4. Jake “The Snake” Roberts
While it isn’t exactly a gimmick, there’s no doubt that Jake Roberts has a solidified place as one of the most intimidating and unnerving superstars in all of professional wrestling history. Roberts was often seen with a snake draped over his shoulders but wasn’t ever seen as a man with glamor, glitz, or an over-the-top demeanor. Unlike other gimmicky wrestlers, Roberts stood without any face paint or explosive pyrotechnics.
However, he was still thought of as one of the most heartless, cold, and calculating wrestlers in the business. In a wrestling landscape that was dominated by superstars who sounded more like frenzied children, Robert’s time with a microphone was a refreshing change (a refreshing, eerie change, but a refreshing change nonetheless).
Jake Roberts, even though he was a bad guy, for the most part, made you shut up and listen to him. There was no pomp and circumstance, no shouting, no ranting, and no raving. Roberts talked at a volume that made you stop what you were doing and strain to hear what cold, remorseless words would come out of his mouth. Even worse,
The Snake had you believing everything that he said, with his delivery being enough to give provoke nightmares. From striking Miss Elizabeth (something which still shocks to this day), to having his snake actually bite Randy Savage on live TV, to his vicious attacks on Ricky Steamboat, to his tormenting of the Ultimate Warrior, Jake Roberts is one of the most sinister superstars to ever pull on a pair of tights.
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