The eyes of Jake Roberts always hid the sinister nature of the performer but the manner in which he connected with the fans, the promos he cut and his vaunted DDT finisher led him to connect with the audience in ways few others could. The men, women and children in the audience forgave the deranged nature of the man because he was cool at a time when cartoon characters dominated WWE airwaves. In 1991, a heel turn changed all of that. Roberts betrayed the Ultimate Warrior, locking him in a room full of snakes to be bitten and poisoned. From there, he aligned himself with The Undertaker, creating on of the most dangerous duos in company history. It was not until he set his sights on "Macho Man" Randy Savage that fans got a look at the full scope of Roberts' depravity. He slapped Miss Elizabeth, making him the most despicable man on the planet in the eyes of the WWE faithful, and had his pet cobra bite the arm of a prone Savage. So deranged and unstable was Roberts that he was poised to smash and unsuspecting Elizabeth in the face with a steel chair when his own ally, the Undertaker, prevented it, effectively turning himself babyface in the process. Roberts' reign of terror would come to an end at the hands of the Deadman at WrestleMania VIII but not before he wreaked havoc over WWE and instilled fear in the hearts of his fellow Superstars. Ironically, that period of his career ranks with the best stuff he ever did.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
