WWE: 5 Reasons Why Jake Roberts Deserves Hall Of Fame Spot

Jake Last night's Raw revealed that Jake "The Snake" Roberts will be joining the Ultimate Warrior in the 2014 Hall of Fame. The real-life Aurelian Smith Jr. has had his fair share of controversy, issues and ups and downs in not just his career but in his life in general. From being on the cusp of the then-WWF main event scene to the down-and-out waster that fans saw in Beyond the Mat, the originator of the DDT has certainly had a colourful life. It goes without saying that Jake Roberts is a wrestling legend. Here I take a look at 5 reasons just why this man with one of the best minds for the business is fully deserving of his spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

5. His Promos

Jake Roberts Wwe2k14 Most wrestling fans associate Jake Roberts with his '80s WWF run. At that time, the roster was dominated by larger than life, energetic characters that did promos as if they were a kid who'd had too many skittles. Whilst the likes of Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior and "Macho Man" Randy Savage were delivering promos that mainly involved shouting, gesticulating and wide-eyed, attention-grabbing intensity, in this land of the giants, Roberts took a different path. Rather than becoming just one of the shouty crowd, Jake delivered quiet, sinister, dark promos that would send an icy chill down your spine. Now Roberts had been delivering a slow, methodical promo for years before his first WWF run, but it was with Vince McMahon's company that Roberts' reach could grab a larger audience. Yes, his best work was as a heel, but even when he was a babyface Roberts never fell into the trap of a Hogan-esque promo style, still managing to maintain that calm, calculated, devious edge. Roberts never had the body of a Warrior or a Hogan, but he used his mind, be it in the ring or in his promos, to make himself stand out from the pack. Jake had a unique approach that would silence crowds as they would have to strain to listen to what this predator was saying. His promos were always articulate, meaningful and to the point, and his mic skills truly changed how wrestlers approached promos going forward.
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, Jamie Hayer, 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.