Wrestling

With his outrageous JR Ewing persona, complete with all the trappings of success and the flaunting of such, his aggressive yet highly technical wrestling ability (he is an ex All-American wrestling champ) and his brash, cocky manner, Layfield is a cut above the average. And he would like it no other way.

As well as being an accomplished wrestling star, as his multiple WWE titles - including that of current Intercontinental Champion, former Heavyweight Champion, seventeen-time Hardcore Champion and three-time World Tag Team Champion - will attest, Layfield is, to fittingly underscore his ring manifestation, a best-selling author on financial planning and prominent business analyst (working for Fox News), proving that for every WWE character created there often lurks an element of truth.

From wrestling bears to hoisting The Big Show, Layfield's prodigious strength has often been put to the test, in one way or another. Making his pro wrestling debut in 1992 with the Texas Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), Layfield adopted the gimmick of Johnny Hawk and set about working his way up the rankings to that of legitimate superstar.

In 1995 this objective was further solidified with a WWF (World Wrestling Federation) - now WWE - signing, where he initially fought under the moniker Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw, adopting a rough, tough cowboy persona. After defeating his opponent 'Bradshaw' would brand him with JB (in ink) and thus was born his villainous WWE reputation.

With almost two decades of countless matches within the WWE under his belt, one could be forgiven for assuming Layfield had seen better days. This is not the case. Although he once bloated up to 330 pounds following a serious back injury sustained in the ring, he re-evaluated his training system - in particular his supplement regime and nutrition plan - and is now back better than ever.

The new JBL is better-conditioned athlete and his look belies his 42 years. He credits much of his newfound success to his supplement brand - Layfield Energy - and the state-of-the-art products he has manufactured.

The life of a professional wrestler is dichotomous to say the least. On the one hand pro wrestlers must convey an illusionary persona when competing so as to engage the audience in a display of competition and theatrics while working within the parameters of a scripted storyline. On the other - nowadays, with adjunct career opportunities and a higher public profile - they must be both professional and amiable. How can such a balance be maintained?