Jake Roberts Calls Infamous Wrestling Promoter An 'Ugly, Racist Bully'

Jake "The Snake" Roberts has no shortage of things to say about the notorious wrestling promoter Bill Watts, and very little is positive. 

Speaking on his "Snake Pit with Jake Roberts" podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer acknowledged there was a modicum of praise that he could bestow on Watts, with whom he worked in Mid-South Wrestling during the 1980s.

"Don't get me wrong, I respect the man for what he can teach you about wrestling," Roberts said. "But as far as a human being, he was ugly, racist, bully bastard."

Roberts added that his was not a minority opinion, noting that "everybody hated this f**ker" – although he didn't mention that Watts had some supporters in wrestling since he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. 

Roberts also stated that Watts' dismal relationship was intergenerational.

"He disrespected my father right out in the open," he said, referring to Grizzly Smith, who was active from the late 1950s through the early 1970s. Roberts also noted how Watt "disrespected Ernie Ladd, called Ernie Ladd words I won't say – you know what word I'm talking about. Because he knew Ernie couldn't do anything about it because he needed the job."

As for his interactions with Watts, Roberts said he "just kept my mouth shut, my hands raised and my head down" to avoid having the promoter limit his opportunities.

"If you started moving your way up to card, then you don't want to go back down the card," he said. "All it takes is a pencil and an eraser and you can go from making 1,500 a week to making 700 a week. That was good money then."

Roberts' remarks are the second time within a month that he spoke poorly of Watts in an interview. Last month in an appearance on Diamond Dallas Page's podcast, he said about Watts that "hate is a strong word but that is one man I truly hate."