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John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) recently disclosed details about the time when Nathan Jones suddenly quit WWE before a match in his hometown.
Jones, a former world-class powerlifter, worked for WWE in 2002 and 2003. Before joining the company, the Australian served seven years in a maximum-security prison as he had committed eight armed robberies between 1985 and 1987.
Speaking on Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw, JBL recalled how superstars once had to fly nine hours to a show in Australia. During the grueling flight, Jones allegedly became frustrated and decided he no longer wanted to wrestle.
“We got down to Perth and remember before that Nathan Jones just quit talking. He was just rocking back and forth, and he was this massive man… this might not end well! He was going over [winning] that night, I believe. It was his hometown. He just grabbed his bag and walked out, literally walked out of the arena. Never came back,” JBL said. [1:08:19-1:08:45]
Jones shared the ring with JBL during his final WWE tour, which included shows in Singapore and South Korea. In his last match, the former superstar teamed up with The Big Show and Matt Morgan in a losing effort against Bob Holly, JBL, and John Cena.
Reason why Nathan Jones left WWE
At 6'10", Jones was one of the most imposing superstars on the SmackDown roster. His career highlight came at WrestleMania 19 when he helped The Undertaker defeat A-Train and The Big Show in a handicap match.
Elaborating on Jones’ walk-out, JBL speculated that the long travel days ultimately led to his former co-worker’s abrupt exit:
“I think the travel drove him crazy. To my knowledge, nothing happened. I talked to him several times. It was crazy. He would ask me about monetary policy in Australia. He was a sharp guy, and all of a sudden he just decided he didn’t wanna be in WWE anymore… just got his bag and walked out.” [1:08:53-1:09:14]
In 2018, Jones told The Hannibal TV that wrestling’s “rock star lifestyle” did not suit his personality. He has since become a successful actor, starring in movies including Mad Max: Fury Road and Troy.
Please credit Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
