JBL has once again stirred debate among fans, this time claiming he played a key role in the creation of one of WWE’s most iconic moments.
Speaking on the Something To Wrestle podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer jokingly took credit for the rise of Steve Austin, the “Austin 3:16” catchphrase, and even the Attitude Era itself.
“If you’re any type of wrestling historian at all, you’ll know that I, JBL, singlehandedly am responsible for ‘Austin 3:16,’ ‘Stone Cold Steve Austin,’ and the entire Attitude Era, and winning the Monday Night Wars against WCW,” Layfield said.
JBL Jokes That Had He Won King Of The Ring 1996, Steve Austin’s WWE Rise Wouldn’t Have Happened
JBL pointed to the 1996 King of the Ring tournament as the turning point. He noted that he faced Jake Roberts earlier in the event, suggesting that if he had advanced instead, the outcome could have been very different.
“If I had not lost to Jake Roberts… I may have won, but even if I lost, there was no reason to cut a religious promo on me,” he said.
Roberts’ “Born-Again” persona at the time inspired Austin’s famous “Austin 3:16” promo, which went on to become one of the defining moments in WWE history.
“There wouldn’t have been an ‘Austin 3:16’ if I beat Jake Roberts,” Layfield added. “There wouldn’t have been an Attitude Era, and WWE wouldn’t have won the Monday Night Wars.”
Layfield delivered the comments in a tongue-in-cheek manner, even adding mock applause during the segment, but his remarks nonetheless revisited a pivotal moment that helped shape WWE’s most successful era.
