Best Promos - Jake Roberts...Pure Evil

What more can I say about Jake the Snake Roberts? He was simply the best, and this is a classic example of how convincing he could be...

[@frozenlake1215]

He's so evil he warped the VHS tracking

[@JHinsonMusic]

It's almost more cool that way - There's your demon entity, a sociopathic man willing to stop at nothing, Jake was fucking awesome. Old west villain if i ever saw one.

[@jasonmatthews4449]

@@James-nw1oj I wanted to type an articulate comment. But decided to keep it short. Put it simply, as the saying goes. "Old is gold".

[@Lowclef]

Like Brad Pitt in that scene from Fight Club

[@evanabbott2737]

@@JHinsonMusic to me, he’s the only cool wrestler out of the roster back then! Everybody else seemed like goofballs, maybe Piper was cool, too...🤔😁

[@chaosdweller]

Lmao!

[@JaculaDudek]

The look, the charisma, the believability, the ease to manner, the ease to connect, the sense of feeling the room, the deepest sense of emotion .... ladies and gentlemen, "Marlon Brando of Pro Wrestling", Jake The Snake Roberts. This man, at Hall of Fame got me to cry even though I'm like twenty years behind his prime.He is THE absolute promo cutter.

[@donnajocatlady3839]

Met Jake at a Comic Con today. He gave me a hug. What a truly gracious, sweet man! He's truly a fighter, having gone through Hell and back.

[@chaosdweller]

I knew a Donna once and she didn't really do much of anything to be a fan of really lol! ... but she seemed to know how to treat and talk a man very well, (nothing sexual ever happened ............. unfortunately lol!) and she was gorgeous, so that made me a big fan, ... even though like I said doesn't do anything that traditionally garner attention from fans lol! which is funny haha, but that seems to be so rare these days , and I think? that should mean some, ....the rest of her family members weren't that different either .

[@bled83]

The glitching VHS makes it better somehow.

[@jw870206]

Not only did he have the art of the spoken word mastered, his eyes are just chilling. He looks right into the camera, and he looks right through it into your soul. They call Triple H the Cerebral Assassin, but Trips ain't got shit on the Snake.

[@Saber808]

+jw870206 HHH is a pussy

[@Kaltagstar96]

With the way the camera flickers slightly makes it seem that Roberts comes across as almost a Jim Jones cult leader with the way he speaks and the conviction. He could convince someone to go and jump in front of a bus with nothing more than the spoken word. This is one of his most underrated promos IMO

[@MelancoliaI]

Jake could've done anything he wanted. It's a shame he never tried acting. And you're right, with the grainy VHS quality and whatnot I'm definitely getting some Koresh/cult-leader vibes. Jake was just that damn convincing.

[@mr.whisper3338]

Triple H can not be mentioned in the same breath as Jake. He was one of the worst promos in wrestling at one time, and while he got better over the years, he never sniffed Jake's word-smith mastery.

[@PsychomachineryEBM]

Jake took it from the Assassin, tho

[@josephschmoe2448]

He could terrify anyone. I wish he was teaching wrestlers these days how to cut promos. No one did them as good as he could.

[@PurpleHaze10586]

hopefully will be teaching brodie lee (Luke Harper) a thing or 2 in AEW

[@alexfithero]

He is good with words you can’t teach that.

[@angelnava5385]

@@PurpleHaze10586 this didn't aged well 😔

[@OikPoinFive]

@@angelnava5385 lol tru

[@thecerebralassasin1504]

@@PurpleHaze10586 this promo is better than the whole attitude Era!!

[@jesuszamora6949]

Sucks we don't have heels like this anymore. Too many trying to be cool, trying to be over. Gimmie unrelenting evil any day.

[@sleepalaska]

tomasso ciampa?

[@jpowers55]

@@sleepalaska a 200 pound midget. Next!!!

[@zionnewkirk4838]

@@jpowers55 what does it matter about his size, the man is the best heel in a long time. He actually draws genuine REAL heat, not "go away heat", REAL heat. Unlike pretty much every other heel today that gets cheered.

[@chacegames3726]

jpowers55 who cares if he’s small, my god why the fuck does it matter to you kind of people that a wrestler has to be over 6 feet & weight 300 pounds or something, not every wrestler has to be that, as long as they bring something to the table, I could care less if they’re someone like Jake or someone like Ciampa

[@354allday]

@@zionnewkirk4838 That's cuz the faces are terrible,most of the ppl built to be heels are made faces. Samoa Joe,Kevin Owens and Orton are just built to be hated

[@H2Zv1]

This man referenced Star Wars & Star Trek in the same promo. Doesn't get more awesome than that

[@doolindanger2459]

"What I have to offer nobody wants. Damien and the DDT." - Jake Roberts [that is so classic!]

[@bobbooey45]

I spit my drink out when he said that

[@NYCZ31]

And the way he scratches his head when saying that, it’s like he cannot conceive why anybody wouldn’t want to be DDT’ed lmao

[@exe2517]

I remember a friend saying that the most fascinating thing about Jake 'the Snake' was that in interviews/promos, he didn't look like the rest of those colourful/larger-than-life pro wrestlers in the WWF roster, he looked like an every-day man. Meaning that the fact that a person you could meet in a bus stop, grocery store, etc. could be this evil was something truly unique and fascinating.

[@aeso3555]

He also set himself apart from the rest of the roster with his promo skills. While guys like Hogan, Warrior and Flair were loud, hammy and bombastic, Jake was sullen, quiet and rarely raised his voice, yet his articulation and mastery over words was top notch that he could get the point across.

[@caseyhafer2550]

He reminds me of Randall Flagg from The Stand. Looks like a regular guy but he is actually the Devil in disguise

[@stevenp9209]

could've been a legit actor

[@sydIRISH]

I was thinking that too. Too bad he chose the booze and other drugs. Last I heard he was doing well though, or at least I hope so. He was always a favorite of mine, and I'm not really a huge fan of wrestling. I was when I was a kid.

[@WorldChamp12]

sydIRISH he is doing great now thanks to DDP

[@christianedwards4476]

Definitely could have. Jake was so good. His promos were so chilling. I can remember some of them verbatim because they were that impactful. And it's been 30 years.

[@MelancoliaI]

Been saying this for years. Imagine him playing Randall Flagg in a Stephen King adaptation or something. He'd nail it. But instead we got Hulk Hogan on the silver screen. Ugh. But at least we got Piper and They Live.

[@michaelconner8140]

He is

[@mr.speyside5240]

The VHS scratching makes it seem like a horror film.

[@SpectrumGamer29]

Maybe if WWE "Creative" allowed their roster to speak from the heart and sell themselves, we wouldn't have a roster full of generic muscle heads who talk about the WWE being their dream job and that nothing will hold them back from achieving the dream of becoming World Champion. Instead, we have the current WWE product which is simply unwatchable.

[@MelancoliaI]

This is something i've talked about before. The writing today is so dull, with every wrestler having a cookie cutter personality of someone bound and determined TO WIN DA GREATEST TITLE IN MUH SPORTZ ENTERTAINMENT! It used to be that they didn't have to sell the belt so hard. We KNEW what it meant. Hell, the Intercontinental belt of yore had more weight and meaning than the World Title does today.

[@Z1GMA12]

maybe MAYBE it will get a little bit better when it's not run by Vince anylonger.

[@robertrodriguez787]

Wouldn't not one those wrestlers would be able to do what Jake did . Although Bray is pretty good but he ain't no Jake

[@FlawlessFoog]

They don’t like their wrestlers getting over by themselves because it ruins their plans that’s why they held back rusev, umaga, wade barrett and so many more any wrestler who gets over own their own wwe instantly kills it and it’s sad and it’s why they have a shit product and it’s why most of their wrestlers are leaving I predict wwe will be out of business by 2030 and that nxt will become its one wrestling company and aew will continue to thrive

[@GrimJester82]

100% correct

[@dcavalli9]

He even referenced the neutron bomb. Awesome!

[@OikPoinFive]

Adam

[@koryandrews1665]

@@OikPoinFive no, listen to it again, he says neutron bomb

[@ferox965]

Jake was one of my faves growing up. His promos are so poetic and sinister. One of the greatest.

[@chaosdweller]

This is actually my 1st introduction to him and I'm enjoying it , I'm actually enjoying the enthusiasm of his fans lol! than I actually am him to be honest ha, I'm more of a macho man guy myself haha, but this comment section , hearing how people describe him, is fantastic , I wouldn't be surprised if maybe some? of the attributes weren't similar to mine , which is probably one of the reasons I'm enjoying it to be perfectly honest haha.

[@bigmike2464]

@@chaosdweller One of his favorite things was to rarely raise his voice; he wanted you to listen, so he would talk pretty low, sinister type of voice, not quite a whisper, but you were drew in

[@leereitz]

I honestly think that Jake may be the greatest promo of all time

[@Hypersp4ce]

How have I not seen this already. That was one of the best promos Ive ever seen

[@Harry_Stylus]

The hum of the camera and the hiss of the tape just make this seem so much colder. Jake seems like a cold blooded killer here!

[@saltedllama2759]

A master of the psychology side of the business. People meme this stuff nowadays, but he puts all promos from today's talent to shame.

[@ronmichaels9206]

This could be one of the best interviews/promos of all time. For Jake it was another interview day lol

[@bosskey7212]

Jake was such a great player at psychology, like his promos are unlike anyone else ever, in his prime Jake was one of the absolute best to watch live too

[@neilarcher2551]

It's in the eyes. That stare is gold. One of the best heels ever.

[@evilTaker90V2]

The look in Jake’s eyes, that is menacing.

[@chaosdweller]

Maybe ? that could explain some things and past events in my life , lol!

[@evilTaker90V2]

@@chaosdweller Yeah, that is a look you can’t teach. Those eyes are dark and cold, a true reflection of what Jake had been through

[@jpm4444]

the greatest era of wrestling. Jake rarely yelled; so evil and vicious. Maybe the greatest heel of all time. Him laughing while staring at the cobra after it bit macho man while people are crying in the crowd is maybe the most evil heel move of all time.

[@nuclearruffneck]

My favorite is when Mean Gene said "Jake Robert's you are a sick man." and Jake said calmly "Well thank you very much."

[@keironhiggspoet]

one of his best promos. all of his words here could be instant quotables.

[@Pancake3225]

There’s nothing more intimidating than someone dangerous and in control of their own emotions.

[@omenani]

Top 3 ever when it came to promos

[@dinobrya2]

The Rock was a legend in promos but Jake the Snake Roberts and Slick Ric were a cut above any and all.

[@354allday]

Rock and Flair sold the matches. Arn Anderson and Jake Roberts made you believe they had bodies buried under a children's daycare

[@Iam_saeed]

@@354allday spot on analogy👌🏾

[@alexfithero]

Rock was jacked this guy is just a normal sized guy

[@youforget1000thingsaday]

The man. Hands down the best promo.

[@ukhillboy365]

Cutting a promo in true art form, & Jake was one of the very best!

[@Iam_saeed]

All of that in just 2 min!! Jake could jam pack more dynamite in a two minute promo off the cuff than most wrestlers could do in a lifetime

[@nox2sweet]

The VHS messing up makes this promo much better

[@ValhallaRex]

I absolutely agree 👍👍

[@RickMichaels-if5eq]

The greatest heel of all time Jake The Snake Roberts!!!🐍 No one cuts a promo like him on the mic!🎤

[@trustmeddt]

Awesome promo. From doing some detective work on match results, I'm guessing this is the weekend of 19-20 September 1986 since there was a West Palm Beach show on Sept 22nd.

[@nickm393]

The 2 to 3 minute backstage promos were the best. None of this 'come down to the ring and get interrupted' bullshit.

[@SouthernSkeptic]

They ruined wrestling when they brought the promos to the ring, imo.

[@liquidgeorge]

Precisely. Why on Earth would you stand face to face in a ring with somebody you hated for 20 minutes and not attack them? Jake Roberts made promos an art.

[@xSKYKILLAx]

liquidgeorge it’s even more funny watching them pass the mic back and forth. It just looks so fake and phoney. Like you said, you want the fans to buy that theirs real rivalry or heat between the wrestlers. Makes no sense to have them standing in the ring being all cordial with each other. Looks hokey

[@liquidgeorge]

xSKYKILLAx Absolutely. You could theoretically get away with interrupting a wrestler doing an in-ring promo if it were carried out in a cowardly way like how Chris Jericho interrupted The Rock in his WWF debut. But any other way comes across as ultra phoney.

[@OikPoinFive]

Agree

[@philiom7724]

the 2 golden rules of a promo -- 1. You're opponent thinks he is special. He is not. 2. Your opponent thinks he understands you and your intentions. He does not.

[@ChrisWolff2013]

This man was a truly terrifying son of a bitch. He was just a menacing guy.

[@fgwilli76]

The old school guys were actually good actors - most of them

[@Best_Wrestling_Promos]

Frank Williott you HAD to be...! People thought it was REAL

[@palaceofwisdom9448]

No template, no catchphrase to get in. In two minutes, he told you what he's about and what you will see him do if you buy a ticket. He was my favorite even as a heel because he cut straight to the point.

[@LTDANMAN44]

best stickman in the business

[@Best_Wrestling_Promos]

Top 3 for sure. He’s my personal #1

[@jewggerz]

Oh man, Jake bringing his A game for some local promos. That was great.

[@TheJman2600]

Who's the one person who gave this a thumbs-down? Some Cena mark? Jake really was an underrated talker.

[@joshs4594]

Ahh, the good ol' days where intellegence and imagination were part of the promo gig. Roddy Piper and Jake Roberts were the best on the mic. They were both originals while being completely different in styles.

[@BirdGang6]

He made the DDT seem like it was actually killing people out there, a transitional move that was treated like the most dangerous move in wrestling because Jake made you believe it was.

[@Best_Wrestling_Promos]

He invented the sudden finisher

[@gronxman1]

Jake Roberts was the best wrestler of all in my opinion

[@user-cx5fg4bj9e]

1 dislike from steamboat.

[@pjsretrogamesmusicandwrass5795]

" Not just your body , but your soul. Your body I'm gonna give that to Damien, oh he will enjoy that." Best darn heel ever...

[@joeadgie4188]

Snakeman was, and is, a damn wordsmith. Jake is one of the best promos ever.

[@SmellTheCanvis]

I only saw Jake when he was a shell of what he was. I really wish I grew up watching this era. I'm sure he'd have scared the crap out of me as a kid. Kinda does as an adult lol

[@FriENTlyFire]

Jake Roberts and CM Punk are my favorite promo guys ever.

[@rockingjamie]

There was only one wrestler to me who embodied their character as well as The Undertaker. And that was Jake the Snake.

[@reneacosta2939]

jake and rick rude were the best and my two favorite wrestlers ever

[@johnnykeane9633]

What a talker, just brilliance

[@marcmartel7542]

That moustache is terror himself! With the Empire Iron mullet, even the Dr Disrespect can't fuck with that!

[@user-xr6ov3cg6u]

Jake was on a completely higher level mentally and performance wise. His conviction is captivating. He's the king of mellow drama.

[@nathueil1]

I think in one promo he said..Have you ever seen the devil drop a DDT in the pale moonlight.

[@JEGG1314]

Nobody got their finishing move over better than Jake The Snake Roberts. He made you believe that he was the only one that could do it correctly. Plus with a lot of people letting guys kick out or get up from it even, then it made him correct.

[@TheVerdictIs]

Best promo ever!

[@kenshinflyer]

And the good thing about him? He carried his promo style over when he turned face. He is the original Cerebral Assassin because all of his promos are piercing and really gets into the opponent's skull.

[@OhioRiverFisherman]

Damien and the DDT, SAVAGE Snake Robert's. My neighbor when I was 5, his name was Jake Robert's. And I never will forget forever.

[@rabidwolf]

God those VHS tracking sounds take me back to being a kid

[@naijanistan]

Everything in the 80s was solid GOLD. Talking of wrestling, music, people, dancing, politics and all.

[@bruce9897]

“I do have things to give that nobody seems to want. The DDT and Damien.” 😂😂😂

[@yellowg00se]

“I am a leader. You? -chuckles- you are a follower” Dude. That was genuinely chilling

[@andrewatuahene3234]

When it comes to promo's Jake The Snake Roberts was always to me ahead off the bunch back in those days you would have wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and such screaming and yelling through there promo's but not Jake he was smooth sinister mono tone just looking deep into the camera and you believed every word he said. It was bone chilling and physichotic , you can this promo with today's promo's it would still give you that chills.

[@rsb8380]

It’s interesting, I was younger than 5 and remember being totally captivated by Jake the Snake. Even at that young age, when I likely didn’t even understand much of the content of what he was saying, I could still sense an authenticity, a darkness, a truth, in everything about him. That takes mad talent and charisma.

[@nickbas2487]

A E DUB

[@lordburlap4514]

The Snake was sooooooo believable.

[@knightshousegames]

I feel like Bray Wyatt had to have been a massive Jake Roberts fan, something about Jake's delivery here reminds me of the early days of the Wyatt family

[@BeeBumper]

This sounds like my old vhs tapes of wrestling taped at super slow speed to make it last 8 hours and recorded over and over until it hums

[@LoganSewell83]

The VHS distortion reminds me of Jason Voorhees teleporting in the game.

[@rhysthomas1699]

There was a show Jake was in and he said "Long time ago I understood one thing, that if a man has enough power he can speak softly & everyone will listen." A loser shouts A winner whispers

[@Best_Wrestling_Promos]

That promo is on my channel somewhere...

[@rhysthomas1699]

@@Best_Wrestling_Promos It was also on the Ressurrection of Jake the Snake.

[@Best_Wrestling_Promos]

@@rhysthomas1699 that movie is incredible. I’ve changed people lives who were non wrestling fans with that doc...

[@rhysthomas1699]

@@Best_Wrestling_Promos I also watched The Wrestler with the late & great Scott Hall aka Razor Ramon. These two were in a very dark place but thank god DDP got to them sooner rather than later.

[@lordburlap4514]

Jake’s magic…HE MADE YOU BELIEVE HIM!

[@jaylong4705]

The absolute best promo and I been watching since 87

[@Nyfancam01]

FANTASTIC !!!! Great top tier HEEL work here!

[@chaosdweller]

Can't believe I'm 33yrs old , and just being introduced to him , wow!( that Damian talk devil's son right ?) was hilarious haha.

[@freespirit906]

Great promo..... Bravo Jake Roberts

[@PDilla-xg7ux]

My Gawd his Aew promo was so freaking awesome! In over 20 years away from the business, he hasn't lost a step.

[@chaosdweller]

🤔

[@andystegall7407]

It's only because everyone else in AEW sucks ass at promos that Jake at his worst sounds good

[@antoanthony3400]

You see where Ambrose/Moxley draws inspiration when it comes to promos.

[@Ant-bm1qk]

Moxley doesn’t come close

[@clarencegutsy7309]

I maintain that Jake Roberts had the best promo during this time. Articulate, cold, sinister and never wavering in eye contact with the camera, the man perfected the most difficult part of pro wrestling and that is making you want to see what happens when he gets in that ring with his opponent.

[@ahumanjustbeing2466]

GOAT(drops mic and rolls out)

[@isoladipietra6616]

As a kid in the late 80s I checked under my bed every night to make sure he wasn’t there. That’s a heel.

[@robertrobbins7546]

They called him One Take Jake for a reason

[@Best_Wrestling_Promos]

Yep and it wasn’t a joke

[@BobPagani]

@@Best_Wrestling_Promos I was a friend of the guy who directed this stuff for Vince and he told me the crew all love Jake because he got it perfectly on the first try almost every time.

[@Saber808]

I bet he got more chicks than Flair.

[@michaeledwards1644]

for sure

[@MrBoDiggety]

Not with a 12 foot python the room ;)

[@OikPoinFive]

@@MrBoDiggety no. It was 12 inch python

[@furycross]

fucking brilliant

[@jackcarraway4707]

The thimbnail looks like a serial killer's mugshot.

[@619sandiego8]

This was so ahead of it's time

[@evenflow5491]

Jake was not a conventional wrestler but he was beyond phenomenal on the microphone

[@TWO00_4_3TheoryNow]

It can't.....be........ I've got my new favourite promo...

[@Best_Wrestling_Promos]

Phantom Beast There are many Jake promos here on my channel- check out the top 10 playlist on my channel. Jake owns the #1 spot with his Wrestlemania promo....

[@only1icon1801]

One of a kind

[@jamesmartin7165]

He looks like Magnum TA's evil twin.

[@RustyShackleford1988]

Man, Jake Roberts is easily one of wrestling's best talkers. His promos can give you chills

[@chaosdweller]

That's the , only reason why I'm here , I now enjoy watching old wrastlin promo's ha, ... especially before I go into the weight room lmao! that's like my new thing haha, ...it started probably a couple yrs ago or so , it all started with Scott Steiner lol! ....here lately it's been Randy , lol!

[@kinginblack3321]

One if the best promo guys ever

[@BernardDixon-qc3bn]

Awesome promo so much better than now 2024s WWE

[@lulu-hm2xp]

My goodness what an awesome promo

[@chaosdweller]

Lulu do I know you ? Lol.

[@dariomilivojevic1586]

Awesome Promo

[@etxkevin7452]

Those eyes and voice, so convincing! Not many people can come close to this nowadays :(

[@davidquinn9476]

Jake.....had the Tom Selleck look.

[@seranda73]

*MAGNETIC!*

[@syteanric]

Forget Mankind, Forget The Rock... No one was better on the mic than Jake!

[@chickenalaking1319]

Always wished Jake had made a cameo on Miami Vice, would’ve fit right in.

[@rodzor]

what a performance. they call it wrestling entertainment nowadays but this was true entertainment.