In his prime, Jake "The Snake" Roberts was one of the best wrestlers that WWE had at its disposal. In the Golden Era, Roberts was at his best as a dastardly heel. Moreover, Roberts would walk down the aisle with a snake, and wrestlers were reluctant to be in the ring at the same time as Roberts' snake. Shortly after WrestleMania 8, Roberts departed WWE and he joined WCW in 1992.
Roberts didn't have much success in WCW but four years later, he returned to WWE. Unfortunately, Roberts relapsed with drugs and alcohol which led to him leaving WWE again in early 1997. Nevertheless, Roberts was still popular with fans when he rejoined WWE in 1996 as a babyface, but his in-ring performances weren't the same as they were in his prime.
10 Royal Rumble Match - Royal Rumble 1997
Jake Roberts entered the 1997 Royal Rumble match which was the final time that he would enter the Rumble. It was Roberts' final WWE pay-per-view match, and Roberts was the seventh participant in the Rumble. Roberts barely made an impact as he lasted under 90 seconds.
Fans were calling for the DDT and he took Steve Austin down with some arm wrenches and a clothesline. Roberts attempted the DDT but it was to no avail with Austin hauling him over the top rope, en route to Austin winning the Rumble for the first time in his career.
9 Jake "The Snake" Roberts Vs. Vader - King Of The Ring 1996
Steve Austin was waiting in the wings in the final of the 1996 King of the Ring tournament. Roberts squared off with Vader in the semifinals and it was a forgettable match. Vader worked on Roberts' shoulder in the early exchanges, and Roberts was looking to finish off Vader with the DDT once he saw an opening.
The Mastodon was barely troubled, but Roberts successfully connected with the DDT. However, the referee disqualified Vader as Vader grabbed the referee. Afterward, Vader took out his frustration on Roberts and he executed the Vader Bomb.
8 Jake "The Snake" Roberts Vs. Jerry Lawler - SummerSlam 1996
Two veterans in Jake Roberts and Jerry Lawler collided at SummerSlam 1996. In classic Lawler fashion, he made fun of Roberts' well-documented problems with alcoholism. Nevertheless, Roberts made his way down to the ring with his snake. Lawler was afraid of snakes, and Roberts had the last laugh as he placed it on Lawler.
Unfortunately, this was a drab affair and both were capable of producing much better. Roberts had some offense but Lawler triumphed as he clocked Roberts in the throat with a bottle of liquor and he covered Roberts for the win.
7 Jake "The Snake" Roberts Vs. Steve Austin - King Of The Ring 1996
Somehow, Jake "The Snake" Roberts made it to the 1996 King of the Ring final and he was up against Steve Austin, who was younger and fresher out of the two. Roberts was far from 100% with Austin dominating the match with ease. However, WWE President Gorilla Monsoon came into the ring in an attempt to stop the match.
Roberts momentarily rallied back and he attempted the DDT but it was to no avail. Austin planted Roberts with the Stunner for the win. Infamously, Austin cut a memorable promo afterward which was the turning point in his career.
6 Royal Rumble Match - Royal Rumble 1992
Jake "The Snake" Roberts was the 16th entrant in a star-studded 1992 Royal Rumble Match for the vacant WWE Championship. Roberts was subjected to a chorus of boos when he marched down the aisle. Nevertheless, Roberts was keeping a watchful eye on Randy Savage.
Once Macho Man entered the Rumble, Roberts went under the ring. He re-emerged and the pair went back and forth. Ultimately, Savage eliminated Roberts and himself but he re-entered the Rumble. The Undertaker was an ally of Roberts' and he rescued him from Savage's clutches.
5 Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Rocky Maivia, Marc Mero, And The Stalker Vs. Jerry Lawler, Triple H, Crush, And Goldust - Survivor Series 1996
Survivor Series 1996 is fondly remembered for The Rock's WWE debut. Jake "The Snake" Roberts was on Rock's side, who was Rocky Maivia. The four-on-four traditional Survivor Series elimination match was tons of fun. Roberts brought out a snake into the ring before the bell sounded with Jerry Lawler, Triple H, Crush, and Goldust hightailing it.
Roberts upped the tempo when he got tagged in, and the Madison Square Garden crowd was loving it. Roberts eliminated Lawler with his patented DDT. It was a valiant effort from Roberts but he was victim to Crush's Heart Punch.
4 Royal Rumble Match - Royal Rumble 1996
Jake "The Snake" Roberts shook things up when he joined the fray in the 1996 Royal Rumble match. Roberts took his snake out of the bag which led to wrestlers flocking the ring in fear which was hilarious to watch. Lawler was unfortunate to not get away quick enough.
Roberts had a decent outing here, and he flung Henry Godwinn over the top rope. Roberts was teetering on the edge but he eliminated Takao Omori alongside Triple H. Moreover, Roberts attempted the DDT on Doug Gilbert but it was to no avail with Vader clotheslining Roberts over the top rope. Roberts got 14 minutes in the tank, which proved to be handy in his other matches.
3 Jake "The Snake" Roberts Vs. The Undertaker - WrestleMania 8
Former allies Jake "The Snake" Roberts and The Undertaker were at loggerheads at WrestleMania 8. The Phenom was now a face, but Roberts wasn't afraid of Undertaker, and he caused Roberts some problems in this match.
Roberts managed to execute the DDT on Undertaker. That would have been enough to prevail but Roberts took his eye off the prize and shifted attention towards Paul Bearer. It proved to be an unwise decision as Undertaker planted "The Snake" with the Tombstone on the floor and he rolled him into the ring to secure his second straight win at WrestleMania.
2 Jake "The Snake" Roberts & Ahmed Johnson Vs. Owen Hart & The British Bulldog - In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies, 1996
Owen Hart and The British Bulldog were up against Jake "The Snake" Roberts and a partner of his choosing which turned out to be Ahmed Johnson. Roberts and Johnson dominated the early exchanges in their tag team match at In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies.
Once Owen and Bulldog took control of the match it spelled bad news for Roberts and Johnson. Chants of DDT reverberated around the arena. Nonetheless, Owen did the majority of the heavy lifting as Bulldog was carrying an injury. Ultimately, Bulldog clocked Roberts repeatedly in the leg with Jim Cornette's tennis racquet and Roberts had no choice but to tap out.
1 Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Ahmed Johnson, And Yokozuna Vs. Camp Cornette - WrestleMania 12
The curtain raiser of WrestleMania 12 featured an underrated six-man tag team match between Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Ahmed Johnson, and Yokozuna. Their adversaries were Camp Cornette's Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, and Vader. Chaos broke out with all six men battling.
Roberts was unable to connect with the DDT but Owen hung onto the ropes. This was an entertaining match, and Roberts managed to connect with the DDT for the third time. Nevertheless, Jim Cornette attempted to hit Roberts with his tennis racquet and he was going to plant Cornette with the DDT. However, Vader put a stop to all proceedings as he finished off Roberts with the Vader Bomb.