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WWE's John Bradshaw Layfield Retires From Smackdown To Work With At Risk Kids [UPDATED]

UPDATE: JBL has announced that he is stepping back from his weekly announcer duties on WWE Smackdown Live. He posted the following statement on Twitlonger:

After much consideration, I will be stepping back my weekly role as Smackdown Announcer to dedicate more continuous time on the work I have done since 2010 with at risk kids and communities. My new schedule will allow me to continue to be a part of the WWE family and also continue my work that I feel is the most important thing in my life. I will continue my 20+ year relationship with WWE and will appear on such marquee shows as Tribute to the Troops, WrestleMania, amongst others.

With the help of Beyond Sport, I founded Beyond Rugby Bermuda in 2010–which has been recognized as one of the world's best charities for work with at risk, gang focused, youth intervention. Beyond Rugby Bermuda won the 2014 NACRA Fair Play Award out of 7,000 programs and 17 countries for its work with at risk kids. I was named as a Beyond Sport Global Ambassador–an organization backed by all major sports leagues in the U.S.

I'm proud to say that in addition to being Smackdown's longest reigning WWE Champion, I inspired WWE's Tribute to the Troops over 10 years ago. WWE has been my partner in all my philanthropic works and this new deal with WWE ensures that will continue. WWE has made my dreams come true and helped me become a global name. And now, WWE is helping me use that name to make a difference.

The original article is below:

Smackdown Live announcer and WWE Grand Slam Champion John Bradshaw Layfield has teased the "biggest announcement of my life" on Twitter. Seemingly out of nowhere, Layfield sent out the tweet, promising the announcement itself would follow and saying, "At 50 years old I aim to spend my time left making a difference. Very grateful."

JBL retired from in-ring competition in 2009, and has worked on the WWE announce team since 2012. He was recently at the center of a controversy in WWE over the company's history and culture of bullying, in which JBL's announce team partner Mauro Ranallo quit the company after a reported incident of bullying by JBL. In an official statement at the time, Ranallo denied that JBL was involved, and he has since returned to the company. In addition to his pro wrestling career, JBL is a businessman and a frequent financial pundit on Fox News.

So what is Layfield about to announce? Could it be a retirement from WWE? Something else? We'll let you know as soon as we find out by watching his Twitter like everyone else!

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