Jake The Snake

A vintage t-shirt gallery inspired by the legends of the squared circle.

Item #8: Jake The Snake Roberts

Year: 1989

Availability: Check Defunkd’s Wrestling Tees

Finishing Move: DDT

WWF Accolades: No Belts, Inventor of the DDT

Not known for his chiseled physique this ragtag wrestler used intimidation and perfectly executed maneuvers. Enter the DDT, which he’s credited for inventing – a falling reverse headlock that drives the opponent’s head in to the mat. Or in the case of Roberts’ adversary, Ricky Steamboat, his noggin went directly on to a concrete floor causing him to lose consciousness, for real.

His unofficial tag-team partner, a massive python who usually arrived in a burlap sack and ended up sprawled across an incapacitated opponent. The reptile was officially billed as Damien and deserves credit for Roberts’ gimmick and the psychological prowess it lent to his character. Sadly Damien met his demise in 2004 when he starved to death in Roberts’ garage. Jake faced charges for the incident which seemed to stem from his issues with addiction highlighted by the 1999 documentary Beyond the Mat. In 2007 Jake benefited from the WWF’s policy of providing rehab for any current or former WWF star. He emerged straight and continued his independent wrestling circuit work until retiring early in 2011.

Image Courtesy of: all_originals

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