Jake Roberts busts myth about WWE icon Andre the Giant (Exclusive)
Jake Roberts recently disclosed the truth about his memorable WWE storyline with fellow Hall of Famer Andre the Giant.
Billed at seven-foot-four, Andre the Giant was one of the most imposing wrestlers in the history of the industry. The Frenchman's menacing on-screen character only had one apparent weakness: Roberts' pet snake Damien. In 1989, Andre even eliminated himself from the Royal Rumble after Roberts threw the snake in the ring.
Many fans believed the WWE icon was really scared of snakes. However, in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, Roberts revealed that was not the case:
"Well, that's what TV got [the perception that Andre disliked snakes]. He wasn't afraid of no damn snake. No, he wasn't. Just a great performer." [1:09 – 1:20]
Watch the video above to find out how Andre the Giant reacted when Jake Roberts' snake bit him.
Jake Roberts adjusted his style against Andre the Giant
In 1988 and 1989, Andre the Giant and Jake Roberts went one-on-one at dozens of untelevised WWE shows. They also faced off at WrestleMania 5, with Roberts securing the win via disqualification.
Reflecting on their rivalry, Roberts said he altered his usual wrestling style due to his opponent's inability to move around like he used to:
"Well, anybody who knows Andre knows it's gonna go the way Andre wants it to. My job was to take care of Andre. His health was failing him. He had a hard time getting up and getting down, so he always had to be near a rope so he could pull himself up." [1:27 – 1:48]
Roberts knew The Eighth Wonder of the World would struggle to pick him up if he fell to the mat in the center of the ring:
"I didn't take a bump in the middle of the ring. That was the whole thing. Don't be in the middle of the ring. You've gotta be somewhere near a rope so he can steady himself, so that's what I did. A great performer never goes out and exposes his opponent's weakness. That's the last thing you want, is to expose their weaknesses." [1:50 – 2:14]
In 1993, Andre passed away at the age of 46 due to congestive heart failure. Later that year, he became the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Do you have any favorite Andre the Giant memories? 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.
Please credit Sportskeeda WrestleBinge and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.