Editing Jake Roberts (section)

{{short description|American professional wrestler}}
{{for|the English film editor|Jake Roberts (film editor)}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
|image         = Jake "The Snake" Roberts Photo Op GalaxyCon Columbus 2024.jpg
|caption       = Roberts in 2024
|name          = Jake Roberts
|birthname     = Aurelian Smith Jr.
|names         = El Diablo<br>Fred Platt<br>'''Jake "The Snake" Roberts'''<br> Jake Roberts <ref name=WWEbio>{{cite web |title=Jake Roberts profile |publisher=[[WWE]] |url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/jakeroberts |access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref><ref name=OWW>{{cite web |title=Jake Roberts's OWW Profile |publisher=Online World of Wrestling |url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/j/jake-roberts.html |access-date=September 8, 2009}}</ref><br>Jake Smith Jr.<ref name=OWW/><br>The Snake<br>The Texan
|height        = 6 ft 6 in<ref name=WWEbio/>
|weight        = 249 lb<ref name=WWEbio/>
|billed        = [[Stone Mountain, Georgia]]<ref name=WWEbio/>
|trainer       = Buck Robley<ref name=OWW/><br>[[Moose Morowski]]<ref name=OWW/>
|debut         = 1975<ref>https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=36&page=4&s=2300</ref>
|retired       = 2018<ref name="Cagematch">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Jake Roberts|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=36&page=4&s=0 |access-date=August 16, 2024 |website=Cagematch.net|language=en}}</ref> 
|relatives     = [[Grizzly Smith]] (father)<br>[[Sam Houston (wrestler)|Sam Houston]] (half-brother)<br>[[Rockin' Robin (wrestler)|Rockin' Robin]] (half-sister)<br>[[Baby Doll (wrestler)|Baby Doll]] (ex-sister-in-law) <br> James Smith (son) <br> Tommy Smith (son)
|birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1955|05|30}}<ref name=OWW/>
|birth_place   = [[Gainesville, Texas]], U.S.
|spouse        = {{marriage|Karen Rauschuber|1973|1982|end=divorced}}<br />{{marriage|Cheryl Hagood|1984|1997|end=divorced}}<br />{{marriage|Judy Lynn|2006|2020|end=divorced}}
|children      = 8
|module={{Infobox YouTube personality
|embed                = yes
|channel_handle       = @snakepitpod
|channel_display_name = The Snake Pit with Jake Roberts
|years_active         = 2021–present
|genre                = [[Professional wrestling]]
|subscribers          = 31.5 thousand
|subscriber_date      =
|views                = 6 million
|view_date            =
|network              = 
|associated_acts      = 
|silver_button        =
|silver_year          = 
|gold_button          = 
|gold_year            = 
|diamond_button       = 
|diamond_year         = 
|ruby_button          = 
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|stats_update         =
}}
}}
'''Aurelian Smith Jr.''' (born May 30, 1955)<ref name=OWW/> better known by the [[ring name]] '''Jake''' "'''the Snake'''" '''Roberts''',<ref name=WWEbio/><ref name=OWW/> is an American actor, [[podcaster]] and retired [[professional wrestler]]. He is signed to [[All Elite Wrestling]] (AEW), where he performs as the on-screen manager to ''[[La Facción Ingobernable]]'', and he also serves as a special advisor for AEW's community outreach program, ''AEW Together''. He is also signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his two stints in the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] (later called WWE); the first between 1986 and 1992, and the second between 1996 and 1997. He wrestled in the [[National Wrestling Alliance]] in 1983, [[World Championship Wrestling]] in 1992, and the [[Lucha libre|Mexico]]-based [[Asistencia Asesoría y Administración]] between 1993 and 1994 and again in 1997. He appeared in [[Extreme Championship Wrestling]] during the summer of 1997 and made appearances for [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] from 2006 through 2008.

Throughout his career, Roberts, often considered one of professional wrestling's most iconic figures, was known for his intense and cerebral [[List of professional wrestling terms#P|promos]], dark charisma, extensive use of psychology in his matches, and innovative use of the [[DDT (professional wrestling)|DDT]] finishing move (which was later named the "coolest" maneuver of all time by WWE).<ref>{{cite web |title=The 50 coolest maneuvers of all time |work=WWE |url=http://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/the-50-coolest-maneuvers-of-all-time/page-51 |date=January 2, 2014}}</ref> He often brought snakes into the ring, most famously a [[Python (genus)|python]]. He was one of the subjects of the 1999 documentary film ''[[Beyond the Mat]]''. In 2012, he moved in with fellow wrestler [[Diamond Dallas Page]] to seek help in getting his life back on track following years of alcohol and drug addiction, a period covered in the 2015 documentary ''[[The Resurrection of Jake the Snake]]''. He was inducted into the [[WWE Hall of Fame]] on April 5, 2014, and the [[Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum]] in 2020.