The 2018 All In pay-per-view is widely regarded as the catalyst for the creation of All Elite Wrestling, an event that permanently reshaped the modern wrestling landscape. While its legacy is well established, new details continue to surface about who was nearly involved in the groundbreaking show. A new report has now revealed previously unknown discussions linking WWE Hall of Famer JBL to the independent supercard.
During an appearance on the Something to Wrestle With podcast, John “Bradshaw” Layfield confirmed that he engaged in talks with organizers about being part of the original All In.
According to JBL, the plans ultimately fell apart after the organizers “went on with Tony Khan and did some stuff and went a different direction,” a shift that directly led to the launch of AEW. He framed the missed opportunity as one of several potential projects he has considered over the past 10–12 years that, for various reasons, never materialized.
“There were some times where I flirted with different stuff — and during the time when that AEW All In came in — I flirted with just some different ideas about doing some things with some of the guys that were putting a lot of stuff together. It never worked out — because they kind of went on with Tony Khan and did some stuff and went a different direction. I’ve flirted off and on over the last, I don’t know, 10–12 years with doing something that, for one reason or another, has never materialized.” (h/t Ringside News)
Although his involvement with what became AEW never happened, JBL has been vocal about the positive impact the company has had on the industry. Speaking on the same podcast on September 15, 2025, he argued that competition is essential to keeping WWE’s creative process sharp, citing Vince McMahon’s history of launching side ventures during periods without a true rival.
“I think it makes it better. I think it makes it a lot better. The times that Vince did things that were crazy was when he was bored,” JBL stated. “He came up with ICOPRO when WCW had no ratings… He came up with the XFL when WCW was no longer around later. When you have no competition… creative guys need to fill a void somewhere, and there’s no reason to fill it with wrestling because you don’t have competition.”
From a performer’s perspective, he explained that the presence of a rival company elevates everyone’s game, making accountability critical in the locker room.
“You wanted to beat them. You wanted to see what they had on their show and you wanted to go up against it,” he recalled of the WCW era. “And when there’s no competition, what happens if you s—t the bed? It doesn’t really matter… If you’re not good when you have competition… you’re either gotten rid of or you’re put way down on the roster somewhere. You won’t be in that spot again. So you love the competition.”