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Jake Roberts Recalls Steve Austin Joining WWE, What He Told Vince McMahon About Him

November 10, 2020 | Posted by Blake Lovell
Steve Austin Vince McMahon 1997 WWE Image Credit: WWE

In a recent interview with Premier Live TV, Jake Roberts discussed Steve Austin first joining WWE, what he told Vince McMahon about Austin, and much more. You can read his comments below.

Jake Roberts on Steve Austin first joining WWE and him calling after matches: “When Steve Austin first came to the WWF, he was the Ringmaster. That strikes fear in everyone [laughs]. And you have someone else talking for you. Are you freaking kidding me? Let’s find out what this guy is about not what this guy thinks he’s about. But when Steve Austin came, I was helping write television. And I watched him and said ‘This motherfucker has got it, he’s got that ‘it’ factor and he doesn’t even know he’s got it.’ He didn’t. String ass blonde hair – get rid of that shit, he ain’t got none left anyways and I know how that feels. He started talking to me and I started talking to him. He wanted to get better, and he was listening. Every night he was on the road, he would call me and tell me what happened in his match and how he dealt with it and how he brought it to the end and what result it had. So, I worked with him.”

On what he told Vince McMahon about Austin: “At the same time, I’m helping write television and I’m starting to scoot him into places – sort of as an afterthought so nobody was watching. And then one day I told Vince ‘That guy right there is gonna be your next super, super star.’ He says ‘Are you kidding me, Jake?’ He said that guy will never make it past the fifth or sixth match, he’s not a main eventer. I said the fuck he ain’t. He said do you think so, and I said yeah I think so. We tried the thing, and I guess it might have worked, huh?”

On Austin deserving the opportunity after getting screwed over throughout his career until joining WWE: “He deserved it. Steve was one of those guys that had been lied to and screwed over, as we all are once you get into wrestling. But he’d really been given the double dose of it. He’d gotten a giant spoonful in WCW – they lied to him, they conned him, they screwed him. Then he went to ECW, and what do you think you’re gonna get there, fella? Another dose. Now you’re gonna come to WWF last, and boy oh boy, by then Steve had gotten pretty calloused in not trusting anybody.”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit Premier Live TV and an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.