What’s the story?
Former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts recently held an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Reddit, where he spoke on a myriad of topics ranging from backstage bullying in the WWE to Vince McMahon and the Undertaker.
When probed about one of the WWE’s most infamous alleged bullies JBL aka John Bradshaw Layfield, Roberts opened up about the bullying culture backstage:
“He terrorised guys…He terrorised me and a lot of guys. He’d make life hell for a lot of guys. He chewed Miz and Morrison out after they won the titles for not celebrating enough. He was eventually let go back then, and when he came back he was a lot better, but he was mostly only showing up for TV. Even now, it (JBL’s bullying) comes across on commentary with how he is with Byron (Saxton).” (* Credits- Reddit)
In case you didn’t know...
Justin Roberts served as a ring announcer for the WWE from 2002 till his release from the company in 2014. Roberts has released his autobiography ‘Best Seat in the House: Your Backstage Pass through my WWE Journey’ that is based on his career with the WWE.
The heart of the matter
He also narrated a crazy Vince McMahon story about a time when he and McMahon were at a HIAC show. Roberts happened to ask a writer at the event to find out about a change in the show and the said writer approached Vince regarding the same:
“God damnit, don’t you know how to do your job? What are you asking?”
Furthermore, when probed by fans to narrate a few Undertaker stories, if any, Roberts recollected a chance encounter with the Deadman in Wales:
“In Wales, at catering, Taker was across from me and simply had a bowl of two scoops of banakee pie. For whatever reason, I started commentating the eating of his pie in JR’s voice. I got the Undertaker to laugh at a show, so that was cool.”
Furthermore, he also weighed in on Daniel Bryan, his opinion about Chris Benoit, WWE ring announcer Lillian Garcia and much more. He emphasised that the WWE higher-ups including Vince McMahon, Triple H and Kevin Dunn love the backstage bullying and ribbing, which they feel is ‘funny’, according to Roberts.
What’s next?
Justin Roberts is presently signed to indie pro-wrestling promotion House of Hardcore where he serves as a ring announcer. Details regarding his newly released book ‘Best Seat in the House: Your Backstage Pass through my WWE Journey’ are available on JustinRobertsBook.com.
Author’s take
After all the banter and talk in hushed tones regarding WWE management’s backstage politics and bullying of its employees, former company mainstay Justin Roberts’ book features an insider’s take on a few interesting tales about the aforementioned happenings in WWE.
Now mind you, when probed by a fan on Reddit as to whether he’d like to return to the WWE, Roberts’ answer was a resounding ‘No’. Nevertheless, he did emphasise that the despite the presence of alleged bullies like JBL, the company also has several great personalities and professionals within its rungs.
Here’s wishing Justin Roberts the best of luck in his future endeavours.
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