JAKE "THE SNAKE" ROBERTS "Master of the DDT"
"Master of the DDT"
INFO | |
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Height, Weight | 6'6", 249 lbs |
From | Stone Mountain, GA |
Signature Move | DDT |
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS |
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2014 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee |
BIOGRAPHY |
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Menacing, intimidating and totally hypnotic in the ring, Jake āThe Snakeā Roberts was a Superstar capable of taking you down physically as well as psychologically. Slithering to the ring with a monstrous python concealed in a burlap sack, Jake used fear as a weapon as deftly as he used pain. His DDT finishing move is still one of the most brutal finishers ever unleashed on a Superstar.
The son of noted grappler Grizzly Smith, Roberts was born into a sports-entertainment family. Eager to follow in his fatherās footsteps, Roberts began competing in the early ā70s, making a name for himself in promotions throughout the South. In 1983, he tasted success for the first time, winning the NWA World Television Championship while wrestling with Georgia Championship Wrestling.
Roberts then took his talent, and his patented DDT finisher to the pinnacle of entertainment, WWE, arriving at the promotion in 1986. Right out of the gate, the Snake sought to make a name for himself, targeting fan favorite Ricky āThe Dragonā Steamboat. He made his intentions known when he savagely DDTād Steamboat onto a concrete floor, putting him in the hospital for weeks.
As if that wasnāt enough to curry hatred from the WWE Universe, Roberts stirred the pot further each week, hosting his show, The Snake Pit. A talk segment in the vein of Piperās Pit, Robertsās show was the perfect forum for him to rile both Superstars and fans alike with his twisted point of view.
As time wore on, Roberts soon became a fan favorite, thanks in part to his memorable rivalries with the Honky Tonk Man, the Million Dollar Man and Andre the Giant. WWE Universe fans from that generation will never forget the Giantās paralyzing fear of Jakeās pet python, Damien.
In the early 90s, after a series of bizarre skirmishes with the likes of Earthquake and Randy Savage, and Rick āThe Modelā Martel, with whom he faced off against in a Blindfold Match at WrestleMania VII. In 1992, after six extraordinary years, Roberts and WWE parted company and the Snake spent four years competing in WCW and other smaller promotions. Four years later, he returned to WWEĀ and faced Stone Cold at the 1996 King of the Ring. Roberts came up short in the boutĀ but had a role in the creation of WWE historyĀ when Stone Cold mocked Robertsās perpetual quoting of the Bible verse āJohn 3:16,ā by barking āAustin 3:16 says āI just whooped youāre a$$!āā In that moment, a catchphrase was born and a legend was launched.
Following that historic event, Jakeās appearances in WWE have been sporadic but memorable, includingĀ a 2005 appearance on Raw when he confronted a young Randy Orton prior to The Viperās WrestleMania match against the Undertaker. Later that year, he worked with the company to produce the tell-all DVD Pick Your Poison, which offered a no-holds-barred look at his tumultuous career.
Whether competing in the ring, or burrowing into the psyches of his opponents, Jake āThe Snakeā Roberts will go down in the annals of WWE history as one of the most cunning and lethal Superstars ever to step between the ropes. The reptilian warrior ultimately slithered into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 6, 2014.
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