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Jake "The Snake" Roberts had one of the most recognizable gimmicks of his generation, and the WWE Hall of Famer would go on to be involved in numerous memorable segments. On "The Snake Pit," Roberts recalled the original meeting he had with Vince McMahon that further established his character. Roberts was called in for a meeting with McMahon in his office, and both Blackjack Lanza and Pat Patterson came in and left while he spoke with McMahon. "He sat there and told me that he had an idea for me and I'm like 'What's the idea?' and he's like 'Well, we're gonna dress you up in neon green or purple tights.'"
The veteran continued, recalling how against the idea he was, due to feeling that the tights and knee-high snakeskin boots were the antithesis of his character at the time. "Like, hell no in my mind. He's like 'And carry a snake.' And at the same time, he's writing down some numbers on a piece of paper and he slides it over to me and it says a million dollars."
Continuing, he noted the million-dollar offer immediately changed his mind. "I just looked at that million dollars and said 'F**k yeah.'" Roberts was then offered a ride back to WWE in McMahon's limo, and upon walking back into the locker room, he began feeling resentment from his peers. "Right off the bat, I felt jealousy. I felt that. Guys going 'Oh, my God, he's coming in.' Worried about their spot, they wanted to know if I was going to be babyface or a heel. I said 'I'm going to be a heel.' The babyfaces were happy, but the heels weren't!"
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Snake Pit" and provide Wrestling Inc. with a h/t for the transcription.
