John Bradshaw Layfield was one of the best heels in WWE history, specifically during his tenure from the "Ruthless Aggression" era. Breaking out of the APA in 2004 after Ron Simmons retired, JBL took the opportunity to establish himself as one of the most hated characters in the wrestling business. By doing so, he targeted WWE Champion at the time, Eddie Guerrero, who was one of the most beloved performers in WWE. The JBL-Eddie Guerrero rivalry from 2004 was one of the most controversial storylines of the "Ruthless Aggression" era for multiple reasons, as the storyline kicked off JBL's career as a main-event singles performer.

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The Rise Of JBL In 2004

In 2004, JBL was an established WWE veteran considering he made his televised debut in the company in 1996. Since then, JBL has gone through numerous changes to his character. Whether it'd be "The New Blackjacks" tag team or a single run competing for the Hardcore Championship, JBL has had many changes as a solo and tag-team performer. It wasn't until his stint with Ron Simmons as the Acolytes Protection Agency that made him popular among WWE fans during the Attitude Era.

However, even the most popular acts in wrestling must end. As JBL continued his association with Ron Simmons once again during the "Ruthless Aggression" era on the Smackdown brand, he received a singles push to the main-event scene right after Wrestlemania 20. Turning heel in a process by refusing to support Ron Simmons as he was getting fired in a kayfabe storyline, JBL's new heel persona was born and immediately established as the top heel on Smackdown.

JBL's new character revolved around being a wealthy hot-headed loudmouthed Texan from New York who expressed ultra-nationalistic views. Such character traits would result in some of the most controversial moments as he just started to get pushed to the main-event scene.

JBL Showing His True Colors

The same night he established the new "JBL" character, he interfered in a WWE Championship match as Eddie Guerrero defended his belt against Booker T, which blindsided him as he was about to score a victory. It indicated that JBL would be turning his sights on Eddie Guerrero, specifically Eddie Guerrero's WWE Championship belt.

JBL targeting Eddie Guerrero and his championship belt allowed him to express his most controversial villainous traits. For instance, JBL got awarded the number-one contender for the WWE Championship by Smackdown general manager Kurt Angle for his alleged patriotism act. The act would be standing by the Texas-Mexico border and kicking out anybody who tried to cross the border into Texas. Considering the topic of illegal immigration is taboo, JBL expressing his hard-lined patriotism and ultra-nationalistic views through this very segment kickstarted his heel character to new heights.

Eddie Guerrero was the perfect arch-nemesis for JBL, considering he was Mexican-American and was highly popular among WWE fans. One of the reasons JBL's rivalry against Eddie Guerrero worked to his advantage was that both men were the polar opposite. One character was very likable, and one character was very hatable.

The "Heart-Attack Incident"

In one of the most controversial segments in the history of WWE, this segment alone cemented JBL as a massive cold-hearted character. During a Smackdown Live Event in Houston, Texas, the hometown of Eddie Guerrero, the Guerrero family was invited to the ring by Eddie Guerrero after finishing a match. His wife, mother, and two daughters got invited to celebrate a Mother's Day occasion, only for JBL to come in and spoil everything.

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As Eddie Gurrero rushed his family out of the ring before JBL could get a hold of them, he received a clothesline from JBL after protecting his family. Eddie Gurrero's mom went to stand up for her son as JBL celebrated in the ring, only for JBL to her and the rest of Eddie Guerrero's family. Eddie Guerrero's mom then fell to the ground as it appeared she was having a heart attack(kayfabe) due to JBL putting a grip on her shoulder by telling her to leave. This very segment that happened at the live event in El Paso aired on the May 6th, 2004 episode of Smackdown, thus cementing the rivalry between JBL and Eddie Guerrero at an all-time personal level.

Controversy Becomes A Reality

After the first match between JBL and Eddie Guerrero ended via disqualification on Judgement Day 2004, things took a turn for the worse for JBL. He got fired from his position at CNBC in real life for an offensive stunt he pulled at a house show in Germany by doing a Nazi salute during a match.

Using it to his advantage regarding the kayfabe storyline with Eddie Guerrero, JBL used the real-life incident as a way cut a promo on Eddie Guerrero, leading to their eventual WWE Championship rematch at The Great American Bash 2004. JBL used the incident to victimize himself while flexing his superiority over Eddie Guerrero and the fans in attendance.

One should look back at this promo from the June 16th, 2004 episode of Smackdown, where this was arguably one of JBL's best in-ring promos of his career. And to his benefit, despite getting fired in real life, he did capture the WWE Championship from Eddie Guerrero at The Great American Bash 2004.

How This Rivalry Helped WWE

With Brock Lesnar leaving the company and Kurt Angle and The Big Show suffering injuries that kept them out of action, the controversial rivalry between JBL and Eddie Guerrero kept the Smackdown brand thriving for the time being. And because of how controversial it was, it worked out in the long run for not only JBL but also for WWE. JBL winning the WWE Championship and carrying it for almost a year helped launch the main-event level career of John Cena, as he eventually became the franchise superstar of WWE by beating JBL at Wrestlemania 21.