Iconic pro wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts is finally opening up about what caused him to leave the WWE after a legendary career with the world's most popular promotions.
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Roberts is best known for his two stints in the World Wrestling Federation (later WWE): the first between 1986 and 1992, and the second between 1996 and 1997.
During his first run, Roberts quickly became one of the promotion's most compelling characters, using his psychological prowess and the fearsome presence of his snake, Damien, to captivate audiences.
His intense rivalries with top stars like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and The Ultimate Warrior helped solidify his place in WWF history.
Known for his slow, methodical in-ring style and chilling promos, Roberts played a brilliant heel, often manipulating opponents with his cunning. While never winning the WWF World Championship, he became one of his era's best-known and most memorable wrestlers.
That came to an end in 1997, when he was (according to Roberts) fired for not being fit enough for WrestleMania XIII. On a 2023 episode of his podcast "The Snake Pit," the wrestler admitted, "The biggest problem was I was out of shape. It was all on me. I was 40-50 pounds overweight."
However, in a more recent episode of the show, Roberts says that his departure from WWE/WWF also had to do with his frustration over the inconsistent creative decisions of Vince McMahon.
"I just got frustrated with the bulls---," the wrestler said. "I was just over the top frustrated [with] creative. Not given the opportunity to do what I was asked to do. They tell you they want you to do something, then you do it, and where the f--- do you go now? You've already put it out there, and they're doing it, but oh well."
Later, Roberts reinforced that it was the specific inconsistency of controversial promotion co-founder McMahon that contributed to this.
McMahon was infamous for his late-night calls, often filled with sudden, unpredictable ideas that would dramatically alter the course of storylines. It's well-known that he would sometimes rip up scripts on a whim, completely overhauling creative plans in the heat of the moment.
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This chaotic approach to booking and decision-making became a hallmark of his leadership style, keeping wrestlers, writers, and staff on edge as they scrambled to keep up with his ever-evolving vision for the product.
While this unpredictability often led to thrilling, spontaneous moments in WWE, it also created a stressful, unpredictable work environment.
Roberts officially left WWE in 1997, but he made several appearances on Raw in the years that followed. In 2014, Roberts was announced as part of the WWE Hall of Fame's Class of 2014, a fitting recognition of his influential career. He was inducted by Diamond Dallas Page, who played a key role in helping Roberts on his journey to sobriety.
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