Jake 'The Snake' Roberts on when Vince McMahon bet how many times WWE Hall of Famer would curse on TV
WWE legend Jake the Snake Roberts looked back on when Vince McMahon was in trouble with the USA Network in the late 90s due to Stone Cold Steve Austin's constant swearing on TV.
Austin's rise in the Attitude Era coincided with WWE's more risque on-screen product. This change in a production led to many WWE talents using a lot more unsavory language on air.
During a recent episode of the DDP: Snake Pit podcast, Roberts said despite the USA Network telling McMahon to have less swearing on his show, both Vince and Bruce Prichard placed a bet on how many times Austin would curse. What Prichard didn't know was McMahon asked The Rattlesnake to curse aplenty so he could win the bet:
“There’s Bruce Prichard sitting over there at the Gorilla position, and Steve goes and he looks at Vince and goes, ‘I bet he screws up & says a*s.' Vince said, ‘you want to bet how many times he’ll say a*s?’ Prichard said, ‘he’ll say it twice.’ Vince said, ‘I bet he’ll say it more than that.’ A five-dollar bet. Austin went out there but poor Bruce didn't know Vince walked around the curtain and grabbed Steve just as he was about to go through and said, ‘say it at least 15 times.’
Roberts added:
"He [Austin] went out there and said a*s every time he turned around. ‘A*s. A*s.’ Prichard’s in the back crying, ‘What the f**k. I can’t believe he’s doing that.’ Vince is, like, ‘I’m gonna break his neck. I’m gonna kill him. He’s going to get us kicked off TV.’ Prichard is like, ‘Holy s**t, Vince, don’t be that mad at him.’ Bruce didn’t want Steve to get kiboshed. Vince worked Bruce many times, that was just one." (H/T - Wrestling Inc)
"Oh I'll take it from here, nurse!"
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Both Vince and Stone Cold shared many iconic moments on screen together during WWE's Attitude Era.
Jake Roberts says Vince McMahon ruined the steel cage match
Despite all the incredible things Vince McMahon has done for wrestling, Jake Roberts believes McMahon turned the iconic steel cage match into a farce.
Speaking on the DDP: Snake Pit podcast, Roberts stated how the desire for performers to want to escape the cage ruined the magic of the match:
“Vince McMahon, for all the good he did in wrestling, he ruined the cage match. When he made the cage match, the finish, you had to escape the cage. That was the whole reason you had the cage. You had the cage to keep that chickens**t in the ring with you so you could get even with him and you could keep other people out. Vince ruined the whole damn thing. He said first one that escapes this cage is the winner. Are you serious? That blows off all of the heat." (H/T - Wrestling Inc)
Relive some WILD surprises inside the Steel Cage. https://t.co/IhR61PZgU5
After booking steel cage matches for well over 30 years, it's possible Vince McMahon got bored of the match itself.