What is John Layfield's Net Worth?
John Layfield is an American WWE commentator, Fox News analyst, and former professional wrestler who has a net worth of $4 million. John Layfield earned his net worth through his careers in wrestling, as a commentator and television appearances, as well as his many business ventures.
Layfield played college football and had a brief run with the San Antonio Riders of the World League of American Football before he became part of the Global Wrestling Federation. He debuted in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1996 with a gimmick of a cowboy/mountain man. He would brand his opponents with the letters JB after winning and soon joined The New Blackjacks. As JBL, John portrayed a rich, fiery businessman, a persona he developed when working as a stock market investor. He is a 24-time WWE Champion, won a Triple Crown, and claimed a Grand Slam title, and he has gone by nearly a dozen ring names, including Bad Santa, Blackjack Bradshaw, Death Mask, and Johnny Hawk. Layfield retired from the ring in 2009, but he serves as an ambassador for WWE. He has routinely appeared as a guest on "The Cost of Freedom" on Fox News. He is the author of the finance book "Have More Money Now" and hosts his own weekly radio show to discuss politics. John is a WWE commentator who hosted a web series with fellow analyst Michael Cole called "The JBL and Cole Show" on YouTube. He is also the senior vice president of Northeast Securities. Layfield is a 2020 inductee of the WWE Hall of Fame.
Early Life
John Layfield was born John Charles Layfield on November 29, 1966, in Sweetwater, Texas. He is the son of Mary and Lavelle Layfield, and his father is a minister. John played college football at Trinity Valley Community College and Abilene Christian University. While attending Abilene, he was named to the first-team All-Lone Star Conference during his junior and senior years. Though he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Raiders as a free agent, the team released him before the beginning of the 1990 season. In 1991, Layfield played for the San Antonio Riders in the World League of American Football.
Career
John was trained by Brad Rheingans and Black Bart, and he debuted with the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF) in September 1992. He formed a tag team called "Texas Mustangs" with Bobby Duncum Jr., and they won the GWF Tag Team Championship in November 1992. In 1993, Layfield wrestled in Japan for Network of Wrestling and In Mexico for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, and he won the Federacion Internacional de Lucha Libre Heavyweight Championship. In December 1993, he won the GWF Tag Team Championship, this time with Black Bart. In 1994, he toured Germany and Austria with the Catch Wrestling Association, and the following year he joined NWA Dallas and won the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship. Later that year John and Cannonball Grizzly won the World Tag Team Championship for the Catch Wrestling Association. Layfield joined the World Wrestling Federation in late 1995, and in 1996, he had a three-month period when he was undefeated. In 1997, he formed The New Blackjacks with Barry Windham, and he competed as a singles wrestler in the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) and helped Dutch Mantel win the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship.
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In 1998, John formed the tag team the Acolytes with Faarooq, then they joined The Undertaker in his Ministry of Darkness. The Acolytes won two WWF Tag Team Championships in 1999 and eventually changed their name to the Acolytes Protection Agency and won another WWF Tag Team Championship in 2001. In October 2001, Layfield won the WWF European Championship. After the WWF transitioned to WWE, John joined the hardcore division and won 17 WWE Hardcore Championships. He won the WWE Championship at The Great American Bash in June 2004, and his nine-month reign was the longest in a decade. In June 2006, John began working as a color commentator for "WWE SmackDown." He said on TheStreet.com that he was retiring from competition, and in his last column for the website, he wrote, "I have also come to believe that you can't fight father time. A broken back suffered in a match in England, compounded by a herniated and bulged disc, finally made me realize my career as a professional wrestler was over. I since migrated to the color commentary position much in the way that Jesse Ventura did before me." He occasionally returned to the ring after this, and he won the Intercontinental Championship in March 2009. In April 2013, Layfield became a commentator on "WWE Raw," and in 2016, he returned to "WWE SmackDown." In September 2017, he announced that he was switching his focus to humanitarian work, such as his role as a Beyond Sport Global Ambassador. In October 2022, he began managing Baron Corbin.
Personal Life
John married Cindy Womack on June 6, 1994. After their 2003 divorce, he wed Meredith Whitney on February 11, 2005. According to a 2017 "Sports Illustrated" article, Layfield "has been accused for years of being a locker room bully." "Deadspin" reported that "backstage tales of Layfield's hazing and bullying have long been legend among hardcore wrestling fans." That year it was rumored that WWE commentator Mauro Ranallo left WWE because of hostilities with John. Ranallo later said that he and WWE "mutually agreed to part ways" and that Layfield had "nothing to do" with his departure. John released a statement that read, "Admittedly, I took part in locker room pranks that existed within the industry years ago. WWE addressed my behavior and I responded accordingly, yet my past is being brought up because of recent unfounded rumors. I apologize if anything I said playing 'the bad guy' on a TV show was misconstrued."
Championships and Accomplishments
At Abilene Christian University, Layfield was named to the 1989 NCAA Division II All–American. With the WWF/WWE, he won a WWE Championship, WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE United States Championship, WWF European Championship, and Slammy Award as well as three WWF Tag Team Championships and 17 WWE Hardcore Championships. John received the Lou Thesz Award from the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Iron Mike Mazurki Award from the Cauliflower Alley Club in 2022. "Pro Wrestling Illustrated" ranked Layfield #496 on its 2003 list of the 500 best singles wrestlers of all time and #5 on its 2005 list of the 500 best professional wrestlers.
