Hall of fame pro wrestler visits kids at UK Children’s Hospital

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Wednesday night, professional wrestlers will hit the ring at Rupp Arena, but before they entertained the fans, some of the wrestlers spent the morning visiting some fans at UK Children’s Hospital.

A group of members from All Elite Wrestling spent time visiting kids in the hospital.

“After I leave here, I’ll probably lay down, and I’ll probably cry,” said hall of fame wrestler Jake “The Snake” Roberts. “You know, big guys cry, but I’ll probably cry because something’s touched me.”

Roberts has been doing these kinds of visits for years, and he says each one is special to him.

“I’ve got 11 grandchildren so far, and two that were born under two pounds. So, spent a lot of time in some of the best hospitals in the country. It’s critical that you keep their mind in a good place,” said Roberts. “It encourages them to fight harder because they do know that people outside of that room care.”

“It’s our job to give people a distraction,” said AEW wrestler Kris Statlander. “A chance to feel something different and to go out in the community and just to meet people and just give them a chance to put a smile on their face.”

That’s what this is all about for these wrestlers. Connecting, smiling and showing these kids that they care.

“Wrestling helped save my life in a way that’s personal for me, and it might do that for some other people,” said Statlander.

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