"It hurt" – WWE legend on Triple H saying he wouldn't be in the Royal Rumble
WWE Hall of Famer Jake Roberts recently recalled how Triple H once gave him good and bad news during the same phone call.
In 2014, Roberts set a goal to return to WWE as an entrant in the 30-man Royal Rumble. The wrestling legend, aged 58 at the time, was not selected to participate in the match. However, he did receive word that he was going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
On The Snake Pit podcast, the 67-year-old said Triple H informed him that he would not be in the Royal Rumble:
"Hunter [Triple H]," Roberts replied when asked who gave him the news. "Whenever he wanted me to come into the Hall of Fame, that's when they told me the Royal Rumble wouldn't happen." [1:00 – 1:08]
Although Roberts was disappointed, he understood that the company wanted to concentrate on younger talent instead of legends from the past:
"It hurt, man, because I thought I was ready. No [not optimistic about returning after that]. There comes a time where, even as good as you are or as great as you are, that you take away from the show with your presence, and they don't want the fans focusing on this old fart here. They want the fans focusing on the new talent, cheering them on." [1:17 – 1:55]
Batista won the 2014 Royal Rumble, which included surprise appearances from Kevin Nash and John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL).
Two months later, Roberts was inducted into the Hall of Fame by his close friend Diamond Dallas Page (DDP). The 2014 class also featured Carlos Colon, Lita, Mr. T, Paul Bearer, Scott Hall, and The Ultimate Warrior.
Jake Roberts returned to WWE before the 2014 Royal Rumble
On January 6, 2014, Jake Roberts appeared on WWE RAW for the first time in almost nine years. He was one of many legendary superstars who returned as part of a special "Old School" episode.
On this day in 2014, Jake Roberts would appear on WWE Old School Raw. His distraction allowed CM Punk and The New Age Outlaws to fight off The Shield.
Jake would open a bag and place a big snake on Dean's face.
Weeks later, @JakeSnakeDDT would be announced for the
WWE HOF. https://t.co/2JRjPFtWpD
The main event saw Roman Reigns defeat CM Punk after a distraction from Dean Ambrose on the ring apron. Moments later, Roberts surprisingly made his way down to the ring. He placed a snake on top of Ambrose, who broke character by smiling during the segment.
On his latest podcast, Roberts also spoke about the "sad" interaction he had with then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon that day.
Do you think Jake Roberts should have participated in the 2014 Royal Rumble? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit The Snake Pit and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.