'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Vince McMahon once jokingly fired John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) and Michael Cole while they commentated on a special episode of WWE RAW.
On January 6, 2014, several legends made rare appearances on Old School RAW. To mark the occasion, JBL dressed as McMahon and recited some of the latter's famous lines from his days as a commentator.
Speaking on Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw, the WWE Hall of Famer recalled how his boss reacted via a headset when he found out about the impersonation:
“I dressed up, had the bouffant hair like Vince, went to his old barber, got the stuff,” JBL said. “I was saying all the catchphrases just like Vince, like, ‘Childhood dreams come true.’ Vince doesn’t realize it for a while and finally, about the second or third match, he goes, ‘Michael, John, I don’t find that funny, you’re both fired [laughs].’” [45:38-46:00]
Old School RAW began with a Ric Flair promo and ended with Jake Roberts placing a snake over Jon Moxley, then known as Dean Ambrose. DDP and Roddy Piper were among the other legends who appeared on the show.
JBL on how Vince McMahon became aware of the impersonation
The 2020 WWE Hall of Famer clarified that McMahon was only joking and did not intend to fire his commentary team.
JBL added that the 76-year-old did not spot his impersonation until someone backstage told him about it:
“I was waiting for him to pop on it and I kept using the catchphrases. He apparently was busy doing a million other things. Finally somebody smartened up to him, ‘You know JBL is you?’” [46:12-46:21]
JBL is not the first commentator to poke fun at Vince McMahon. In 1993, former announcer Rob Bartlett impersonated his boss without permission throughout an entire RAW episode. The WWE Chairman pretended to fire Bartlett in a production meeting a few days later.
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.
