Jake 'The Snake' Roberts knows a thing or two about wrestling. Commonly regarded as one of the greatest grapplers never to win the WWF Championship (or any title in the promotion!), he drew considerable admiration for his intense charisma and heavily psychological ringwork. It's therefore no surprise that his guest slot on Steve Austin's podcast is riddled with nuggets of advice, many relating directly to today's product. Austin's show is usually full of nostalgic tales and humorous anecdotes, but the Texan pair actually dedicate a considerable chunk of airtime to discussing the art of wrestling itself, delving into the topics of classic heel work, the mechanics of putting together a match, and maintaining credibility in the eyes of the fans. A dark, cerebral character among the colourful giants of Hogan, Savage and Andre, Jake was truly ahead of his time...
14. Blading: 'There's A Right Way And A Wrong Way'
Surprisingly, when disclosing the secret of a good bladejob to Austin, Roberts doesn't endorse the use of snakes (despite encouraging his king cobra to draw blood from 'Macho Man' Randy Savage in 1991). Instead, he pinpoints the technique a lot of wrestlers use as incorrect - instinctively using an unsafe slicing motion as opposed to a far safer "twisting" method. Jake believes the twisting method to heal quicker and (crucially) appear far less obvious to fans. He claims to have been able to blade himself in midair, even while taking a backdrop, with nothing more than a quick flick of the wrist. Austin and Roberts both agree that, no matter how safely a wrestler blades, there's always a certain "sickness" to it.
