Jake Roberts Reveals Shortcomings in Today's WWE Product

Wrestling is in the middle of a shift. Each era of the sport carries its own style, and in 2018 complex offense and unprecedented athleticism appear to be leading the charge forward. Some like it. Some don't

Jake "The Snake" Roberts is the latter.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Jake Roberts explained why he's not excited about WWE in 2018.

"That's what I don't get about the young talent today. So many matches are the same. Don't they get bored? It's ridiculous what they waste, and they don't even know they're wasting it. I blame that on the new way of wrestling; if you come up now, you can be in the main event within a year. In my day, you had to learn. We had the territories that forced us to constantly grow and change," he said.

Whether it's the suicide dive, a long trade of forearms, or a heavy use of false finishes, many WWE matches use the same elements to tell a story. However, Roberts' call to add depth to matches does not mean he wants to see the more explosive offense or dangerous spots.

"Another problem is this, everybody wants to get to the top and they have no problem sacrificing their life to do it. It doesn't take a great wrestler to jump off the top of a cage. How many times can you do that before you miss? How many times can you do that before you're crippled? Longevity is a key to success," he said.

The issue of longevity is the rule most veteran wrestlers thump. Roberts, like most of his peers, thinks high-risk moves are unnecessary. Randy Orton stirred controversy when he mocked independent wrestlers gratuitous use of "diving." Chris Jericho recently comments on how today's style is too dangerous. Like them, Roberts preaches simplicity.

"I had six moves. I knew when to do them and I did them absolutely perfectly, and people believed them. Teaching this class, I'm going to make people think differently. The truth is in what you've done and where you've been, and there are not many people who have done more than I have."

Roberts certainly has a point, but at the same time, his argument, like any other veteran toes the line of being antiquated. Wrestling will always evolve, and we seem to be in an innovative period. Wrestlers are a simply different athlete than they were in the 1980's so naturally the game looks a little different.