35 Current WWE Stars And Their '90s Counterparts

8. Randy Orton/Jake "The Snake" Roberts

Randy Orton and Jake "The Snake" Roberts
WWE.com/Gerweck.net

Right, forget the whole snake thing.

Whilst the lazy connection between Orton and Roberts would be to play on the whole viper and snake angle, there’s far more in common for the two than just a slithering reptile.

Both of these talents love to play mind games, using every opportunity and every word and syllable to get into the head of their opponent. And that’s something that also carries over to their in-ring work, with both methodical in how they tackle an adversary during a match. As well as both seemingly getting pleasure from dismantling a fellow superstar, both Jake and Orton have finishers that are explosive. Yes, the DDT is sadly just a throwaway move these days, but in the ‘80s and ‘90s it was an instant-hit finisher that dropped the fiercest of foes.

Another angle to look at it is that despite being top level talents, neither Roberts nor Orton have ever been “the guy”. Jake’s early ‘90s WWF run was always hampered by the presence of Hulk Hogan at the top of the card, and whilst Orton is a multiple world champion, it’s always been the case that John Cena has been viewed as “the man” for the last decade or so.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.