JBL, in a recent episode of the “Something To Wrestle” podcast, unveiled his perspective on the pressure that Eddie Guerrero felt as the WWE Champion. He also voiced his views on Vince McMahon’s preferences for RAW over SmackDown, among other subjects.
Speaking on the stress that marked Guerrero’s championship tenure, JBL proclaimed, “Indeed, the burden ticked on Eddie heavily. I wish he had the opportunity to have the title again, as he would have dealt with it distinctly. The inaugural time he won, it seemed to swallow him up – I’ve noticed this happening often with champions. Some bloom with the crown, some wither with it. Eddie, unfortunately, fell into the latter category. It’s not about his in-ring performance but about his constant monitoring of audience size and viewership ratings, wondering if he was to blame for any dips.”
JBL emphasised that this incessant worry of Eddie’s didn’t affect his in-ring operations, but it was evident in his discussions.
“He could have achieved outstanding results had he won the championship again, given his talent and charisma. But let me clarify that his performance in the ring never displayed any hint of this internal turmoil. Eddie took everything to heart. My advice to him was to prioritize quality and stop worrying about ratings and the audience. But he was overly concerned about these indicators.” JBL noted.
As for the subject of Vince McMahon’s view on RAW and SmackDown, JBL elaborated, “Flawlessly, RAW was McMahon’s pride and joy since he initiated it. At SmackDown, on the other hand, we considered ourselves the underdogs and this mindset excited us. There was never any rivalry between the RAW and SmackDown crew. However, we constantly compared audience size, ratings, and live events as we peculiarly felt like the overlooked part of the family.”