"The biggest problem was I was out of shape" - WWE legend on missing WrestleMania

WWE WrestleMania is considered to be the most prestigious event in pro wrestling. Back in 1996, Jake "The Snake" Roberts made his return after four years, but surprisingly missed WrestleMania 12, and according to the veteran, it was due to him being out of shape.

Roberts went on a four-year hiatus that lasted until 1996 and even competed in that year's Royal Rumble. He also made it to the finals of King of the Ring '96. At the time, the WWE Hall of Famer was struggling with addiction and was involved in highly criticized storylines, such as when Jerry "The King" Lawler poured whiskey on his face.

During the latest episode of "The Snake Pit," Roberts took full responsibility for missing out on WrestleMania that year.

"The biggest problem was I was out of shape," he said. "It was all on me. I was 40-50 pounds overweight." (H/T: WrestlingInc)

Sadly, Jake ended up being released from WWE in 1997, leading to a downward spiral in his personal life. After parting ways from the promotion, he infamously took part in the Heroes of Wrestling show in 1999, before spending more time with Diamond Dallas Page after a few years. Since then, Roberts has become sober and an inspiration to his peers who suffer from similar internal struggles.

---

Missed out on last night's AEW Dynamite? Catch up with the results right here.

---

The WWE Hall of Famer recently reconciled with his ex-wife, Cheryl Hagood

Unfortunately, during his downward spiral, Roberts lost many things due to his inner demons and most notably lost his marriage of 16 years when they finalized their divorce in 2000. While his recovery drew tons of praise inside and outside the industry, Jake The Snake clearly had one more milestone.

Cheryl herself took to Facebook in a lengthy but heartwarming post where she sympathized with the WWE Hall of Famer and proclaimed how much he's changed.

"Love was about joy, love was about pain. Love was about giving in and then knowing when to walk away. Jake’s toughest fight were addictions. Addiction comes to destroy marriage & family relationships. So, after 24 years of Jake & I being apart, he has rekindled our relationship and in the last two years he has been showing me love without the demons."

Jake "The Snake" Roberts' story could've ended tragically many years ago, but he seems to have taken back his legacy and changed his life for the better.