Jake Roberts Reminisces on Ultimate Warrior Rivalry and Strange Promos in WWF Era

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A professional wrestling legend, Jake Roberts had a career filled with numerous memorable rivalries. However, one feud that never fully materialized but left a lasting imprint was his ill-fated program with the Ultimate Warrior in the summer of 1991.

Roberts recently took a trip down memory lane, recounting this riveting chapter from his wrestling career on his podcast, "The Snake Pit." Roberts reminisced about the unconventional hours they kept while filming dramatic vignettes to build up their storyline.

"I received a call from Vince [McMahon] informing me that we were scheduled to film a vignette post-show in Hartford," Roberts said, recounting the late-night experience with a chuckle. "It's going to be 11 PM!' However, it turned out it would begin at 3 AM.

In the middle of the night, we were, in a lonely graveyard, bringing this unconventional narrative to life. To this day, I'm still astounded how we managed to pull that off."

"Warrior's Midnight Grave-Digging"

As if the peculiar timing wasn't enough, Roberts revealed the grave seen in the vignette wasn't prepared in advance.

It was the Ultimate Warrior himself who dug it on location. "Warrior operated the backhoe and excavated the hole right there in the wee hours of the morning," he explained. Despite his exhaustion and inebriation – "I was entirely spent, and under the influence, I can assure you" – Roberts expressed his appreciation for that distinct experience.

He firmly believes that such vivid and imaginative vignettes played a critical role in deepening their on-screen rivalry. According to Roberts, today's talent could greatly benefit from utilizing similar creative tools to enhance their programs.

Regrettably, the potentially explosive feud was prematurely extinguished due to Warrior's sudden exit from the WWE. This left Roberts, and no doubt many fans, wondering about the tantalizing possibilities their full-fledged rivalry might have offered.

"I can only speculate about the extraordinary spectacle we could have presented," Roberts concluded a hint of regret in his voice. These reflective insights into an unrealized feud illuminate a fascinating piece of wrestling history and provide a unique perspective on the kind of creative latitude wrestling entertainers had during that era.