John Bradshaw Layfield believes there is a realistic—though not guaranteed—chance that Ted DiBiase Jr. could return to WWE following his recent acquittal, estimating the odds at “slightly under a coin flip.”
Speaking on the Something to Wrestle podcast with Conrad Thompson, JBL reacted positively to the verdict and expressed his support for DiBiase Jr.:
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” JBL said. “I love Ted. I love Ted Jr. Those are good dudes. Those are good people.”
DiBiase Jr. was acquitted by a Mississippi jury on all 13 federal charges tied to the alleged misappropriation of state welfare funds. JBL took issue with how the case had been portrayed publicly prior to the verdict:
“The government charged them, and then the jury said that the government had no case, that they’re not guilty,” JBL said. “But the problem is, you only have one person speaking here, so you have the government speaking, and people just take their word for it. I talked with Ted about it many times. Ted had told me his version of the story, and that version the jury believed to be true.”
When it comes to a potential in-ring or on-screen return, JBL suggested it’s far from certain—but definitely possible:
“I think around 40%. Slightly under a coin flip. I don’t think it probably happens, but I think there’s a chance it could. I think there’s kind of a groundswell. I think Ted would get a huge babyface reaction coming out, having been acquitted of all charges.”
The conversation also touched on the possibility of revisiting the Legacy faction, which originally featured DiBiase Jr. alongside Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton—both currently positioned at the top of WWE heading into WrestleMania 42.
JBL noted that the appeal of such a storyline could extend beyond just DiBiase Jr.:
“Ted DiBiase Senior was such a big character in WWE, that laugh, the million dollar laugh,” JBL said. “There was this black cloud kind of hanging over them, and now that black cloud has been lifted. It might be a good chance to do something with him, and maybe with Junior. I think it could be a pretty good TV segment. They’ve got 10 hours a week they’ve got to fill. There’s places to do this, if they choose to.”
Following the verdict, DiBiase Jr. also issued a public statement:
“A Mississippi jury has acquitted me on all charges. I’m forever indebted to nationally recognized trial lawyer Eric Hirschman, who guided my overall defense strategy and stepped in to masterfully cross examine the government’s star witness.”
John Bradshaw Layfield believes there is a realistic—though not guaranteed—chance that Ted DiBiase Jr. could return to WWE following his recent acquittal, estimating the odds at “slightly under a coin flip.”
Speaking on the Something to Wrestle podcast with Conrad Thompson, JBL reacted positively to the verdict and expressed his support for DiBiase Jr.:
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” JBL said. “I love Ted. I love Ted Jr. Those are good dudes. Those are good people.”
DiBiase Jr. was acquitted by a Mississippi jury on all 13 federal charges tied to the alleged misappropriation of state welfare funds. JBL took issue with how the case had been portrayed publicly prior to the verdict:
“The government charged them, and then the jury said that the government had no case, that they’re not guilty,” JBL said. “But the problem is, you only have one person speaking here, so you have the government speaking, and people just take their word for it. I talked with Ted about it many times. Ted had told me his version of the story, and that version the jury believed to be true.”
When it comes to a potential in-ring or on-screen return, JBL suggested it’s far from certain—but definitely possible:
“I think around 40%. Slightly under a coin flip. I don’t think it probably happens, but I think there’s a chance it could. I think there’s kind of a groundswell. I think Ted would get a huge babyface reaction coming out, having been acquitted of all charges.”
The conversation also touched on the possibility of revisiting the Legacy faction, which originally featured DiBiase Jr. alongside Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton—both currently positioned at the top of WWE heading into WrestleMania 42.
JBL noted that the appeal of such a storyline could extend beyond just DiBiase Jr.:
“Ted DiBiase Senior was such a big character in WWE, that laugh, the million dollar laugh,” JBL said. “There was this black cloud kind of hanging over them, and now that black cloud has been lifted. It might be a good chance to do something with him, and maybe with Junior. I think it could be a pretty good TV segment. They’ve got 10 hours a week they’ve got to fill. There’s places to do this, if they choose to.”
Following the verdict, DiBiase Jr. also issued a public statement:
“A Mississippi jury has acquitted me on all charges. I’m forever indebted to nationally recognized trial lawyer Eric Hirschman, who guided my overall defense strategy and stepped in to masterfully cross examine the government’s star witness.”
