WWE Hall of Famer takes a shot at Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels
Jake Roberts took a jibe at Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels during his latest interview with Perched On The Top Rope.
Michaels and Hart carried WWE on their shoulders during one of the worst periods in the company's history, in the mid-90s. Jake Roberts had the following to say about these two megastars:
"If you've got to that point, where you're recognized and you are, then dude just go do your job. Come on man. I mean, let's be honest, Bret and Shawn Michaels were the only two guys thought they won the title anyway. Everybody else knows different. So, we will leave it at that, man. And no disrespect to them, they both worked their butts off and truly loved the business, and Jake "The Snake" didn't need [a title belt]," said Jake Roberts.
Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels were top stars during a dark time in WWE
In the mid-90s, fan interest was waning rapidly and WWE wasn't doing as well as it had done back in the late 80s and early 90s. 1995 has been termed by many fans as one of the absolute worst years in the company's history.
Around that time, former top stars like Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage had left WWE. Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart remained at the top for extended periods of time during that era. Both superstars were bitter rivals not only inside the ring, but also in a backstage capacity.
The duo faced off in an hour-long Iron Man match to close out WrestleMania 12 in 1996, with Hart losing the WWE title to Michaels and passing the torch to him.
Bret Hart would leave WWE in controversial fashion in late 1997 and make his way to WCW. He didn't do much of note in WCW though.
As for Shawn Michaels, he remained a top superstar for a brief period before losing the WWE title to Stone Cold Steve Austin in the main event of WrestleMania 14. He took a hiatus following the match due to an injury, and would return four years later to kick off another legendary run that lasted eight years.