Former WWE and Impact Wrestling Superstars Shawn Daivari (or Sheik Abdul Bashir) and Mr. Ken Anderson (or Mr. Ken Kennedy) recently appeared on the Pancakes & Powerslams podcast and talked about John "Bradshaw" Layfield bullying people backstage in WWE, as well as The Undertaker's apparent retirement at WrestleMania 33.
How to stop JBLâs bullying backstage:
Anderson: âI read something where he told Justin Roberts to go kill himself, everyday. He would say stuff like that, but the minute somebody would fire back at him, or just no-sell it, [theyâll] be fine. He wouldnât keep hammering⌠Iâm not saying that his way is right, but people are really, really sensitive nowadays for that reason.â
Daivari: âWhenever I hear about John being a bully to whoever, and the specific names that come out, itâs because the person he was quote-unquote bullying was trying so hard to get over with him. Like, dude, not everybody is gonna like you. Maybe [John] doesnât like you, you donât have to prove a point and defend [yourself]. If he says youâre a dork and he hates you, you donât have to prove to him that youâre not a dork and he should like you. Just let it go.â
Anderson shares a time where both Edge and John Morrison stood up to JBL:
âPaul Heyman told me this story about how JBL was needling Edge on a bus, overseas. Edge was pretty new to the company, and [JBL kept needling him]. JBL had a beer in his hand, Edge just stood up, and swatted the beer out of his hand, and said âLetâs go right now. Iâm sick of it.â From that point on, JBL said âOh calm down, sweetheart.â Everything was smoothed over, and he didnât mess with him again.
â[John Morrison] stood up to him one night. JBL didnât like the way him and Miz had sold at the end of their match. They hadnât celebrated enough. [JBL was getting on him], and Johnny basically just snapped on him, and told him to mind his own business. They almost went at it.â
Daivari shares a story when he stood up to JBL:
âJohn came [backstage] and just picked me as his target. A bunch of people werenât watching [his main event match from backstage], and he goes, âShawn Daivari doesnât need to watch the main event! Shawn Daivari knows everything about everything in wrestling! Shawn doesnât have to watch the main event! Heâs good, heâs got it!â And I said, âNo. Youâve been doing the same match 17 nights in a row. I can call every single move you did, I can tell you exactly what happened, I can tell you what heat you did to the crowd to get them involved, Iâve seen it! No, I donât need to watch it tonight!'â
If WrestleMania 33 was The Undertakerâs Final Match:
Daivari: âNo, I donât think this is it for him. I think this is it for him as far as an expectation to work every WrestleMania, but I donât think that was his last match⌠I know the relationship between [Undertaker] and Vince [McMahon], and I think if Vince calls him and says, âHey, I want you to have a match,â I donât know if Undertaker is gonna say no, just because [heâs loyal].â
Anderson: âIâll go on record by saying that was his last match. Thatâs the way he wanted to go out. Like, heâs just super old school. Thereâs a certain code, a time-honored tradition that when you have your last match, you go out looking at the lights. And he did that, and the fact that he took the gloves off, and took the hat off, and left everything in the center of the ring, I felt like that was him saying, âThatâs it. Iâm out.â If thatâs the case, I think itâs fantastic.â