10 Dark Secrets About WWE Legends

7. Jake Roberts And His History With Animals

Randy Savage
WWE

Hurt people hurt people.

Those four words complicate the true nature of awful behaviour and pose virtually unanswerable questions about morality and complicity.

Jake Roberts endured a horrific upbringing, the likes of which would test suspension of disbelief in the hackiest soap opera. Jake's father was a monster. As has been covered on Beyond The Mat, VICE's Dark Side of the Ring and WWE's A&E series, Roberts was the product of the rape of his mother and was sexually abused by his stepmother during childhood.

Roberts self-medicated and spent his career, and the vast majority of his life, in a tragic bid to repel the trauma. He isn't absolved of awful behaviour, but it's complicated. More complicated than a listicle can tackle, realistically.

Still, Jake Roberts abused a snake through neglect in the early 2000s when living in the UK, for which there is so excuse. Summoned to court in 2004, Roberts was found to have housed the 15-foot animal in a cage spanning just 12 feet. An RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) inspector determined that the underwight snake - which died shortly after being seized - had not been fed for seven to eight months.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!