Jake Roberts

[10.0] "One of the best if not the best characters in all of pro wrestling history. He could be a beloved face or a vile, detestable hero. His promos are hard to critique because he did such an incredible job painting the scene and delivering. Yes, he was a short clothesline and a DDT in the ring. But while the moves were not flashy, the ring psychology was prime, and that's why I rate Jake so high. He could do almost everything at a 10 level. He didn't have to be a great worker. Because he was the best character of all time."

[4.0] "From the stuff I've seen, I find Jake "the Snake" Roberts to be very boring. He's a fine wrestler but his matches are slow and have made me fall asleep some times. Decent gimmick and I will say he is a good promo. 4/10, adequate"

[8.0] "I'm just happy to see that Jake is now seen as all time great talker and heel instead of ill and drunk has been wrestler. He wasn't a flashiest worker, he was an excellent storyteller that always seemed completely focused on dramatic, emotional part of wrestling rather than athletic aspect of it. His work in the stretch between summer of 91 and WrestleMania VIII was some of finest heel work you'll find. I actually haven't seen too much of his territories career, but WWF work was top notch, even as a babyface. Snake, DDT, just incredible stuff. In following years he popped up in WCW and Mexico, which was something I guess. His 2nd run in WWE was not too memorable, but still served as a foundation for one of most important wrestling promos ever, which I think is more than enough contribution. We all know what happened at Heroes of Wrestling and he was generally in bad shape and in bad place for a while before and after that. I remember hearing about old internet annual poll where dorks would be betting if Jake would die that year. That's a lowpoint and fact that he (with DDP's help) bounced back, got sober and clean, welcomed back in the bussiness, and now involved in modern wrestling, is simply incredible. We all also know about Grizzly Smith and his family and that's a story for itself that I won't go into now. All around a beautiful redemption story of legendary wrestler hitting a DDT on his problems, which is unfortunately a rare thing in wrestling bussiness"

[9.0] "I gotta be honest I love Jake so much. I'm really proud of him for overcoming his demons and shoutout to DDP for pretty much saving his life and so many others. I watched a handful of Roberts' matches recently and.. sure yeah he's not Shawn Michaels' level of good but he's still enjoyable to watch and his match with Martel at Mania 7 is admittedly a guilty pleasure for me.. Even if he did kinda mess up single-handedly .. literally. by sticking his hand up the blindfold.We won't talk about the match he was a part of in 1999. Anywaysssss. He's great at promos, he doesn't need to shout at your face telling you he's the best wrestler in the world or anything while giving a promo. Thank you Jake for being one of idk the three wrestlers who I can't feel their spit coming out my screen to my face"

[8.0] "Original Review: April 28th 2022. My myyy what a career in the 1980's! No matter where he went, The Snake was captivating "must watch" material. Some of my favorite stuff is him exploring the "Snake character" deeper while in Texas with Gino Hernandez. Heel or baby face, he owned the place and was almost always a center piece in the upper card to main event. His WWF run is legendary and was monstrously popular, landing him on the list of "top guys who never won a WWF title" by many over the years. While he was never much of a technician in the ring - his ring psychology and promo skills were unmatched, unrivaled and impossible to replicate. Unfortunately, around the time he joined WCW (only to quickly disappear shortly thereafter), his ring work deteriorated rapidly and never regained the once former glories. For many this would end up in a mass deduction of points, however there is not much documentation of this long stretch - and since my ranking is based on "watchability", we only have what we have and that means a 9.5 rounded up. Don't look up his "indy eras", too painful to endure - just watch what's on the WWE Network/Peacock. EDIT: The constant, dependable physical abuse of snakes PISSES ME OFF and that is BULLSHIT. Two point deduction. What a super shitty thing to do..."

[10.0] "I give a 10 because Jake rates in the to 5% of all wrestlers I've ever seen which qualifies him for the 10 rating. He was in the top 5% of all gimmicks that truly made me feel and emote. Professional wrestling is about feeling things you don't normally feel in everyday life. Jake wasn't the biggest. He wasn't the best technical wrestler. He was definitely one of the top promos but what he did better than anyone else was make me feel true terror. The gravitas of the promo; like Piper, he never said anything he didn't back up. He wasn't prone to hyperbole. This made him more believable. Then when he popped out the snake, it brought terror on a new level. And of course the story with Macho Man is legendary. That scene with the de-venomized cobra was unique and has never been surpassed in terms of shock value. These make Jake one of my top 10 wrestlers of all time."

[10.0] "Very underrated by younger fans, as they truly don't understand "ring psychology." Go back and watch any Jake Roberts match under his snake gimmick, and see how brilliant his matches were. Every single action was methodical, simple yet effective fighting that made wrestling look real. He also didn't do stupid shit when he was in there, never oversold (like most guys during his time), and his PROMOS? They were believable and could scare the shit out of you, didn't need to scream or hollar to get his point across (once again, like most guys during his time). I don't even need to explain. He was a fucking phenomenal pro-wrestler."

[9.0] "Jake the snake Roberts one of the important figures in wrestling to popularize the sport.His matches were not the best technical matches, but his promos and psychology and behaviour is his x factor.Also he has a very dark period but with the help of ddp he got out of it"

"Never really was interested in wrestling during Roberts' heyday, so I really only got him as a comedic relief with occasional appearances. Having gone back to watch some older wrestling in later years, it's easy to understand how this chubby balding man with the big snake became so popular. Incredibly charismatic, a bit dull in the ring, I don't think you'd have to make a series of videos if you wanted to do a highlight reel of his onscreen antics."

[8.0] "10/10 promo, 5/10 ring acumen that almost certainly would be higher if the man wasn't plagued by well documented demons. He... well, not invented, but made famous the DDT, and he carved out one of the greatest wrestling heels of all time. Roberts has a million famous moments under his belt but actual classic matches are a bit harder to point to. Which is fine! He's given far more to wrestling than a "best of" list could document. It is baffling that he never, at least, had the intercontinental title. What he did have, however, is some of wrestling's most beloved feuds and segments, and I think that work has shaped wrestling for the better."

[8.0] "A fantastic heel in his prime, one of the best promos and genius of psychology. But what gives him such a high rating is his inspiring journey of rehabilitation and recovery from the depths of substance abuse and the decades of trauma he faced. Sure, he had his help, but he was able to bring himself out of the dark pit he was in. That's what makes him a legend to me."

[10.0] "Jake Roberts living in a nightmare of fantastic success. Jake Roberts is THE Snake and yes snakes last a long time. His promos are captivating, smooth, bare emotion and lyrical Shakespearean styling. The innovator of the DDT, one of the best to never hold a world title and lead sgt call to bring Lance Archer with the Righteous ready to destroy the All Elite Wrestling roster. No Julian, no golden goose & no smart asses in their wake. The Snake is an inspiration and not to be messed with. Trust him."

[8.0] "Rating jake is so hard cos at his best he could make ypu feel things that no other wretler, not flair nor hogan nor the rock nor stone cold , could make you feel, from 1992 onwards jakes carera just got worse and worse untill he bacme but a shell of who he was. Thankfuly the demaons that made his carer and l8fe gone down hill now seem gone but i like alot of pepoel will always wonder what if. Also jakes ddt was the most over move in wrestling in the late 80s so thats neat"

[9.0] "Jake the Snake Roberts is a hard wrestler to rank. On one hand he is one of the greatest talents to set foot in the squared circle with his psychology alone he could earn your 100% attention. His in ring work was top notch and his move set along with how he performed them was always complimentary of his gimmick. He is easily top 5 of all time on the mic and his was a unique style. Although his matches would seldom be a nomination for match of the year, they were always solid and the bad ones could be counted on one hand. My match ratings here and in my own collection have him never in the top 5 matches of the year but on average he's got the highest rating. He would be a perfect 10 for me, but the demons did impact his wrestling in later years and for that he has to drop points. Maybe his other negative was that he could be perceived as a lazy wrestler, he got the best out of his matches by doing the least, on the other hand this could be deemed smart. He spent a large portion of his career as talent development at the top of the mid carders in WWF, which was in reality no mean feat with the amount of talent at that promotion. Jake Roberts could have the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand as a babyface or a heel chanting for the DDT, his Snake or for his opponent to squash him. 9.2"

[10.0] "Jake Roberts was arguably the best heel of his time and also one of the most charismatic character of the 1980s and early 1990s. His contribution to this business is undeniable and his mic-skill and his ring psychology are still benchmarks for the modern era of pro-wrestling."

[9.0] "I think it's a major shame we never got to see Jake The Snake have a title run. His in ring psychology was leagues above anyone else in his era, and his ability to work his character into his moveset was masterful. Always hot on the mic too, and seeing a snake wriggle on the body of someone he beat will never not be the coolest thing ever."

[10.0] "Jake Roberts is a guy who should've had a run with the WWF belt. He was also a loyal solider for Vince McMahon, he wrestled almost every wrestler that I like. Always had great promos, and was a capable worker in the ring. He was also the perfect size for his era. He may not have the best look, due to his drug problems, but anyways, should've been the WWF champion or at least had a run with the IC strap."

[7.0] "Jake had a unique set of moves in that he moved exactly like a slithering snake. They weren't flashy and they weren't all that exciting, but his character work made you invested in him. I first saw him in World Class Championship Wrestling, but haven't seen much of his Mid-South stuff, although I will get to it. His WWF run is what I remember most, especially his feud with Ricky Steamboat and later his "Trust Me" gimmick when he attacked Randy Savage with a cobra. He then went to WCW and lost a feud to Sting and then seemed to disappear for a while before a final WWF run where Steve Austin built a career out of beating him in the finals of the King of the Ring. Then, of course, there was the intoxicated main event at the infamous Heroes of Wrestling PPV. I was happy to learn that recently, he and Cheryl had reconciled. This man gave us hours and hours of entertainment and will always have a soft spot in my wrestling fandom for that."

[5.0] "Couldn't care less of his work later as a manager Jake the snake Roberts was an awful wrestler and I am being generous here with my rating"

[8.0] "Jake had a very unique style in the ring. Not a power wrestler, high flyer, or submission wrestler. He was a psychological tactician combined with a little bit of brawling and using some pressure point take down maneuvers. Probably the best promo guy of his day and maybe ever! Jake didn't really need any of the other stuff because he had one move that instantly trumped all overs, the DDT. Not really sure how to classify Jake's wrestling style, maybe Psychology combined with counter offensive. Making opponents slip up and then getting the DDT was his bread and butter."

[9.0] "Pros: Promos Ring Psychology DDT Cons: Substance Abuse curtailed later on in his career affected his in- ring work, cutting it short, in turn affecting his legacy. However, if he continues on his current path of sobriety, his overcoming of personal demons will continue to overshadow that negative part of his history. Overcoming real life odds trump kayfabe ones any day of the week."

[8.0] "Jake delivered some of the absolute best promos and was wildly over with the DDT. Probably the best wrestler ever to have never had a great match on his resume."

[9.0] "one of the best promos in the business and was great in the ring considering the eras he wrestled in. Jake is probably up there as one of the best to never win a world title anywhere."

[7.0] "Certainly one of the greatest heels of the era, Jake had a uniquely sinister side. He could be truly scary and his motives always seemed secret. He did some of the best promo work the business ever saw. His feuds with Rick Rude, Andre and the Macho Man are all classics of this time period. Of course the personal issues that kept him from ever getting a serious push at the top of the company are well known. His work in the ring got sloppier as his body got more out of shape even in some of his earliest mid-90's "returns". But Jake is a survivor for sure and it seems like the worst has been behind him for many years now. He is fascinating in retrospective documentaries. Jake the Snake will always be iconic but his legacy leaves many unfulfilled scenarios of what may have been."

[8.0] "One of the best heels we've seen. His matches were never great but he knew how to play the heel role perfectly. Promos were where he excelled; captivating your audience without ever needing to raise your voice above speaking level is a serious talent. I wonder how much more we might have seen if it not were for his personal problems."

[9.0] "One of the most unique men in pro wrestling during his time. One of the best at promos all time. Could make a crowd absolutely had him as a heel and could get over as the face. Could wrestle well in the ring. Drugs were his biggest issue. Cleaned up and still using his mind for the business."

[9.0] "He never needed a title. Jake was a singular talent- a compelling, fearsome heel who could take a loss and still be just as great in the eyes of the fans. Not only was he the first to get a finishing move over with the audience, his matches were designed around the move, making for a unique and effective match for any card. Jake was best at promos. By which I mean, I consider him the greatest wrestling promo of all time. The guy is an undeniable genius with it; audiences shut up when Jake got the mic. He's great both at improvising and with creating compelling narratives with his promos, many of which were literal poetry. There has been no one like him since- he's an undeniable hall of famer. Apparently he's just as genius at angles, booking, and psychology, but we all know why that didn't play out. Too bad. Or, more too bad for this guy and his family. An amazing transformation for Jake; let's hope it lasts for the rest of his life and his family is able to have closure and healing. Jake would get a 10 from me on his promo abilities alone, but between 96 and 2011 or whatever, there's a lot of sad and embarrassing performances that can't be ignored. I'm glad he was able to pull the nose up at the end here. A+ talker, A- worker, B+ look/gimmick."

[7.0] "Poor Jake. This guy deserved so many world title reigns in the '80s. At first, I didn't see what was good in him, but his intensity, his technique and his promos are really good. Sadly he's also remembered for showing up really bad in many shows, but we can all agree that at least he overcome his demons and I'm happy for him. I wonder if his '96 WWF run "helped" him to get in a worse situation than he was already in"

[8.0] "He was always good. He was probably the best wrestler never to win the WWF championship. In spite of that, he was a top guy. His feuds with Ricky Steamboat, Rick Rude & Andre the Giant were the stuff of legend."

[9.0] "Jake Roberts is a joy to watch. His character work, selling and psychology are things of beauty. As a babyface, he could tell get the job done and he was incredibly popular in the late 80s, but his best work came as a heel in my opinion. The feuds with Randy Savage and The Undertaker in 1991-92, as well as his work in the brief angle he had with Ultimate Warrior in the summer of 91 (which went nowhere due to Warrior's departure) are some of Roberts' greatest hits. Sadly, the mistakes of his personal life did affect some of his latter work, and it was really ugly to see. That's what keeps me from giving him the perfect 10 rating, however it pleases me that he's left those bad habits and that he's healthier now. A truly unique talent!"

[10.0] "I admire Jake "The Snake" Roberts. He's not only good in the ring but he also has a good personality. He invented the DDT, a move that still get used today. He overcome his demons and was stood true to himself. A real Legend!"

[8.0] "My favorite 80s wrestler. Jakes slithery snake character persona just resonates with me. He was so trance inducing with his whispery promos and had good theme songs both as a heel and as a face, *Snake Bit* and *Trust Me* are one of my favorites if not favorite wrestling theme songs, I always loved how he pulled himself up from the turnbuckle inside the ring. His short arm clothesline is my favorite clothesline in wrestling, he could be hit or miss but still was not that bad in the ring compared with a lot of other wrestlers in the 80s."

[7.0] "He was one of the best heels in 1987 and his old testament style promos were intense and amazing. Had a great Gimmick but he started to get lazy in the ring and his personal problems took over. Was much better as a heel but he was popular so was turned a lot."

[10.0] "Obviously the man has had his ups and downs in and out of the ring over his career, but the highlights and longevity of world class work is hard to argue against. One could write a text book on the psychology and storytelling the man showed, putting together terrific matches in the ring against an array of opponents as heel, face or perhaps one of the first top tweener anti-heroes in the business, even if he was not an elite athlete. Plus his complete control of the camera during his promos is among the best of all time, that smooth, slithering delivery. And has there ever been a finishing move as devastating and over as The DDT was back in the day? To me, he did enough (especially in the 80s between MACW, GCW, World Class, Mid South and WWF) to warrant the top score."

[10.0] "Jake was a great wrestler. His snakes were fun to watch. I enjoyed many of his matches. My favorite was vs. Earthquake."

[9.0] "Jake "The Snake" was a classic figure of his era with a huge amount going for him - a mastery of in-ring psychology, a memorable gimmick, a standout promo style, an unusual physique for his era that he was able to incorporate into his persona, and a finisher that was, at the time, innovative and decisive. However, for many years he was also beholden to his personal demons, which certainly limited the heights he would be able to reach during his in-ring career (as well as carrying heavy personal costs). Fortunately he seems to be doing much better nowadays, and his appearing as a manager in AEW will hopefully provide a positive closure to his career."

[9.0] "Probably would be in the same light as Hogan or Macho Man if it hadn't been for his demons. Even with those in toe, Jake is one of the most memorable stars of the Golden Era. His "talk quietly & carry a big stick" demeanor was great and needless to say, the real live snakes that accompanied him to the ring made him extremely unique."

[8.0] "Sure Jake Roberts was never good in the ring. But did it really matter? He didn't need it. He's up there with Mick Foley and CM Punk as the best talker of all times: some of his Mid-South promos can literally give you the goosebumps and in WWF he was way ahead of pretty much anybody else; in a promotion filled with cartoon characters and comic book heroes he felt like had just stepped out of a dark thriller. In the ring he was an old-school heel, meaning he had just one job: getting the crowd to hate him to a point they'd salivate to see him beaten. It was a role he filled to perfection, he almost seemed to relish it at times, and, if anything, it was his greatest weakness as a wrestler: he was such an amazing heel he could never be a convincing babyface. You knew that soon he'd turn on his "friends" and bite them when they least expected, just like a snake. One just has to wonder where he would have got had he managed to keep the drugs and whiskey at bay because his talent was simply off the scale."

[10.0] "when he was in his prime between 1984-early 1990s... this guy was as good a heel as there was in wrestling. as a face he wasnt top of the card but as a heel... amazing promo work some real great ability to highspot a feud... his ddt was probably the single coolest move in wrestling until stone cold came along... jake was doomed to self destruct... a very bad relationship with his dad filled him with all sorts of issues and he was into the drugs heavy. but when you see him sober and cutting promos and his in ring psychology... just really really really good"

[6.0] "Very interesting wrestler! He can be good at times with his DDT and other times just boring. His signature DDT was awesome. Standing at 6'6 helped him become great at wrestling but not the greatest wrestler. Great as a heel than a babyface. When he was babyface in WWE it looked awful on his character. When a wrestler does drugs and alcoholic like he did it ruined his career. He did not get the biggest push he had. Sometimes he would be drunk in the ring which was awful to see. Roberts educates us about how dangerous drugs are and that it will ruin your life. Keep up the good work!"

[7.0] "Really varied and strangely inconsistent in terms of matches but obviously the reason Roberts is beloved is his absolutely unparalleled promos. And, man, those were some awesome promos."

[8.0] "I love the way Jake talked in interviews. Sure there were better mic guys in the 80s but he might be my favorite alongside Dusty Rhodes. He knew the ring like the back of his hand, its just a shame he wasn't booked better outside of the territories. Honestly really happy he got his life together but its a shame his demons got a hold of him when they did. Of all the over the top characters in the WWF days I find it interesting that one of my favorites was as subdued as The Snake."

[8.0] "Jake was a master of ring psychology who never needed titles to get over. He would talk in a calm, steady voice that eerily portrayed a creepy inner evil. He was the first person to use the DDT, and had a surprising knowledge of scientific moves."

[10.0] "Not only was Jake one of the best mic talkers in the history of pro wrestling, he also had the most sound wrestling psychology. The guy knew when to do spots and knew when to pace himself. Unlike spotmonkies like those glorified BACKYARD WRESTLERS that toil around the indies, Mexico, and Japan that think 2390494949 spots per minute is "good" wrestling psychology... Cough The Young Bucks Cough."

[9.0] "If you look everything outside of pure wrestling ability, Jake Roberts is perfect. While many wrestlers relied on YELLING and SHOUTING THEIR PROMOS, Jake relied on smooth wordplay, creepy and haunting delivery and cadence. His performance skills are arguably some of the best in wrestling, he could play a damn good face but my goodness, his bread is buttered as heel. He could become sinister with devilish smiles and stalking movements, his DDT was downright vicious for that era and he just knew what made him detestable. He was never a stud in the ring, often needing his amazing character work to get him through, drugs and alcohol derailed his career. However, DDP has save him from being a wrestling tragedy and that's wonderful, because he has so much to offer young wrestlers. One of the best wrestling performers and showman ever bar none."

[8.0] "The king of psychology and wordplay, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, was the original cerebral assassin! A true master when it came to promos, though his matches were't really good, he's still a legend."

[10.0] ""Never Trust a Snake", Those words really got me interested in Jake Roberts and man was I not disappointed. With Great Ring Skills and Amazing on the Mic, Jake the Snake is one of my all time favorites with Him Being an Ultimate Heel, Fighting against the likes of Warrior and Savage, The Snake Never disappointed me"

[8.0] "Jake Roberts is a man who has dealt with a hellish upbringing to become one of the best promos in the buisness while also being in a bunch of memorable feuds and inventing one of the most used wrestling moves of all time, the DDT."

[8.0] "There's just something about this man that when he talks you want to listen. Jake Roberts is truly 1 of a kind. I'm glad to see that he has his life together."

[10.0] "A master on the microphone & very good in the ring as well. One of my all-time favorites. Definitely stood out during the 80's with his promos, his look, & ring work."