On a recent edition of his “The Snake Pit” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jake Roberts discussed the WWE angle where Earthquake (John Tenta) squashed his snake.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On whether he remembers his first interactions with John Tenta: ‘“No, I don’t remember and I wish I did, you know? He appeared to be a well-honed professional when reality was, he had very few matches. But he carried it off, man. I’m sure it has to do with his days as a sumo, but he knew how to carry himself in the locker room. And nothing but respect here.”
On Earthquake squashing the snake: “Well, I will tell you this. Vince and them had come up with the idea of me being laid out on the floor. And I disagreed with him. I said, ‘No man, don’t leave me on the floor. Throw me in the ring, and tie up in the ropes and make me watch it happen.’ You know, there’s nothing worse than having to watch your love be trashed or trampled or squashed, and you can’t do a damn thing about it. So that was the point that I wanted. And I knew that I can carry out the facials and the stuff like when I looked in the bag and I recoiled from the horrible sights that I saw. You know, just a bit of acting on my part.”
On getting in the right headspace to sell it: “For me, all you have to do is believe. You know, put yourself in that spot and believe it. And then you get the natural emotions. And with the emotions comes the facials, and the body recoiling and all that. But the big thing was the snake didn’t get hurt, because the snake wasn’t in the bag. What there was in the bag was a pair of pantyhose filled with hamburger meat. So when you squashed it, there’d be blood coming out.”
On the actual snake being checked on: “You know, we had to have somebody from the ASPCA there to check the snake. Because we can’t be abusing animals and s**t on air. And I remember, it was a woman. And after we showed her what we’d done, she looked at me and said, ‘You’re a ba**ard.’ I go, ‘Why?’ She goes, ‘Look at those kids crying. I was crying!’ I said, ‘Then I did my job right.’”
In a recent episode of his podcast “The Snake Pit,” WWE Hall of Famer Jake Roberts opened up about the infamous WWE angle where Earthquake (John Tenta) squashed his snake. Roberts shared his thoughts on his first interactions with Tenta, the creative process behind the angle, and the emotional impact it had on viewers.
Reflecting on his initial encounters with Tenta, Roberts admitted that he couldn’t recall the exact details. However, he praised Tenta’s professionalism and how he carried himself in the locker room. Despite having limited experience in the ring, Tenta portrayed himself as a seasoned professional, which garnered respect from Roberts.
Regarding the angle itself, Roberts revealed that he initially disagreed with the idea of being laid out on the floor. Instead, he suggested being thrown into the ring and tied up in the ropes, forced to watch his beloved snake being trampled and squashed. Roberts believed that this would evoke a stronger emotional response from him and the audience. He was confident in his ability to convey the necessary facial expressions and reactions to sell the storyline effectively.
To get into the right headspace for the angle, Roberts emphasized the importance of believing in the situation. By immersing himself in the storyline and mentally placing himself in that vulnerable position, he could tap into his natural emotions and deliver convincing performances. The physical reactions, such as facial expressions and body recoiling, followed naturally.
Contrary to popular belief, Roberts clarified that no harm came to the actual snake during the angle. Instead, a pair of pantyhose filled with hamburger meat was used to simulate the snake being crushed. This ensured the safety and well-being of the animal involved.
Roberts also mentioned that an ASPCA representative was present during the segment to ensure that no animals were mistreated or harmed. After witnessing the outcome of the angle, the representative expressed her emotional response, including tears and criticism towards Roberts. However, Roberts defended his actions, stating that if the segment evoked such strong emotions from viewers, then he had successfully done his job as a performer.
The podcast episode provided fans with a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process and the measures taken to protect the welfare of animals involved in WWE storylines. It shed light on the dedication and commitment of performers like Jake Roberts to their craft, as well as their ability to evoke genuine emotions from the audience.
Overall, the discussion between Jake Roberts and Earthquake’s angle involving the snake served as a reminder of the intricacies involved in professional wrestling storytelling and the lengths performers go to entertain and engage viewers.