10 Most Notorious Jake Roberts Urban Legends

10. Was So Bad At Wrestling He Almost Became A Ref

Story: Starting his career with companies such as Mid-South Wrestling and Georgia Championship Wrestling, a young Aurelian Smith Jr was struggling to make a name for himself. Working largely as enhancement talent, the man didn't really have much of a character, and had trouble connecting with fans as himself. Remarkably, the future WWE Hall Of Fame inductee was so rotten inside the ring that he was often booked as a referee instead. Smith simply failed to grasp even the most basic fundamentals of pro wrestling, often trying too hard to get as many moves as he could into each match. Bookers didn't see much in him, and he very nearly became a ref full time. Why People Believe It: The future Jake Roberts has intimated during interviews that he didn't have much going for him in the early years. According to Jake, Aurelian Smith Jr was never going to make it, he had to go somewhere people didn't know him and develop a character. That's how 'The Snake' was born. Should We Believe it: Whilst it's true that the man was struggling to become a full-time wrestler, there's no evidence to suggest he was going to move into referee work full-time instead.