How Andre the Giant reacted when Jake Roberts' snake bit him in WWE (Exclusive)
Jake Roberts recently recalled how Andre the Giant reacted when his pet snake Damien bit him during a WWE match.
Andre the Giant was one of WWE's marquee attractions in the 1980s. In 1989, the Frenchman feuded with Roberts in a storyline that largely revolved around his fear of snakes. He even eliminated himself from the Royal Rumble match to avoid Damien.
In an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, Roberts said Andre was not really afraid of snakes. He also revealed that his legendary opponent laughed when a snake sunk two fangs into his shoulder:
"We weren't trying to fool anybody," Roberts stated. "The only thing that we fooled anybody with was him being afraid of a snake. A snake bit him one time and broke two fangs off in his shoulder and he didn't even know it. Rick Rude pulled them out in the locker room. Andre just laughed." [4:57 – 5:21]
Watch the video above to hear Roberts' story about a painful injury he sustained while wrestling Andre.
Jake Roberts names Andre the Giant's biggest strength and weakness
Billed at seven-foot-four and over 500 pounds, Andre the Giant was WWE's largest superstar of his generation. He feuded with several top stars in the 1980s, most notably Hulk Hogan.
Jake Roberts defeated Andre via disqualification at WrestleMania 5. At that point, the latter still had a lot of power but his mobility had started to deteriorate:
"His strength was his power," Roberts said. "He was so damn strong, it was unbelievable. His weakness was his mobility. He wasn't mobile anymore. He had a hard time moving around." [4:03 – 4:19]
Roberts added that he would have had a "phenomenal" match with Andre if he faced The Eighth Wonder of the World in his younger years. Earlier in his career, the WWE icon defied his size by using athletic moves like dropkicks.
What do you think was Andre's biggest strength? Let us know in the comments section below.
Listen to the latest episode of Jake Roberts' podcast, The Snake Pit, to hear more Andre the Giant stories.
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