JBL Almost Made The Undertaker Laugh & Break Character On Smackdown

The Undertaker and John Bradshaw Layfield's real-life friendship goes back many years, especially as both men were long-tenured veterans in WWE. Regarding their relationship on-screen, The Undertaker and JBL were both allies and bitter enemies throughout their careers. One specific moment that many modern fans fondly remember is the feud The Undertaker and JBL had on Smackdown in the fall of 2004, where The Undertaker challenged JBL for his WWE Championship. JBL became a foe of the Undertaker in the mid-2000s, as it led to multiple brutal encounters on PPV, that didn't stop him from attempting to make The Undertaker break character in one of their in-ring segments.

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JBL And The Undertaker's Real-Life Bond

Although known for his controversial real-life behavior, no one will deny that JBL is one of the best heel performers of the 21st century. His ability as a heel led him to win the WWE Championship in mid-2004 from Eddie Guerrero, despite being a mid-card performer for most of his career. It's also worth mentioning that JBL being a long-tenured veteran in WWE, he's had a long reputation for how he conducts himself in real life, especially for his past locker room antics.

Regardless of how some people feel about him in real life, many people in the wrestling industry are fond of JBL, as he's had many associates in his wrestling career. One of his closest associates behind the scenes is The Undertaker, as it's heavily known among the internet wrestling community for their real-life Wrestler's Court in the locker room. JBL may not have been a main-event level superstar until receiving his big break in 2004, but his status in the locker room probably benefited his role in the company.

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The Undertaker And JBL's On-Screen History

Undertaker and JBL have been close for years, as their association has also transitioned on-screen. For instance, The Undertaker and JBL's most noted alliance on WWE TV took part in the Ministry of Darkness stable in the Attitude Era. Back when JBL got billed as "Bradshaw," the Ministry of Darkness helped him, along with Ron Simmons, break out as a colorful character during his time as The APA.

Even after the Ministry of Darkness dissolved, there were instances where JBL and The Undertaker aligned with themselves as babyfaces. When The Undertaker became the "American Badass" and JBL was a part of the APA tag team with Ron Simmons, there were occasions on which both of them were on friendly terms. For instance, a year before their eventual feud for the WWE Championship, Bradshaw returned to WWE TV to reunite The APA on a June 2003 episode of Smackdown by saving The Undertaker from getting jumped by the FBI. Whether in or out of the ring, JBL and The Undertaker's old-school upbringing in the wrestling business make them a good pairing.

JBL Tries To Make The Undertaker Laugh During Their Feud

After Wrestlemania 20, JBL received a WWE Championship push to the main-event scene, where he battled the very best on the Smackdown brand throughout his title reign. The Undertaker was one of those men he wrestled multiple times for the WWE Championship, including a brutal championship match at Summerslam 2004. As one would expect, their on-screen rivalry on Smackdown was as intense as one could imagine as their past on-screen history got brought up.

JBL's feud with The Undertaker may have gotten intense, but that didn't diminish their real-life friendship. Because they were friends, JBL attempted to pull a friendly joke on The Undertaker during one of their in-ring segments.

In an attempt at humor, JBL recommended The Undertaker should go on vacation and stop being upset all the time, and his own words, "turn his frown upside down." As The Undertaker looked menacing as usual, JBL decided to shoot on The Undertaker by cracking jokes, hoping to get at least a grin on his face.

JBL explained the situation on the Undertaker: The Last Ride program, where he brought up the time The Undertaker was on vacation and his camper broke in hundred-degree weather. JBL also mentioned that attempting to make The Undertaker break character was a running gag.

If one were to watch that segment, as WWE uploaded a clip of their interaction on Youtube, one can tell that The Undertaker was trying to hold back a grin after JBL's humorous rant. Keep in mind that The Undertaker's got a reputation of hardly breaking character in and out of the ring, as seeing JBL almost getting a laugh out of him is a sight to see.

One of the most appealing aspects of JBL's heel persona is his comedic wit. Many of his on-screen promos had brought out his humorous side, like when he tried to make The Undertaker laugh.