support. “‘During COVID, Vince called me and he said, ‘I need an old voice on television. Are you coming?’ ‘You know I am.’ I said, ‘Where are you?’ He goes, ‘We’re in Orlando. We got no audience. I need an old voice, the old commentary, somebody that people recognize.'”

McMahon’s strategy hinged on creating a sense of normalcy for viewers through familiar voices like JBL’s. The Hall of Famer described the eerie conditions of travel during that time: “There was nobody in the airport… Everybody was sitting up front, first class. I said, ‘I think I’m gonna sit in the back’, like 15 seats on both sides of you because you didn’t know what was going to happen back then. You didn’t know if the whole world is going to die or you’re going to get it and die.”

The decision to continue broadcasting faced widespread criticism. JBL acknowledged, “I can tell you, almost everybody in the company was against Vince running. Everybody was against it. All the press was against it. Everything, it was, ‘This is horrible. How dare he do this?’” Yet, McMahon was resolute. “He said, ‘If I don’t, I will lose all my TV contracts.’”

Despite the opposition, McMahon’s move proved to be a pivotal moment for WWE. By maintaining live broadcasts, the company fulfilled its contractual obligations and safeguarded its financial stability. JBL elaborated, “Because he did that, he got these billion-dollar TV contracts out of it. He saved the freaking company with that.”

Reflecting on McMahon’s leadership, JBL offered high praise: “It was unbelievable what he did by doing all that. Vince, his entire life, has constantly been one step ahead of everything and everybody else in wrestling.”