Jake the Snake Roberts: Hit Or Miss?

[Deexter Jorgan]

Aurelian Smith, Jr. (born May 30, 1955), is a second-generation American professional wrestler and the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith. He is best known by his ring name of Jake "The Snake" Roberts.

Throughout his career he was known for his intense and cerebral promos, his dark charisma, his extensive use of psychology in his matches, and has been credited for inventing the DDT, though that has been challenged.

He is also known for training wrestler, Diamond Dallas Paige, and Raven.

He is also the man who taught on screen psycology to WWE stars the Undertaker, and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Jake is Best known for his two famous stints in the WWE the first stint was from 1986 - 1988

His first notable feud was with the likes of Ricky Steamboat

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Even though steamboat led the feud with the most wins, with Roberts only winning one match by Countout, this feud would set the tone for the many high profile feuds in Jake Roberts WWE career.

In November 1986 Roberts faced the macho man Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Championship in which Roberts was turned face in this altercation

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Jakes high profile feuds continued with storyline feuds against the Honky Tonk Man and the Ravishing Rick Rude which saw Jakes wife being used as part of the storyline to as a catalyst for the feud.

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Roberts would continue to score wins over the likes of Andre the Giant and then Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase, roberts continued his WWE tenure against the likes of Rick Martel inwhich cluminated in a match at Wrestlemania 7 inwhich he was blind (kayfab) to help motivate the storyline roberts wore a white contact lens to show the blindness in his right eye from the Models, essence perfume.

Roberts was thrusted into the main event once more by feuding with the Ultimate Warrior, a fued inwhich never happened due to Warrior being fired by Summerslam 91, Jake continued to feud with Randy Savage once more and the Undertaker during his takers face turn.

Roberts also had stints in WCW and AAA before going back to the WWF, but due to his Drug and Alcohol abuse problems it was short lived.

With all the main event matches Jake had in his WWE career including his lengthy king of the ring comback inwhich he kayfab passed the torch to a then heel steve austin inwhich he coined the phrase "Austin 3:16 says i just whooped your ass!!" do you think Jake Roberts should have held a title in his lengthy wrestling career?

Or do you think he was overhyped and someone that Wrestling organisations shouldnt bank on?


My Opinion

Jake Roberts was thrusted into so many big name feuds in his time in both WCW and WWE with the likes of Sting, SCSA, Vader, Yokozuna, Ravishing Rick Rude and the Macho Man Randy savage to name a few, he should have been given at least a run at a singles championship, he was always over with the crowd even in his lesser days when he was overweight and barely moving, Jake could have been the dominant heel the WWE was looking for during the Hogan Era of professional wrestling but failed to pull the trigger, was it backstage politics or other problems I dont know.

Ive seen guys who where never over get a title around their waste, why not a white hot heel like jake roberts?

 

[crimsonmask49]

Hit all the way. it sucks that he was never given a true shot at the main event or given a singles title. he always had a great mind for the business and story telling.

 

[Tim_Seraphim]

Jake Roberts didn't need a title reign or main event status. If I recall, he says he didn't really care about getting a world title in his DVD. With a guy like Hogan raking in millions of dollars as champion, there's no reason to want it for yourself just to claim to be champion. Personally, I think a lot of today's wrestlers need to adopt this philosophy. Jake Roberts undoubtedly made more money in his role while the top babyfaces were the stars in the 1980's than he would have main eventing himself.
There was going to be a Roberts Hogan feud that was initiated, but when Jake DDTed Hogan, the crowd chanted "DDT" as opposed to "Hulk" and they ended it swiftly before destroying the "golden goose" in his own words. He was smart enough to know it would have been bad for business. I think it's a shame his talents aren't being used in creative by any wrestling company.

 

[triplesic]

He's a hit.

Being a champion isn't the only way you can succeed in wrestling.

I think it's a testament to him that he was so over he didn't need a title run. That's the sign of a true star.

 

[ztwhite]

I'm pretty sure Jake's "demons" have been well chronicled in recent years.

He has / had the same problem Scott Hall has - a love of booze and drugs.

At the time, the WWF was pretty much a PG rated affair - much as it is today. Vince was just taking over the business from his father and wanted to make wrestling appeal to a more mainstream audience.

The curious case of Jake Roberts is much like the curious case of Jeff Hardy (until recently). No matter how "over" he was with the crowd, Vince was scared to death to put the strap around his waist for fear of what might happen outside of the ring. Jeff cleaned himself and proved to Vince that he could stay that way - Jake never did - which was recently proven again at an Indy show in Cleveland, Ohio.

When you have a guy like Hogan who preaches "training, vitamins, and prayers", it's hard to put the strap on a guy who preaches "jack daniels, cocaine and pain pills".

I loved Jake as much as the next guy, but would you give the keys to your Bentley to a guy like that ??

 

[lamo78]

I think that a lot of you guys are right, but back when Jake was at the top of his game so many guys were doing drugs as well. Some of the top guys were drunks, and druggies. The ones that were not doing that, were doing steroids.

Jake could have been put in the main event spotlight, but he did not need that. He helped push so many other guys from mid-card status to top guys. The feud with Rick Rude was one of the best fueds ever in my opinion.

 

[Chrisjeffers]

I think Jake the snake Roberts Had a very good Career! I would say better then most others from the 80's! Maybe Equal to The Ultimate Warrior.... Why change that?

I remember him with a snake..... not a title!

I will always remember Cena and Edge and Triple H holding a title......

 

[Deexter Jorgan]

The thing was during the Hogan era was Jake actually taking drugs?, did he actually have his Demons at that time, I for one am not convinced, Jake seemed to know what the crowd wanted and gave it to them, he managed to perform in the ring with psycology instead of doing flashy moves and ring poses, something that if taught right could help alot of young up and comers today.

For one reason or another Jake never got a title run with any belt and i dont think at this time his demons where an issue IMO, Im just wondering why, maybe Hogan was too big, maybe Vince didnt want someone who wasnt big a muscular IDN, but Jake had the IT factor and it should have meant more then just being someone who was thrusted into feuds with everyone and anyone, who was a major player but never had the big belt, it just makes no sense

 

[grifdog44]

Definitely hit, but with a caveat. REAL fans know the significance of Jake the Snake but when Jim Ross goes on a rant or tangent about legends or greats who held the US and/or Intercontinental Champions Jake will never be mentioned and casual fans don't know his impact. His legacy is great but I still feel that during Hogan's Reign of Terror or Greatness, dropping the title to a top notch heel could allow for something bigger to have happened. He was a big hit.

 

[mr.davidson]

Jake Roberts

was one of my most top rated wrstlers in the 80's & Early 90's

the only issue i would have with him is that he jumped ship 2 WCW when he should have waited, had he stayed in WWF and lasted to when Hogan and everyone jumped ship. I think he could have taken the WWF to a whole new level as he would of had his chance at that point.

In the end he was entertaining and I cant recall a fued he had that i didnt like.... The short clothes line and the DDT was one of the best finishers in the bussinesss......

Jake was all around great.... as i said before just wish he would have stayed with WWF cause I mean who knows????????

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Jake in his day was WWE's MVP (not the character but the honor) from an in ring perspective and a seasoning perspective... With the same look that would burn into you through a TV screen, he could transmit psychology to his opponents that rubbed off and made them better... Taker learned more from one PPV match with Jake than he did in the previous 2 years in the gimmick... but agreed Jake was never going to be a champion...

There were "small men" ahead of him such as Rick Rude, Steamboat, Savage, even Bret Hart who were more the "total package", but all were nixed by Hogan bar Randy... and even then it was only on a loaner...

Jake couldn't have cut it as World Champion, the gimmick was too predictable and his behaviour too unpredictable... In those days, fans weren't transfixed by promos in the same way we are now... Jake was great at talking in a WWF where talking was shown in a max 1 minute segment or a "talk show" like the Snake Pit... A Champion NEVER got one of those... cos they had too much else to worry about....

Rude, definitely could have made a WWF title run stick for an extended time had Hogan allowed it, WWF was definitely the poorer for him leaving... Perfect a short one, both would have worked cos of Heenan... but Jake, great as he was as a teacher and talker, would have been all wrong as a champion... if nothing else, the belt and the bag combo would have looked ridiculous...

Some guys just never looked right with a belt... Bossman, Martel, Hacksaw.... Jake the same...