WWE Hall of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts was recently interviewed by Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard, to promote the upcoming “Resurrection of Jake Roberts” documentary. Below are some interview highlights:
On why his promo skills were so good in WWE:
“My wrestling character wasn’t an act,” Roberts explained. “One of the reasons I was so good at doing interviews and coming up with storylines was because I learned to lie quickly. After you’re sexually abused, you learn to lie quickly and constantly be on guard. As ‘Jake the Snake,’ I never wanted you to trust me. If you could trust me, then that meant our relationship was getting good.”
On why he turned to drugs:
“I did drugs because they numbed me,” said Roberts. “I didn’t have to be me. When you hate yourself as much as I hated myself, you didn’t want to be conscious at all. You want to be f—– up. I once took all the mirrors down in my house because I was just wanted to f—— punch myself.”
On resenting the fans for liking him:
“Deep inside, I hated the fans because they loved me,” said Roberts. “I used to scream, ‘How the f— do you love me when you don’t even know me?’ As crazy as that sounds, I didn’t want anyone to love me. Up to about two-and-a-half years ago, I didn’t like myself, regardless of my success. Even at the highest point in my career, I still couldn’t stand myself. And I never thought I was any good. I never accepted myself as a great talent until a couple of years ago.”
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
