Jake "The Snake" Roberts criticized Roman Reigns during an appearance on Inside The Ropes, in comments published on October 9, NoDQ and Wrestling Attitude reported. Roberts said he does not like what Reigns does in the ring and believes the current star has more to give.
Wrestling Attitude reported that the remarks came during a stage interview session, after an audience member named Reigns as a favorite modern wrestler. Roberts replied: "I just don't like Roman with what he does out there. I think that he has better stuff in him yet, but I think that maybe he got a little fat, got a little lazy."
Roberts went on to say, per Wrestling Attitude: "You know, sometimes when you're given so much, you quit producing." NoDQ summarized the comments as Roberts suggesting Reigns may have become complacent because of the creative control he has been given.
Roberts did not place all of the blame on Reigns. He offered a second explanation, quoted by Wrestling Attitude: "And I feel like then either that or he just needed better writers. Maybe that was it."
The comments then turned to how WWE is written today. Roberts said wrestlers no longer develop their own material, and Wrestling Attitude quoted him on what that would mean for him: "I couldn't wrestle today, man, because I'd be going crazy. I want to do my own interviews, man. I don't want nobody else writing for me, man. Nobody knows Jake like Jake." NoDQ reported that he contrasted the scripted format of today with the unscripted promo style of the 1980s and 1990s.
No response from Reigns or WWE was included in either outlet's report. As of October 9, the comments are Roberts' opinion on Inside The Ropes, and he tied them to both Reigns' effort and the way WWE scripts its shows.
