WWE Hall of Famer Jake Roberts shared his candid thoughts on wrestling promoter Bill Watts during the recent Snake Pit podcast. Roberts worked for Wyatts in Mid-South Wrestling in the 1980s. Below are some highlights (via WrestlingInc.com):
Bill Watts:
“Don’t get me wrong, I respect the man for what he can teach you about wrestling, but as far as a human being, he was ugly, racist, bully bastard.”
How Watts treated Ernie Ladd:
“He 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.”
How he often had to keep his head down to prevent being moved down the card:
“If you started moving your way up to card, then you don’t want to go back down the card. 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.”