BREAKING: @JCLayfield will be inducted into the #WWEHOF Class of 2020!https://t.co/3TcDcgrGRI— WWE (@WWE) March 4, 2020
March 4 (UPI) -- JBL or John Bradshaw Layfield, is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
JBL will be honored alongside the the Hall of Fame class of 2020 on April 2 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay as part of WrestleMania 36 week.
The grappler, who referred to himself as a wrestling god, joined the WWE in 1995 as Justin 'Hawk' Bradshaw. He later joined forces with fellow Hall of Famer Ron Simmons to form The Acolytes.
The Acolytes, one of WWE's most memorable tag teams from the Attitude Era and beyond, served as enforcers for The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness before they struck out on their own to start the Acolytes Protection Agency or APA.
The APA would set up a makeshift office backstage and could be hired as bodyguards by other wrestlers in order to help them win matches. The APA were known for drinking beer, starting bar fights, having rowdy poker games and for being three-time World Tag Team Champions.
Layfield transformed into his villainous JBL persona after The APA ended. His new character mimicked his real-life success on the stock market.
JBL wore expensive suits, a white cowboy hat and he arrived to the ring in a white limousine with bullhorns on the hood. JBL famously defeated fellow Hall of Famer, the late, great Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship in 2004.
JBL, who used the powerful Clothesline from Hell to finish off his opponents, would then lose the title to John Cena at WrestleMania 21 in 2005. JBL was also a former Intercontinental Champion, United States Champion, European Champion and multi-time Hardcore Champion.
JBL retired from in-ring action after WrestleMania 25 in 2009 and then became a color commentator in 2012, calling matches for Raw and SmackDown through 2017.
He left WWE in order to focus on his charity work with at-risk kids and communities with organizations Beyond Rugby Bermuda and Beyond Sport.
The WWE Hall of Fame class of 2020 also includes Batista, The nWo consisting of members Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman and The Bella Twins consisting of Nikki and Brie Bella.
