WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield did not hold back when sharing his disdain for the Iron Man match concept, describing the format as “horrible.”

During a recent episode of the Something to Wrestle podcast, JBL reflected on the iconic WrestleMania 12 showdown between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart for the WWF Championship. Though the bout is widely celebrated in wrestling history, JBL sided with co-host Conrad Thompson in criticizing the structure of the match.

“I agree with you 100% about the Iron Man match; I think they’re horrible,” JBL declared. “What do you do when you’re 35 minutes in, and you’ve got 25 minutes left before you have a winner? Thank God I was never in one. For one, I didn’t want to go 60 minutes by a clock, but I just think they’re terrible.”

Despite the harsh critique, JBL acknowledged his appreciation for the match itself, noting that he did enjoy the WrestleMania 12 contest between Michaels and Hart. Still, he suggested the bout could have benefited from a more organic structure, believing it would have been more impactful if it had naturally extended beyond the one-hour mark instead of being restricted to a set time limit.