So JBL is actually gone?

[MikeRaw]

I didn't even see any mention of this. I know I made a thread asking what he should do now that he "quit" but apprently none of that matters. He's been taken off the Roster page on wwe.com, and apparently announced his retirement on his WWE Universe blog... I know, not much of a topic, but did anyone else know he seems to actually be done?
I find it strange, cause I never saw any so called news reports about him retiring after Mania...

Edit: Here's his blog. It's out of character as well, with him calling Eddie a dear friend, and saying he's honored his last match was against Rey... I guess it's true then. It's too bad it wasn't more publicized that he retired.

http://www.fans.wwe.com/jbl/blog/2009/04/06/jbl_no_more_thank_you

April 6, 2009

It doesn't get any bigger than Wrestlemania 25. WM 25 was in my home state of Texas with my childhood idols being inducted into the hall of fame.

I had wanted to make it to WM 25 for years, and when injuries cut my career short the one regret I had was that I wouldn't make the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania-well, I made it. I never dreamed after I retired the first time that my back would get better and I would be allowed to return to wrestling.

Standing there last night in front of over 70,000 people in my home state ended a journey that was unreal to me. For a kid from Sweetwater, Texas to be able to travel all over the world and realize his dream is pretty cool.

I don't know what the future holds, never say never in life. But I have wrestled my last match. Months ago, I picked out this match. If Eddie Guerrero couldn't be here for it then my dear friend Rey was the obvious choice, and I'm proud he was.

I want to thank the WWE for a great career, for taking a chance on me and allowing me the keys to the car for a while. I will always represent the WWE wherever I go, I am proud of my 13 ½ years with the WWE. And, I am proud of the WWE for cleaning up a great sport to make it more healthy to everyone that is a part.
However, I have no current plans on doing anything in the future on a professional level with WWE. I don't plan on doing commentary, in fact; it hasn't even been brought up to me. I don't plan on being an on air character. I plan on starting the next chapter in my life, and closing the door on this one.
I have worked with some of the greatest people in the world; I have life long friends that are the best in the world. Everytime WWE is brought up or JBL,
I will smile. I having nothing but great, great memories.
I have several projects that I am working on that will keep me more than busy.
I have worked with Charlie Haas to reform www.custom-muscle.com and together we plan on being the best nutrition web site in the world. Check us out, you can buy Layfield Products there, but you can also buy all the cutting edge supplements in the nutrition world there-and the plain old everyday supplements as well.
We plan on offering a full service web site, from information to updates on the world of fitness and health and of course the best prices for supplements of all kinds.I plan on hunkering down and building my companies. I plan on building a world class distribution service in Nashville and a top notch global beverage company. I have a deal in the banking world that I hope to get done that will allow the disabled the first fully access bank online.
I have had a life that I could have only dreamed of so far, but it is my time to say thank you and go away. I have nothing but great and fond memories and I want to leave before any of that changes, I swore I would never stay too long-I have too much respect for this business to do that.
You may see me in the WWE again, I don't know-but that is not the plan. Right now, I have gotten up early today and am ready to go to work on the next part of my life that will hopefully exceed the first part.
I have been on the road for my entire adult life. I want to put the suitcases up and do my best to be successful outside of wrestling, today starts that journey.
Thanks to all you guys out there for cheering me, booing me and making signs about me. It is a little overwhelming to think of the great fans the WWE has today. I have been a bad guy for so long, and when I started you were a bad guy 24/7, I carried that mindset probably too long-well no more, today I am just a normal guy going to work.
It seems like yesterday I was sitting with my Grandfather watching wrestling, and telling him that one day I was going to be one of those guys. My grandfather never got to see me wrestle, but I am sure he is happy today. I hope Bobby Duncum Jr. and Eddie Guerrero were watching with him.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for allowing me to be a part of the great theater we call "sports entertainment", personally I just always considered myself a wrestler.

 

[LKP]

I thought it was a storyline for him to be the smackdown announcer. I mean jbl retires the same week as tazz leaves the wwe. And jbl is a former color commentator on smackdown. I thought it was the plan all along. Obviously reading that its not. I think jbl has to have some sort of role in the wwe now hes retired from the ring. I think ecw gm or a manager to someone like ted dibiase would be a good move for him now.

 

[Rated sXe]

Wow, that's really weird that it didn't get more coverage. I thought that JBL was going to be the new announcer on SmackDown, but I guess it looks like that won't be happening. It's really strange that they didn't mention it too much though, I don't think they even said anything about it on the Raw after Mania.

 

[Double J]

It's been going around wrestling news sites that he was retiring from the ring either at or after Wrestlemania. From the sound of it he's not done with WWE, but it's still unsure on what he'll do. The biggest "rumor" was he would be GM of Smackdown, but that obviously isn't going to happen. I'm surprised they made Tiffany GM.

 

[JMay187]

He did say that he was completely done with the WWE, but maybe he'll have a role or something.

 

[The Mx]

Yeah looks like he is. I personally was never a fan of JBL but I guess he did a good job as a heel that I didn't like him at all. Now I miss him. I guess it's true about what they say, you don't know what you've had until it's gone.

 

[Paul]

He has gone I think. I didn't really like him, glad to see the back of him.

 

[seX-Power]

He'll be missed. He carried Smackdown through a long period and was the WWE's best heel up until Jericho turned. I'm surprised he wanted Mysterio to retire him, but I guess that's what he wanted. I'm also surprised they didn't mention it on Raw, but maybe JBL would have wanted it that way.

 

[Evil Austin]

He will probably now be like Ron Simmons, Val Venus or Hardcore Holly were, mainly backstage inforcers and to help the young guys in the company with ideas and advice like road agents.

 

[The Walls]

I thought for sure he'd stay under contract with WWE in some sort of role, it seems a waste to just let somebody who has been in the business; working with the WWE lifestyle for so long leave the company in such unimportant fashion. I'll never preach to be the biggest JBL fan in the world, but the fact his retirement from WWE has gone so unreferenced on television or whatever seems like a slap in the face. That being said, maybe Bradshaw just wanted to bow out under the radar? Who knows.

 

[JMay187]

John “Bradshaw” Layfield & Layfield Energy Co. Join the Vyper Fight League

The Vyper Fight League and Vyper Productions are proud to announce the addition of John “Bradshaw” Layfield, formerly WWE’s “JBL,” and Layfield [COLOR=red! important][COLOR=red! important]Energy [COLOR=red! important]Company[/color][/color][/color] to the VFL product. John Layfield, coming fresh off of his [COLOR=red! important][COLOR=red! important]retirement[/color][/color] from professional wrestling, will be joining the VFL broadcast team as one of its hosts. Layfield is a former WWE Champion; the longest reigning in Smackdown history, a former broadcaster on WWE Smackdown, regularly appears on [COLOR=red! important][COLOR=red! important]Fox [COLOR=red! important]News[/color][/color][/color] Channel’s The Cost of Freedom, is a best-selling author, and is the president and owner of Layfield Energy Company. John Layfield joins the VFL at its inaugural event, Enter the Vypers Pit, on Friday April 24th, 2009, at 4400 Shepherdsville Road in Louisville, Kentucky.

In addition to John Layfield joining the VFL broadcast team, Layfield Energy Company is a proud sponsor of the Vyper Fight League. Layfield Energy Plus is a breakthrough [COLOR=red! important][COLOR=red! important]supplement[/color][/color] product that triggers energy, focus, and is an [COLOR=red! important][COLOR=red! important]anti-inflammatory[/color][/color], with all the gain and none of the [COLOR=red! important][COLOR=red! important]pain[/color][/color]. Layfield Energy Plus is endorsed not only by John Layfield himself, but also by former WWE Diva and Covergirl, Torrie Wilson, as well as Baseball Hall of Famer, Wade Boggs. For more information go to www.LayfieldEnergy.com
Friday April 24th, 2009, the VFL presents Enter the Vypers Pit, where the world of Mixed Martial Arts will be revolutionized. The Vypers Pit is a state-of-the-art facility, equipped with stellar production capabilities and an intimate environment where every seat in the house is up-close-and-personal to the action. The facility is television ready and television friendly. Upon launch, the VFL will be taping monthly Friday Night Fights for future television broadcasts. The Vyper Fighters will be showcased with some of the most upscale production value in the MMA world.

The VFL is owned and operated by Danny Davis, a respected and successful member of the Sports Entertainment media for almost three decades. Davis has hosted and produced over 600 television tapings, and he has groomed hundreds of Sports Entertainment stars for the spotlight, including current UFC Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar. Davis and Lesnar maintain a close relationship, and Lesnar has a keen interest in the success of the VFL and its fighters.

The VFL will host the most competitive fights in the region with the hungriest and most talented up-and-coming fighters around. For more information visit www.VyperFightLeague.com. In conjunction with Layfield Energy Company, and the addition of John Layfield to the VFL product, the Vyper Fight League is sure to rock the foundations of the MMA world on Friday April 24th, 2009, as the VFL presents Enter the Vypers Pit.

SOURCE: RAJAH.COM