10 Reasons Why Jake Roberts Is Wrestling’s Original Antihero
4. An Outlaw
When Jake Roberts is described by his peers as a “renegade” of the wrestling business, it couldn’t be more true. Recapping Jake’s career proves just that.
When Georgia Championship Wrestling was bought out by Vince McMahon, he stayed loyal to the NWA. When he believed his talents were being undervalued in Mid-South, he made the move to WWF. When he wasn’t given the creative position he was promised by Vince, he stuck by his guns and switched to WCW, despite the fact that it ultimately saw him drop from $3.5 million a year to around $200k.
Simply put, Jake Roberts served no master. Over the course of his 20 year career, Jake Roberts has been everywhere, from WWF and WCW to ECW and TNA. Jake went wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted and usually on his own terms. He was a mercenary who travelled the wrestling world according to his rules.
Unafraid of authority, he was never a suck-up or job scared; he did what was asked and did it to the best of his ability. The moment someone tried to toy with him or take him for a ride, 'The Snake' would bite back and disappear into the night. Unfortunately for Jake, the night is where his demons would often reside.