Steve Austin created legendary WWE finisher name, HOFer recalls
Stone Cold Steve Austin was one of WWE's biggest names in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In a recent podcast episode, John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) spoke about the moment his former co-worker named his iconic finishing move.
JBL wrestled for WWE between 1995 and 2009. The 58-year-old used a hard-hitting Clothesline, known as the Clothesline from Hell, to defeat opponents. In 2024, the Hall of Famer brought back the move when he began making surprise appearances in AAA, TNA, and several other promotions.
On the Something to Wrestle podcast, JBL said Austin suggested the name after watching him land the powerful move on Marc Mero:
"The name came off a Clothesline from Marc Mero. I hit Mero with it, and I come back from the dressing room, and Stone Cold was there. We're in Europe, and Steve said, 'That's not a Clothesline. That's a Clothesline from Hell!' And that's where the name came from, Stone Cold naming it after I hit Mero with a Clothesline in Europe." [33:30 – 33:47]
JBL, then known as Bradshaw, faced Mero at several European shows in April 1998. During that time, he defeated the former Intercontinental Champion in a pay-per-view match at Mayhem in Manchester.
JBL reveals the risks of his WWE finisher
Most finishers are likely to hurt the opponent more than the person delivering the move. However, that is not necessarily the case for the Clothesline from Hell.
While the move might look lethal, JBL says he has suffered his fair share of injuries executing the finisher:
"It hurts me too. If you hit a guy with a Clothesline like that going that freaking hard with your arm extended, I've torn my pec, I've torn my bicep, all kinds of things." [34:00 – 34:10]
In the same episode, JBL named a former WWE Champion as the best wrestler in the world right now.
Please credit Something to Wrestle and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.