10 Wrestlers You Totally Forgot Worked For ECW

5. Jake Roberts

Doink ECW
WWE Network

Though Jake Roberts drew rave reviews for his A+ heel work in AAA between 1993 and 1994, he was unable to similarly reinvent himself following his second relegation from the mainstream in 1996. "I don't mind making a large sum of money for 30 seconds' work," Roberts later said.

He wasn't exaggerating

Entering the ECW domain in 1997, before almost immediately exiting it, Roberts planted everybody in sight with a DDT - and clotheslines as questionable as the Wigan Warriors clothing he wore to the ring during his second, marginally longer stint, during which he wrestled a full-length match at November To Remember 1998. Though if he was booked on a WWE show in 2018 they'd book him to perform a suicide dive, this was a lesson in how to book a past-it performer without having said performer leave their feet. Jack Victory and Justin Credible did all of the bumping here. At one point, Dreamer struck the heel tandem with a Pescado. Roberts, meanwhile, did nothing but stand there and take it in.

The layout was slightly misjudged; as Jason Knight interfered on behalf of Credible and Victory, Roberts could hardly bump for him. Instead, he could only express his consternation by theatrically arching himself backwards with his head in his hands.

It was the closest Roberts came to falling over.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!