Although WWE Hall of Fame inductee JBL is not actively planning a return to the spotlight, he has recently commented on who he would choose to go toe-to-toe with should he make a comeback in the ring.
JBL hung up his wrestling boots back in 2006, only to return just over a year later in late 2007. However, after a rapid defeat at WrestleMania 25 in 2009, he decided to retire once more.
While participating in a fun Q&A session on Backstage Pass, JBL revealed the opponent he’d lay down the gauntlet to if he were to come back for one last match. He remarked,
“That’s a solid query indeed… As for the first part, probably not. I’m pretty uncertain myself. There are definitely no plots… When it comes to picking a rival, there’s no two ways about it. I’d go for Cody Rhodes. It’s about the connection with Dusty. I’ve partnered up for tag teams with Dusty’s old teammate Dick Murdoch. I saw Cody enter the industry; he was part of the JBL and Cole Show.”
Later on, JBL reinforced that he’s not actually considering a showdown with Rhodes but hypothetically speaking, he would target the American Nightmare. He affirmed,
“I really admire Cody. I think his wrestling game is stellar. And let me clarify, there are no blueprints whatsoever for a comeback… I’m not predicting any events. This is just my imagination at work. Now if WWE were to summon an old timer, which they won’t by the way, it would be Cody Rhodes.”
Next on Cody Rhodes’ wrestling agenda is defending his WWE title against Kevin Owens at the upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event next month.
In 2024, JBL has remained very involved in numerous wrestling promotions such as GCW and AAA as well as having an intermittent role with TNA Wrestling.