WWE HOFer Jake 'The Snake' Roberts Explains How An Injury Influenced His Promo Style

Jake "The Snake" Roberts didn't scream, howl, or froth at the mouth when delivering promos back in the day. In contrast, Roberts spoke calmly and purposefully to the camera about exactly what his intentions were. This approach stood out from his contemporaries who would sometimes shake in frenzied, manic fury with sweat and spit flying as they yelled about 24-inch pythons or loading the spaceship with rocket fuel. 

Speaking to "The Wrestling Classic," Roberts explained that his distinctive promos weren't just a creative choice– they emerged out of necessity due to a wrestling injury.

"By accident," Roberts said of developing his delivery. "Back in 1977, I got a knee dropped to my throat. And it crushed my voice box, so this is as loud as I can get. I can't get any louder. Try to go louder, my voice disappears, so I had to go quiet."

It was revealed in a 2023 interview that the wrestler responsible for injuring Roberts was Rob Roop, a former Greco-Roman Olympic wrestler who later turned pro for promotions like NWA and Angelo Poffo's ICW.

The WWE Hall of Famer recently made his return to AEW television on the October 8 Title Tuesday edition of "AEW Dynamite." Roberts had not been used in an on-screen role in months, despite reportedly signing a contract extension in March. During the show, Roberts informed Renee Paquette that he had "traded" his client Lance Archer to the Don Callis Family, only later to reveal his new alliance with Rush, Dralistico and The Beast Mortos of The New LFI. Roberts is expected to be on hand at AEW's next PPV, WrestleDream, as The Beast Mortos faces Hologram in a two-out-of-three falls match.