10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (March 2)

3. A Throat Injury Dictated Jake Roberts Signature Promo Style

In the 1980s and into the early '90s, almost every wrestler in the WWF shouted or screamed their way through promos. That super-charged, cartoonish style was the norm, and only one man decided to do something different. He did so because he had no other choice.

Believe it or not, the hushed tones of Jake Roberts weren't actually part of some grand plan to stand out, at least not at first. Things just worked out that way. Jake admitted this on Sean Mooney's Prime Time podcast. Back in the early days of his career, a fellow named Bob Roop accidentally dropped a knee across Jake's voice box and left him unable to shout too loudly. When Roberts does try to bellow, he quickly loses his voice and has to calm down anyway.

Later, Jake embraced his inability to scream loudly and turned it to his advantage. Today, his ice cold promos are considered some of the best ever.

Thanks, Mr. Roop.