In a recent episode of his podcast, “The Snake Pit”, WWE Hall of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts shared his experiences of working with Stan Hansen and the numerous difficulties they faced along the way.
Here are some key takeaways from the podcast:
On initial encounters working with Stan Hansen: Roberts recounted his first interactions with Stan Hansen during their time in Louisiana, admitting, “I was absolutely terrified.”
Regarding his first match with Hansen: Roberts describes it as a distressing experience due to the presence of around twenty Japanese photographers, who were in the United States to capture Hansen, who regularly toured Japan. Roberts shares a disturbing incident during which he beat Hansen, and as a consequence, the photographers took numerous photos of him defeating Hansen. This incident led to Hansen’s fury, causing him to attack the referee and Roberts himself.
On Hansen’s legal blindness impacting his work: Despite Hansen’s condition, Roberts acknowledges that he would just charge at you once he locates you. This added an extra layer of unpredictability to Roberts’ encounters with Hansen in the ring.
On changes in match tactics due to limited vision: Roberts explains that wrestling with someone having limited vision does not significantly change their procedures. He recalls his bouts with George Weingeroff, a legally blind wrestler, stating that their communication was predominantly tactile rather than visual.