Jake Roberts Talks DDP's Reaction To Hall Of Fame News

In 2014, Jake "The Snake" Roberts was honored by WWE when he was inducted into that year's Hall of Fame class, alongside legends such as The Ultimate Warrior and Scott Hall. But in the many years leading up to that moment, Roberts endured a long and difficult road to sobriety, one aided though by the kindness and compassion of Diamond Dallas Page, a WWE Hall of Famer in his own right. At the time he received the call about the Hall of Fame, Roberts was living with DDP and, on a recent episode of "The Snake Pit" podcast, told the story of Page's reaction to the big news.

"Hunter [called and] said, 'Jake, we'd like to induct you into the Hall of Fame,' and I'm like, 'Holy s***,'" Roberts said. "Immediately I knew that I had to tell Dallas and at the time we were still filming everything we did ... I walk in and I said, 'Dude, I've got to talk to you. WWE just called me.' He's like, 'What, what for?' I said, 'Well, they're not going to let me go into the Royal Rumble, man.'" Roberts had been working out and getting into better shape in the hopes that he might be considered as a surprise entrant for the Rumble then. 

But there was more to Roberts' tale. "He's like, 'Oh no, man.' He knew how bad I wanted that," Roberts explained. "I said, 'Yeah, they told me I couldn't go into the Royal Rumble, but they will induct me in the Hall of Fame,' and he's like, 'What, what, what? ... He lost it, man. He started crying and everything, man. He's very emotional at times." DDP wound up getting the nod to induct Roberts at the Hall of Fame ceremony and was able to hold it together long enough to deliver his speech.