WWE Hall of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts took to an episode of his Snake Pit podcast, where he talked about a number of topics including if he thinks young wrestlers need to be roughed up by veterans during training.
Roberts said, “I don’t think so. I don’t, I don’t think so. I think you need to test them, I think you need to push the s**t out of them, you know. Make them work and work hard. But there’s no need to physically abuse them.”
On the physical aspect of training:
“Oh sure, you can do push-ups and squats all day long, but that doesn’t get you a thing about wrestling. So it’s kind of — you know, it’s really stupid, man. That’s old school thinking, though, you know. I mean hell, today people can’t do push-ups, squats, or even farts.”
On ring shape:
“I’ve seen a lot of football players get into the ring, and they’re in great football shape. And two minutes they’re blown up. It’s a constant push and pull that gets you, you know. Because you’re always tugging or pushing on somebody.”
On winning the Louisiana Championship for Bill Watts being the first title he had in the U.S.:
“It was special man, because it pushed me up the card. By all rights I should have made more money, but that was Bill Watts, you know. He paid you what he had to, not what he wanted to. You know what I’m saying?”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
