Editing Jake Roberts (section)

==Professional wrestling career==
===Early career (1974–1986)===
[[File:Jake Roberts with Paul Orndorff in a sleeperhold, 1981.png|thumb|Roberts in a 1981 match against [[Paul Orndorff]]]]
Roberts started his career in 1974 in the [[Louisiana]] area, as a referee and a year later, made his debut as a wrestler, making his name in [[Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts)|Mid-South Wrestling]], [[Jim Crockett Promotions|Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling]] and [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]]. Roberts had trouble developing his character, so in the late 1970s he traveled to Canada to wrestle. While in [[Stampede Wrestling]], Roberts feuded with the [[Junkyard Dog]].<ref>{{cite AV media |date=February 20, 2015 |title=Jim Ross Interviews 'Jake the Snake – Roberts' |work=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6CbXzEgzZ0}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=December 10, 2012 |title=Jake Roberts vs. Big Daddy Ritter – Ladder Match: Stampede, July, 1979 |work=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKxy6GJTTBQ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/KKxy6GJTTBQ |archive-date=December 22, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

It was in Georgia Championship Wrestling during 1983 that Roberts became part of [[Paul Ellering]]'s [[List of professional wrestling terms#S|stable]], the [[The Road Warriors#History|Legion of Doom]], and began a [[feud (professional wrestling)|feud]] with [[Ron Garvin]] over the [[NWA National Television Championship]] that lasted into 1984. In 1984, Roberts entered [[World Class Championship Wrestling]] (WCCW) joining up with [[Chris Adams (wrestler)|"Gentleman" Chris Adams]] and [[Gino Hernandez]] in their feud against the [[Von Erich family|Von Erichs]], winning the WCCW Television title and 6-Man Tag Team title (with Adams and Hernandez). Roberts returned to Mid-South Wrestling for 1985, ending his run there in February 1986 with a feud with [[Dick Slater]] after being told by management that he was not considered a top talent even though he was getting the biggest crowd reactions.

===World Wrestling Federation (1986–1992)===
====Debut and championship pursuits (1986–1990)====
Roberts debuted in the World Wrestling Federation on March 8, 1986, at the [[Boston Garden]] defeating [[Jose Luis Rivera]]. A month later, he made his [[pay-per-view]] debut, defeating [[George Wells (wrestler)|George Wells]] at [[WrestleMania 2]]. During the match, Roberts made Wells foam from the mouth when he wrapped his snake Damien around Wells' head;<ref>{{cite web |last=Powell |first=John |title=WrestleMania 2: Caged Heat |publisher=Slam Wrestling |url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/Wrestlemania20/WrestleMania2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429201521/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/Wrestlemania20/WrestleMania2.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 29, 2015 |access-date=July 12, 2016}}</ref> however, contrary to popular belief, he had been using the "Snake" nickname before his WWF debut, including while in Georgia Championship Wrestling.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WikQbnqAk0g</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9-MdpDZJlk</ref>

[[File:Jake Roberts snake Damien on Ricky steamboat 1986.png|thumb|Jake Roberts (left) puts his snake, Damien, on top of Ricky Steamboat (right), circa 1986]]
Roberts' first major feud was against [[Ricky Steamboat|Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat]], beginning on a nationally televised episode of ''[[Saturday Night's Main Event VI]]'' in May 1986. Roberts executed the DDT on Steamboat on the exposed concrete floor right in front of his wife Bonnie and then proceeded to rest his snake Damien on top of a prone Steamboat. While [[Vince McMahon]] and booker [[George Scott (wrestler)|George Scott]] were adamant about wanting the DDT to take place on the floor, Roberts initially refused until Steamboat told him that he would be able to adequately protect himself from injury. Unfortunately, Steamboat was unable to stop his head from hitting the concrete and was rendered unconscious, sustaining a concussion.<ref name=WWF6389Book>{{cite book |last=Cawthon |first=Graham |year=2013 |title=the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 1: WWF 1963 – 1989 |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |isbn=978-1492825975}}</ref> After Steamboat's recovery, Steamboat introduced a "[[Komodo dragon]]" as his pet to combat the psychological effects of Roberts' snake. The feud continued with Steamboat winning most of the matches (losing only one because he threw Roberts back in the ring before the 10 count, while not beating the count himself), most notably a Snake Pit Match (ostensibly a no-DQ match) at ''[[The Big Event]]'' in [[Toronto]], and the rematch on the October 1986 edition of ''[[Saturday Night's Main Event VII]]''.

Recognizing his microphone skills, Roberts was given his own talk segment called "The Snake Pit", which debuted on the first episode of ''[[WWF Wrestling Challenge]]'' in late 1986. "The Snake Pit" was patterned after "[[Piper's Pit]]", wherein Roberts would conduct interviews with wrestlers or managers to help push wrestlers and get feuds over with the crowd. The segment was eventually moved to ''[[WWF Superstars of Wrestling]]'' (to replace "Piper's Pit" after [[Roddy Piper]]'s retirement following [[WrestleMania III]])<ref name=WWF6389Book/> until the final segment aired in July 1987.<ref name=Encyclopedia281>{{cite book |last1=Shields |first1=Brian |last2=Sullivan |first2=Kevin |year=2009 |title=WWE Encyclopedia |title-link=WWE Encyclopedia |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |isbn=978-0-7566-4190-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/281 281]}}</ref> [[File:Jake "The Snake" Roberts.jpg|thumb|right|Many of Roberts' storylines revolved around the use of his snake, Damien, seen here in the middle of the ring (March 7, 1989)]]In late 1986, Roberts began to enjoy an upsurge in fan popularity, despite the WWF's attempts to cast him as an unpopular villain. In November 1986, Roberts challenged [[Randy Savage]] for the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|Intercontinental Championship]]. Before the match, announcer Vince McMahon said the fans would probably support Savage against the disliked Roberts. However, to the surprise of both McMahon and fellow broadcaster [[Jesse Ventura|Jesse "The Body" Ventura]], the fans cheered loudly for Roberts throughout the bout. The match ended in a double disqualification. Around the same time, the WWF had also tried to set Roberts up as a nemesis to then fan-favorite [[WWE Championship|WWF World Heavyweight Champion]] [[Hulk Hogan]], and challenging him for the title. However, after Roberts hit Hogan with a DDT during an episode of ''The Snake Pit'', fans responded positively to the attack by chanting "DDT" rather than for Hogan, and McMahon abandoned his plans for a feud between them. Years later in a 2015 shoot interview, Roberts jokingly thanked the fans for ruining what would have been the biggest (and most profitable) run of his career as at the time Hogan was the biggest and most popular babyface and a run against Hogan would have meant main event television and pay-per-view matches.

He officially turned face when he feuded with [[The Honky Tonk Man]], an [[Elvis impersonator]], who attacked Roberts<ref>{{cite web |title=Honky Tonk man|website=WrestlingGoneWrong.com|url=http://www.wrestlinggonewrong.com/video/igw_jtsr.html  |access-date=December 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109205735/http://www.wrestlinggonewrong.com/video/igw_jtsr.html |archive-date=9 November 2006 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> with a guitar during his interview segment ''The Snake Pit''. The Honky Tonk Man's guitar shot actually injured Roberts' neck, as at the time guitars were not prepared to break easily.<ref name=mf228>{{cite book |last=Foley |first=Mick |year=1999 |title=Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks |publisher=[[ReganBooks]] |isbn=978-0-06-039299-4 |page=288 |url=https://archive.org/details/mankindhaveniced00fole/page/228 |url-access=registration}}</ref> The Honky Tonk Man denies that he purposefully injured Roberts, although Honky's manager [[Jimmy Hart]], as well as a video of the incident (seen on the ''Pick Your Poison'' DVD) suggests otherwise with Roberts later claiming that he was picking pieces of wood out of his back for weeks after. The attack led to their match at WrestleMania III in which Roberts had [[Detroit]] native [[Alice Cooper]] (a known lover of snakes) in his corner. After Honky Tonk won the Intercontinental Championship from Ricky Steamboat, Roberts unsuccessfully challenged him for the Championship several times throughout the rest of 1987. The initial plan was for Roberts to win the Intercontinental Championship shortly after The Honky Tonk Man's win over Steamboat and begin an angle with [[Ted DiBiase|"the Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase]], but because of the injuries from the guitar shot, the decision was made to keep the belt with The Honky Tonk Man.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 9, 2014 |title=WWE: 10 Things You Need To Know About Jake 'The Snake' Roberts |website=WhatCulture.com |url=https://whatculture.com/wwe/wwe-10-things-need-know-jake-snake-roberts?page=7 |access-date=April 3, 2016}}</ref>

He then had a feud with [[Rick Rude|"Ravishing" Rick Rude]] and his manager [[Bobby Heenan|Bobby "the Brain" Heenan]], who began a gimmick of selecting a woman from the crowd to kiss after each match. On the April 23, 1988 edition of ''WWF Superstars of Wrestling'', Rude chose Roberts' real-life wife Cheryl, who refused the kiss and revealed that she was in fact the wife of Jake "the Snake".<ref name=history699>{{cite book |last=Cawthon |first=Graham |year=2013 |title=The History of Professional Wrestling: The Results WWF 1963–1989 |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |isbn=978-1-4928-2597-5 |pages=699}}</ref> After Rude began insulting Roberts, Cheryl slapped him, angering Rude before Roberts ran out for the save.<ref name=history699/> This began a heated feud throughout the summer of 1988, which escalated after Rude began wearing a pair of tights emblazoned with a visage of Mrs. Roberts, which an irate Roberts tore off.

[[File:Jake Roberts and Andre.jpg|thumb|[[André the Giant]] feuded with Roberts based on André's fear of snakes (pictured March 7, 1989)]]
Roberts moved from the feud with Rude into a feud with [[André the Giant]] who was also managed by Bobby Heenan. On the March 11, 1989, episode of ''[[Saturday Night's Main Event XX]]'', André got involved in a match between Rick Rude and [[Brutus Beefcake|Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake]], siding with fellow [[The Heenan Family|Heenan Family]] member Rude. Roberts came to the ring to help Beefcake, who eventually won by disqualification.<ref>{{cite book |last=Krugman |first=Michael |year=2009 |title=Andre the Giant: A Legendary Life |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1439188132 |page=279}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Cawthon |first=Graham |title=Saturday Night's Main Event |publisher=The History of WWE |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/snme.htm |access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref> Roberts used his snake Damien to scare Andre into an eventual "[[heart attack]]".<!--This appears to have been in January--the SNME interference was taped in February and broadcast in March--> Although the subsequent feud on the house show circuit saw André victorious after most of those matches, Roberts can claim a victory via disqualification over André after The Giant attacked special guest referee and former foe [[Big John Studd]] at [[WrestleMania V]].

During the first match of their feud in [[Los Angeles Sports Arena|Los Angeles]], André treated it like Jake was a jobber out there for an old fashioned squash match, giving Roberts virtually no offence and not selling anything Jake did to him. After the match, an angry Roberts physically confronted André in the locker room and told him that he had to give Jake something out there or the program just wouldn't work. The Giant simply answered "We're OK Boss. We're good now" and they went on from there. Jake later learned it had been a test from André to see if he went running to complain to management, or if he had the guts to confront him man to man. From then on André had no problem selling Jake's offence in the ring.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UdVOVu7Aaw Jake The Snake Roberts on Standing Up To Andre The Giant]</ref>

[[File:Jake Roberts vs. Rick Martel - 1991-01-27 - 01.jpg|thumb|Jake Roberts vs. [[Rick Martel]] at a WWF Live Event House Show in Omaha, Nebraska 1991]]
Shortly after his feud with André had ended, Roberts entered into a feud with Ted DiBiase. Instead of fighting for the Intercontinental Championship, the prize of the feud was DiBiase's own [[Million Dollar Championship]]. It was at this time that Roberts' problems with the discs in his back were publicly acknowledged, as DiBiase attacked Roberts after a victory over his bodyguard [[Mike Jones (wrestler)|Virgil]] on ''[[WWF Superstars of Wrestling]]''. In the attack, Roberts was (storyline) injured by DiBiase and needed time off to have surgery to repair the damage. Roberts returned and feuded with DiBiase throughout the end of 1989 into 1990, including a point where Roberts stole DiBiase's Million Dollar Belt, daring him or Virgil to reach into the canvas sack where Damien was to retrieve it. The culmination of their feud took place at [[WrestleMania VI]] at the [[Skydome]] in Toronto, wherein a match where the Million Dollar Belt was on the line, DiBiase gained a count-out victory over Roberts, thus regaining his non-sanctioned title. After the match, Roberts mounted an offensive against DiBiase and Virgil and then began giving away DiBiase's "money" including giving some money to actress [[Mary Tyler Moore]] who was seated at ringside.

Following a brief feud with [[Allen Coage|Bad News Brown]] in the summer of 1990, Roberts also feuded with [[Rick Martel|Rick "the Model" Martel]] throughout late 1990 into early 1991, after Martel ([[kayfabe]]) blinded Roberts by spraying his cologne "Arrogance" into his eyes. Roberts went so far as to wear white contact lenses to "prove" his blindness. After several months, the feud culminated in a match at [[WrestleMania VII]], in which both contestants were blindfolded (though both Roberts and Martel did later confess to having some limited vision due to mesh holes in the masks - these were briefly visible due to Jake putting his hand inside the mask after donning it shortly before the start of the match). The bout ended after Roberts was able to "locate" Martel and deliver a DDT.

====Final feuds and departure (1991–1992)====
In early to mid-1991, Roberts engaged in a feud with [[John Tenta|Earthquake]] who "squashed" Damien with a pair of [[professional wrestling attacks#Senton|Earthquake splashes]] during their match on the April 27 (taped March 26) edition of ''WWF Superstars of Wrestling''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cawthon |first=Graham |title=Ring Results: 1991 |publisher=The History of WWE |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/91.htm |access-date=July 7, 2016}}</ref> In reality, Roberts' bag contained hamburger meat intended to look like a snake and a small mechanical device to depict movement, Roberts said in several shoot interviews that he wanted to be tied up in the ring ropes while Earthquake squashed Damien, because the original plan was for Roberts to be knocked out of the ring and not let him see it.<ref>{{cite web |last=Henry |first=Justin |date=January 2, 2015 |title=The Dominance of a Natural Disaster |publisher=The History of WWE |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/henry6.htm |access-date=July 7, 2016 |archive-date=February 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216103231/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/henry6.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The feud was advanced when, several weeks later, Earthquake appeared on ''WWF Prime Time Wrestling'' and served "Quakeburgers" to co-host [[Alfred Hayes (wrestler)|Lord Alfred Hayes]] and [[Vince McMahon]], later claiming that the meat was ground from Damien's carcass, which prompted McMahon to angrily knock the burger tray out of Earthquake's hands.<ref name=Wrestlecrap>{{cite book |last1=Reynolds |first1=RD |author1-link=RD Reynolds |last2=Baer |first2=Randy |year=2003 |title=Wrestlecrap – the very worst of pro wrestling |publisher=ECW Press |isbn=1-55022-584-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/wrestlecrapveryw00rdre}}</ref> Roberts later introduced a new snake, Damien's "big brother" Lucifer.<ref>{{cite web |last=Moore |first=Michael |date=August 14, 2012 |title=Collectible News: Action Figure Spotlight - 40-inch 'Damien' snake |publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch |url=http://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/The_Specialists_34/article_64264.shtml#.V4Anl7grLIV |access-date=July 8, 2016}}</ref> Roberts and Earthquake feuded throughout most of late-spring and into the summer. Roberts defeated Earthquake on July 1, at [[Madison Square Garden]] with a DDT. The match featured André the Giant in Roberts' corner.

In the summer of 1991, there were a series of televised vignettes featuring the [[Warrior (wrestler)|Ultimate Warrior]] turning to Roberts for help in his feud with [[The Undertaker]]. In the set-up, Roberts explained to Warrior that, after passing three tests, he would have the "knowledge of the dark side" to defeat Undertaker. The segments included Warrior being locked inside a coffin (a reprise of an incident that occurred on ''The Funeral Parlor'', hosted by the Undertaker's manager, [[Paul Bearer]]; earlier in the year); the Warrior being "buried alive" in dirt before being abandoned; and Warrior walking through a room full of live snakes to reach a chest containing "the answer". During the latter segment, the Warrior opened the chest, only to be immediately bitten by a [[king cobra]] (actually a rubber prop). As Warrior "weakened" from the effects of the cobra's strike, Roberts was joined by The Undertaker and Paul Bearer, revealing the three were working together all along;<ref>{{cite book |last=Reynolds |first=R.D. |year=2003 |title=Wrestlecrap: The Very Worst of Pro Wrestling |publisher=[[ECW Press]] |isbn=978-1-55022-584-6 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/wrestlecrapveryw00rdre/page/70 70–71] |url=https://archive.org/details/wrestlecrapveryw00rdre/page/70}}</ref> Roberts closed the final segment by proclaiming, ''"I'm a snake. Never trust a snake."'', turning Roberts [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] for the first time since 1987.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sammond |first=Nicholas |title=Steel Chair to the Head |year=2005 |publisher=[[Duke University Press]] |isbn=978-0-8223-3438-5 |pages=47–48}}</ref> A series of matches were planned, but the feud was canceled after the Ultimate Warrior was fired by the WWF the night of [[SummerSlam (1991)|SummerSlam]].

After SummerSlam, Roberts was placed in a feud with [[Randy Savage]]. During the post-SummerSlam wedding reception of Savage and [[Miss Elizabeth]] (in reality they had been married since 1984), Elizabeth opened a gift package containing a live cobra.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Fritz |first=Brian |date=August 20, 2015 |title=Macho Man marries Elizabeth -- 1991 |magazine=Sporting News |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/wwe/list/wwe-summerslam-best-moments-randy-savage-shawn-michaels-bret-hart-john-cena-brock-lesnar/8sknr46ybywb1vfpr0c19tmw3/slide/1 |access-date=July 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818160556/http://www.sportingnews.com/wwe/list/wwe-summerslam-best-moments-randy-savage-shawn-michaels-bret-hart-john-cena-brock-lesnar/8sknr46ybywb1vfpr0c19tmw3/slide/1 |archive-date=August 18, 2016}}</ref> Roberts and the Undertaker attacked Savage, until [[Sid Eudy|Sid Justice]] ran them off. A short feud with Sid ensued when Sid was scheduled to wrestle "El Diablo" and the Undertaker came out and accepted the challenge to face Sid. Paul Bearer offered "El Diablo" what appeared to be a bribe to walk away. As the match began, "El Diablo" came back to the ring and hit Sid. Then "El Diablo" unmasked revealing himself as Jake. Roberts proceeded to unleash a king cobra on Sid, until Hacksaw Jim Duggan intervened. Sid and Jake wrestled on ''Superstars'' a week later. But soon, Sid injured his biceps, which forced the feud to end.<ref name=WWF6389Book/>

Roberts immediately began berating Randy Savage in a series of promos, aware that Savage – who had lost a retirement match to the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania VII – was unable to exact revenge. On the November 23 (taped October 21) edition of ''WWF Superstars of Wrestling'', Roberts goaded Savage into the ring and brutally attacked him, eventually tying Savage into the ropes and got the king cobra to bite his arm; the snake was devenomized and, according to Roberts' DVD ''Pick Your Poison'', he had trouble getting the cobra to release his bite. According to Roberts, on the day the angle was shot, he had to let the cobra bite him on his leg at Savage's request to convince him that the snake had been devenomized and Savage would regularly check on Roberts to make sure he had no side effects from the bite. The segment went on longer than planned, and Savage's blood was clearly visible as it dripped from the puncture wounds. Savage stated in a shoot interview that his arm swelled and he developed a high fever afterward and had to be checked at a hospital. He also stated that the cobra died a week after the angle and he joked that the cobra must have got the venom from him.

WWF president [[Jack Tunney]] reinstated Savage as an active wrestler to get revenge for the attack. To explain the absence of the cobra, Tunney "banned" Roberts from ever bringing a snake to the ring again. Savage and Roberts feuded for the next few months. Their first match was at [[This Tuesday in Texas]] [[pay-per-view]] on December 3 in San Antonio, Texas, which saw Savage earn a victory over Roberts. Despite this, Roberts would perform the DDT on Savage 3 times after the match and things came to a head when Roberts slapped Miss Elizabeth. The feud continued through the early part of 1992 and included Savage eliminating Roberts from that year's [[Royal Rumble (1992)|Royal Rumble]] match for the vacant [[WWE Championship|WWF World Heavyweight Championship]]. The feud ended on ''[[Saturday Night's Main Event XXX]]'', with Savage getting the win. Roberts, livid at having lost to him and having received two of Savage's flying elbow drops (one of which after the match), was helped backstage. Enraged, he grabbed a steel chair and said that he was going to hit whoever came backstage first, whether it was Savage or Elizabeth. Just as Roberts was about to swing the chair, he was stopped by the Undertaker; Roberts was distracted long enough for Savage to hit him with the chair instead. That incident helped set up Roberts' feud with the Undertaker. Roberts stated in a shoot interview with Jim Ross that the feud with Savage had to end early because Elizabeth's parents were upset with Savage for not protecting Elizabeth when Roberts kayfabe slapped her.

Roberts appeared on ''The Funeral Parlor'' to demand answers from the Undertaker about why he stopped him from attacking Elizabeth. When Roberts was dissatisfied with the answers, he hit Bearer with a DDT and, after jamming Undertaker's hand in a coffin, began hitting him with a steel chair; however, Undertaker got up after each chair shot and eventually chased Roberts backstage dragging the coffin behind him. At [[WrestleMania VIII]], Roberts lost the match, [[The Streak (professional wrestling)|becoming the second man to lose to The Undertaker at WrestleMania]].<ref name=WWF6389Book/>

The WrestleMania VIII match turned out to be Roberts' last for the WWF for nearly four years. His departure came after he was upset that WWF chairman [[Vince McMahon]] did not offer him a position on the writing staff, despite being promised such previously. After [[Pat Patterson (wrestler)|Pat Patterson]] stepped down from his post on the writing staff stemming from the recent sexual harassment scandal, McMahon decided that, out of respect for Patterson, the spot would be left vacant. Roberts felt he was not only being lied to, but also being betrayed. In response, he threatened to [[List of professional wrestling terms#N|no-show]] WrestleMania if he was not given a release from his contract.<ref>Kaye, Griffin (2020-10-27). [https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/jake-roberts-wcw/ ''Jake Roberts in WCW: Money, Grudges, and Personal Ruin'']. ''Pro Wrestling Stories''. Retrieved 2022-08-01.</ref> On his ''Pick Your Poison'' DVD, Roberts expressed his regret for his actions to get a release from his contract.

===World Championship Wrestling (1992)===
Roberts went on to work for [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW) alongside his father, [[Grizzly Smith]], where he aligned himself with [[Sione Vailahi|The Barbarian]] and [[Mick Foley|Cactus Jack]] to feud against [[Steve Borden|Sting]] and [[Nikita Koloff]]. However, before he could officially join WCW, he had to wait 90 days. According to the ''Pick Your Poison'' DVD, Roberts had initially signed a lucrative contract under Kip Allen Frey, who was running WCW at the time. On the 87th day, Frey stepped down and was replaced by [[Bill Watts]], for whom Roberts had [[Legit (professional wrestling)|legit]] [[Heat (professional wrestling)|heat]] with back in his days at [[Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts)|Mid-South Wrestling]]. Ultimately, Roberts estimates that he went from making about $3.5&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|3.5|1992|r=2}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) a year to approximately $200,000 ({{Inflation|US|200000|1992|fmt=eq|r=-3}}) a year.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 2010 |title=The SmarK DVD Rant for Jake Roberts: Pick Your Poison {{!}} Inside Pulse |url=http://insidepulse.com/2010/03/01/the-smark-dvd-rant-for-jake-roberts-pick-your-poison/ |access-date=April 3, 2016}}</ref>

Roberts made his first television appearance on August 2, 1992, at a ''[[WCW Main Event|Main Event]]'' taping in Baltimore, Maryland after coming through the crowd to attack [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History of WCW |website=History of WCW |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw92.htm |access-date=February 25, 2017}}</ref> His first WCW match came six days later when he defeated [[Marcus Alexander Bagwell]] on a house show in Chicago, Illinois. He would quickly ally with Cactus Jack and The Barbarian. His first major TV wrestling appearance for WCW was at ''[[Clash of the Champions XX]]'', where his team won a 4-man elimination tag match. Roberts scored a pinfall victory over Sting, which built their feud further. His single WCW [[pay-per-view]] match was against Sting at [[Halloween Havoc (1992)|Halloween Havoc]] in 1992. Their match was determined via the [[Professional wrestling match types#Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal|Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal]] [[List of professional wrestling terms#G|gimmick]].<ref name=mf229>Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.229)</ref> When the wheel stopped, it had landed on what many observers believed was the worst option — the [[Professional wrestling match types#Object on a Pole match|Coal Miner's Glove match]]. While Halloween Havoc was the company's top-selling pay-per-view for several years,<ref name=mf229/> Roberts soon left WCW.

Following the loss to Sting he continued his feud, facing him on several house shows immediately after the event. On the November 2 episode of ''[[WCW Saturday Night|Saturday Night]]'', [[Tony Schiavone]] conducted a sit-down interview with Roberts regarding the decision of Bill Watts to ban his bringing of the snake to ringside, and his impending first-round match against [[Dustin Rhodes]] in the first round of the King of Cable tournament. He was replaced in the tournament by [[The Barbarian (wrestler)|The Barbarian]].

=== Various promotions (1993–1994)===
After leaving WCW, Roberts spent his next couple of years wrestling around the world. In February 1993, he took part in a tour in Australia. He won the [[American Wrestling Federation]] Heavyweight Title defeating [[Don Muraco]] on March 4. Then in April 1993, he toured Europe, particularly Austria and Germany. In September 1993, he took part wrestling a tour for [[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]].

Roberts debuted in the [[Mexico|Mexican]] promotion [[Asistencia Asesoría y Administración]] (AAA) in April 1993, causing the defeat of [[Konnan]] in the career vs. career match at [[Triplemanía I]]. Roberts' run-in started a feud that lasted until 1994 at [[Triplemanía II-C]], in which Konnan defeated Roberts in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Luchas de apuestas|hair vs. hair match]] which Roberts got his long hair cut off and shaved bald.

In the spring of 1994, Roberts returned to the United States to wrestle for [[Smoky Mountain Wrestling]] (SMW). On May 2, he defeated [[Tony Anthony]] to win the [[SMW Heavyweight Championship]]; the title change aired on May 14. Roberts no-showed several defenses, forcing SMW to give the title back to Anthony on July 5. By the end of 1994, Roberts took a hiatus.

===Return to WWF (1996–1997)===
{{further|The Attitude Era}}
After spending over a year in hiatus, Roberts returned to WWF at the [[Royal Rumble (1996)|Royal Rumble]] in 1996, as a [[Bible]]-preacher.<ref name=mf229/> To go along with his new gimmick, his new albino Burmese python was named "[[Book of Revelation|Revelations]]". His gimmick also mirrored his real life, as Roberts had recently become a [[born-again Christian]] and had been preaching around the country.<ref name=mf229/>

[[Image:Jake Roberts in 1996.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Roberts and [[Triple H|Hunter Hearst Helmsley]] in 1996]]
During his second tenure with the company, Roberts was pushed as a "[[Cinderella (sports)|Cinderella]] story" and faced [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] in the final match of the [[King of the Ring (1996)|1996]] [[King of the Ring tournament]]. Changes had to be made to the match's scripting as legitimate injuries sustained earlier in the evening in a match with [[Big Van Vader|Vader]] left Roberts unable to engage in the longer, more evenly matched bout originally intended between the men. To prevent Roberts from sustaining a further injury, he was quickly defeated by Austin; in a post-match interview, Austin mocked his recital of the biblical passage [[John 3:16]] by saying, ''"You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere! Talk about your [[Psalms]], talk about John 3:16... Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!"''<ref name=mf229/> The [[catchphrase]] helped propel Austin to the top of the WWF, and is one of the moments that is often cited as the beginning of "[[The Attitude Era]]". Roberts next feuded with [[Jerry Lawler|Jerry "The King" Lawler]], who went to great lengths to ridicule Roberts' past [[alcoholism]].

In early 1997, the WWF wanted Roberts to wind down his in-ring career and join the company's backstage side. Since he still loved to wrestle, he did not make this transition well. This led to a relapse with drugs and alcohol. He appeared at the [[Royal Rumble (1997)|1997 Royal Rumble]] where he entered at no. 7 and was eliminated by Stone Cold Steve Austin. His last match with WWF was at ''Shotgun Saturday Night'' on January 25, 1997, against [[Salvatore Sincere]] in a winning effort. He was released in March 1997 after not only for being deemed too out of shape for WrestleMania, but also for being frustrated by the behavior of [[Shawn Michaels]] and [[Bret Hart]] backstage, and was a part of a creative team that had to mediate their real-life backstage bickering.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-12 |title=Jake Roberts Was Fired By WWE After Being "Out Of Shape" For WrestleMania - Atletifo |url=https://atletifo.com/news/jake-roberts-was-fired-by-wwe-after-being-out-of-shape-for-wrestlemania/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===Extreme Championship Wrestling (1997–1998)===
During the summer of 1997, Roberts debuted in [[Extreme Championship Wrestling|ECW]]. His introduction came towards the end of a match between Lawler and [[Tommy Dreamer]], which was the main event of the show. As the match went on, the arena lights were turned off. Moments later when the lights came back on, Roberts was already in the ring, and proceeded to give Tommy Dreamer a clothesline. He then went to the camera man and screamed; "''Your God... he giveth, and he can taketh away. My God, he giveth... but he ain't got the balls to do nothin' else''." He promptly clotheslined Lawler, who fell onto Dreamer for a two count before exiting the ring.

Roberts also teamed with [[Tommy Dreamer]] at the 1998 [[November to Remember]] as his mystery partner defeating [[Justin Credible]] and [[Jack Victory]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Extreme Championship Wrestling Results (1998) |publisher=Online World of Wrestling |url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/ecw/1998.html |access-date=January 22, 2012}}</ref>

===Independent circuit (1999–2018)===
In October 1999, Roberts was one of several former NWA, WWF, and ECW wrestlers brought in to compete in the first ''[[Heroes of Wrestling]]'' event in [[Bay St. Louis, Mississippi]]. He was booked to face [[Jim Neidhart]] in one half of the card's double main event in what was billed as a "special grudge match" between the two. Roberts was so intoxicated that during the course of the night, he slurred his way through a promo before the match and staggered to, from, and around the ring during his entrance. After doing such things as pretending his snake was a penis and stroking it like he was masturbating and attempting to kiss the snake with his tongue, the show's promoter sent [[King Kong Bundy]] and [[Yokozuna (wrestler)|Yokozuna]], who were supposed to compete in the other main event match, to the ring and made the main event a tag team match with Roberts teaming with Yokozuna against Bundy and Neidhart. Roberts, who was so drunk that he could not stand up, took the fall in the match after Bundy splashed and pinned him.

In 2001, Roberts moved to [[Great Britain]], where he began competing for Brian Dixon's [[All Star Wrestling]]. In December, he made his debut for [[Ricky Knight]]'s [[World Association of Wrestling]] in [[Lowestoft]]. On October 20, 2002, Roberts became the NWA UK Hammerlock Heavyweight Champion in [[Maidstone]], [[Kent]], [[England]] by defeating "Vigilante" Johnny Moss. Moss regained the title the next night in [[Ashford, Kent]], though. In November 2002, Roberts started his own wrestling promotion in the UK, called "Real Stars of Wrestling". RSOW ran three events, each headlined by Roberts vs. The Honky Tonk Man.

Roberts made his final British appearance at WAW's ''October Outrage'' show in Canvey Island, Essex, once again teaming with Steve Quintain against the [[UK Pitbulls]]. However, Roberts turned up at the show "in no fit state to compete", but went ahead with his match. Roberts cut a drunken promo paying tribute to [[Ray Traylor]], who had died a few days before, and almost got into a scuffle with several WAW wrestlers who were sent out to defuse the situation.<ref>{{cite web |title=smackdown-raw-superstars-nxt – Jake Roberts |website=mohammadwwe.mihanblog.com |url=http://mohammadwwe.mihanblog.com/post/189 |access-date=February 20, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303011804/http://mohammadwwe.mihanblog.com/post/189 |archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref>

Roberts made an appearance at [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]'s Houston-based [[Reality of Wrestling|Pro Wrestling Alliance]] (PWA) promotion, in which he cut a promo urging those who want to enter the wrestling business to not follow along his path. At one point, he said he loved the wrestling business more than anything else in the world. PWA wrestler "Rockstar" Robbie Gillmore then interrupted Roberts and attempted to make an alliance based upon the fact that Robbie wears an 80s style shirt featuring a cobra. Roberts had just said all he ever wanted was a little respect, and the Rockstar's interruption irritated him. Roberts then attacked Gillmore.

On October 6, 2007, he lost to [[Scott Hall]] at [[Juggalo Championship Wrestling]].

In May 2009, Roberts joined the [[Jim Rose Circus]] for the ''Jim Rose Circus vs. Jake "The Snake" Roberts: The Legends Collide Tour''. Advertised as "a grueling 40 city campaign" containing pretty girls, wrestling, amazing circus stunts, and a fist fight, the tour features [[Jim Rose Circus|Jim Rose]] and wrestler [[Nick Cvjetkovich|Sinn Bodhi]] as "Team Jake".

On January 29, 2011, Roberts wrestled what was billed as his retirement match, when he defeated Sinn Bodhi at the [[Pro Wrestling Guerrilla]] (PWG) show during the [[WrestleReunion#WrestleReunion 5|WrestleReunion 5]] weekend.<ref name=WrestleReunion5>{{cite web |last=Massingham |first=Matt |date=January 30, 2011 |title=1/29 PWG results in Los Angeles: Complete 'virtual-time' coverage of PWG Title match, Kaval vs. Davey, Roberts retirement, Legends Battle Royal |work=Pro Wrestling Torch |url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/Arena_Reports_10/article_47214.shtml |access-date=January 30, 2011}}</ref>

On May 18, 2013, Roberts returned to the ring for First State Championship Wrestling, a Delaware-based wrestling promotion, as part of an eight-man tag team main event. He teamed with Eric Chapel and CraziiWolf (Crazii Shea and Greywolf), defeating the team of [[Salvatore Sincere]], Steve C Wrestling and Pretty Ugly ([[James Ellsworth (wrestler)|Jimmy Dream]] and Adam Ugly).<ref>{{cite web |title=1CW results from 5/18/14 |work=facebook.com |url=https://www.facebook.com/1cwwrestling/posts/1601622733396798 |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/1388051504753923/1601622733396798 |archive-date=February 26, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On March 15, 2014, Roberts debuted in Regional Championship Wrestling's Rumblemania 9 in Reading, Pennsylvania as a surprise partner for Cliff Serenyi against Russian Mafia with Rich Rogers. This match ended in a DQ. Rogers was knocked out when Roberts stuck the snake in Roger's pants.

On June 14, 2014, Roberts participated in a six-man tag match in the main event for Reborn Wrestling (a Christian wrestling organization in Johnson City, Tennessee), teaming with The Stallion and Alex Cage to defeat [[E. Z. Money]], Reborn Champion Cody Ices and Anthony Brody.<ref>{{cite web |title=6/14 Reborn Wrestling: Jake Roberts and EZ Money meet in the six-man tag main event of a Christian based pro wrestling show |website=prowrestling.net |url=http://prowrestling.net/article.php?6-14-Reborn-Wrestling-Jake-Roberts-and-EZ-Money-meet-in-the-six-man-tag-main-event-of-a-Christian-based-pro-wrestling-show-37554 |access-date=February 25, 2017}}</ref> On June 15, 2014, Roberts was an entrant in the [[CWF Hollywood]] Red Carpet Rumble which was won by [[Willie Mack]]. He wrestled his last ever match against IamThePROVIDER at BBOW No Limits Wrestling promotion on September 2, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-12 |title=Jake Roberts Last Match Was 21 Years After Final WWE Match - Atletifo |url=https://atletifo.com/news/jake-roberts-last-match-was-21-years-after-final-wwe-match/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
[[File:Jake at CB Seminar.jpg|thumb|upright|Roberts talking at a wrestling seminar in 2016]]

===Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2006, 2008)===
Roberts made an appearance on the October 19, 2006 episode of ''[[TNA Impact!]]''. He announced he would referee the [[Monster's Ball match]] between [[Spike Dudley|Brother Runt]], [[Abyss (wrestler)|Abyss]], [[Raven (wrestler)|Raven]], and [[Samoa Joe]] at [[Bound for Glory (2006)|Bound for Glory]].<ref name=torch19>{{cite web |last=Keller |first=Wade |date=October 22, 2006 |title=Keller's TNA Impact Report 10/19: Angle-Joe confrontation, Final Bound for Glory Hype |publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch |url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_18160.shtml#.V3vEorgrLIV |access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref> Roberts then gave a "mumbling" promo.<ref name=torch19/> After Roberts took his snake out of a bag, Brother Runt told him to put it away. Roberts performed a DDT on Runt instead.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sokol |first=Chris |date=October 20, 2006 |title=Impact: Angle Arrives, along with a Snake |work=Slam! Wrestling |publisher=Canadian Online Explorer |url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2006/10/20/pf-2078111.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822061345/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2006/10/20/pf-2078111.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 22, 2016 |access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref> At Bound for Glory, he performed a DDT on Raven, which helped Samoa Joe win the match. After the match, Roberts placed his snake on Raven.<ref>{{cite web |last=Keller |first=Wade |date=October 22, 2006 |title=Keller's TNA Bound for GLory PPV Report 10/22: Ongoing 'Virtual Time' Coverage |publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch |url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/PPV_Reports_5/article_18161.shtml#.V3vGtLgrLIV |access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref>

Roberts made a one-night return to TNA in 2008 as a guest of [[Jay Lethal|"Black Machismo" Jay Lethal]] and [[SoCal Val]]'s storyline wedding at [[Slammiversary (2008)|Slammiversary]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Droste |first=Ryan |date=June 9, 2008 |title=TNA Slammiversary PPV Results - 6/8/08 |publisher=WrestleView |url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news08/1212984742.shtml |access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref>

===Second return to WWE (2005, 2014)===
Roberts made an appearance on March 14, 2005, on ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]'', where he confronted [[Randy Orton]], who was preparing to challenge [[The Undertaker]] at [[WrestleMania 21]]. Roberts warned Orton that facing The Undertaker, particularly at WrestleMania, could be a soul-altering experience; he then fell victim to Orton's "RKO," helping to fuel Orton's "Legend Killer" [[List of professional wrestling terms#G|gimmick]]. He worked with the company to create a [[DVD]] retrospective of his career (the aforementioned ''Pick Your Poison'' DVD), which was released later that year.

In 2013, Roberts announced his desire to return to WWE as a participant in the [[Royal Rumble (2014)|2014 Royal Rumble]].<ref name=resurrection/>

On January 6, 2014, Roberts made an appearance on the "Old School" episode of ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]'', laying a python over the face of an unconscious [[Dean Ambrose]].<ref name=resurrection/> Roberts was announced as part of the 2014 Class of the [[WWE Hall of Fame]].<ref name=resurrection/> He was inducted by Diamond Dallas Page on April 5, 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=JAKE 'THE SNAKE' ROBERTS |publisher=wwe.com |url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/jakeroberts |access-date=January 27, 2014}}</ref> Regarding his Hall of Fame induction, he later said, "It wasn't at all what I expected... it was more about healing between a man and his family."<ref name=JRoberts>{{cite web |last=Giri |first=Raj |date=November 28, 2016 |title=Jake Roberts disparagingly about hall of fame induction |website=Wrestlinginc |url=http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2016/1128/619745/jake-roberts-says-wwe-hof-induction-wasnt-what-he-expected/ |access-date=November 28, 2016}}</ref> After his induction, he would continue to make sporadic appearances, and would also be a regular on WWE Story Time, even making an appearance on the show after his AEW debut.<ref>{{Citation |title=WWE Network - Road Woes |url=https://watch.wwe.com/episode/Road-Woes-151365 |access-date=February 5, 2021}}</ref>

===All Elite Wrestling (2019–present)===

==== Managing Lance Archer (2019–2024) ====
[[File:Jake Roberts Photo Op GalaxyCon Raleigh 2022.jpg|thumb|Jake Roberts in 2022 [[GalaxyCon]]]]
In 2019 during ''The Road to [[AEW All Out|All Out]]'', Roberts appeared as a dealer at a blackjack table dealing cards to Women's [[Casino Battle Royale]] participants, referring to his infamous [[Heroes of Wrestling|"you wanna play 21?"]] promo from 1999.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=August 7, 2019 |title=The Road to AEW All Out - Episode 04 |publisher=All Elite Wrestling |website=youtube.com |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5_bODS2130 |access-date=March 4, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/H5_bODS2130 |archive-date=December 22, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On March 4, 2020, he made a surprise appearance on ''[[AEW Dynamite]]'', interrupting [[Cody Rhodes|Cody]]. In his promo, Roberts claimed that he had a "client" incoming to AEW to bring him down, hinting that he would be a manager for a new talent.<ref>{{cite web |last=DeFelice |first=Robert |date=March 4, 2020 |title=Jake Roberts Returns in AEW, Says He's Going To Manage An Incoming Talent |publisher=Fightful |website=fightful.com |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/jake-roberts-returns-aew-says-he-s-going-manage-incoming-talent |access-date=March 4, 2020}}</ref> On March 11, 2020, Roberts revealed [[Lance Archer]] as his new client.<ref>{{cite web |last=Casey |first=Connor |date=March 11, 2020 |title=Jake Roberts Reveals Lance Archer is His New Client on AEW Dynamite |website=comicbook.com |url=https://comicbook.com/wwe/2020/03/12/aew-dynamite-jake-roberts-client-lance-archer-new-japan/ |access-date=March 11, 2020}}</ref> Archer was announced as a participant for the tournament for the [[AEW TNT Championship]];<ref>{{cite web |last=Powell |first=Jason |date=March 30, 2020 |title=AEW introducing the TNT Championship belt, winner to be crowned in a tournament |work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net |url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2020/03/30/aew-introducing-the-tnt-championship-belt-winner-to-be-crowned-in-a-tournament/ |access-date=May 24, 2020}}</ref> he defeated [[Colt Cabana]] in the quarter finals, and [[Dustin Rhodes]] in the semi-finals.<ref name=Dynamite04292020>{{cite web |last=Powell |first=Jason |date=May 24, 2020 |title=4/29 AEW Dynamite TV results: Powell's live review of Cody vs. Darby Allin and Dustin Rhodes vs. Lance Archer in TNT Title tournament semifinal matches, Best Friends vs. Jimmy Havoc and Kip Sabian, Brodie Lee vs. Marko Stunt, AEW Champ Jon Moxley's promo |work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net |url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2020/04/29/4-29-aew-dynamite-tv-results-powells-live-review-of-cody-vs-darby-allin-and-dustin-rhodes-vs-lance-archer-in-tnt-title-tournament-semifinal-matches-best-friends-vs-jimmy-havoc-and-kip-sabian-b/ |access-date=May 24, 2020}}</ref> At [[Double or Nothing (2020)|Double or Nothing]] on May 23, 2020, Archer lost the final to [[Cody Rhodes]] after [[Mike Tyson]] prevented Roberts from interfering on Archer's behalf in the finals match for the new AEW TNT Championship.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brookhouse |first=Brent |date=May 23, 2020  |title=WATCH: Mike Tyson scares off Jake 'The Snake' Roberts at AEW Double or Nothing wrestling show |work=CBSSports.com |url=https://www.cbssports.com/wwe/news/watch-mike-tyson-scares-off-jake-the-snake-roberts-at-aew-double-or-nothing-wrestling-show/ |access-date=September 12, 2020}}</ref> In July 2021, Roberts announced he had signed a 2-year contract extension with AEW.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rose |first=Bryan |date=July 21, 2022 |title=JAKE ROBERTS SIGNS NEW TWO-YEAR EXTENSION WITH AEW |work=Figure 4 Weekly |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/aew-news/jake-roberts-signs-new-two-year-extension-aew-347566}}</ref> In 2022, Roberts would reunite with Archer, who at the time also aligned himself with [[American Top Team]] leader Dan Lambert, during Archer's feud with [[Adam Page]] for the [[AEW World Heavyweight Championship]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Konuwa |first=Alfred |date=February 9, 2022 |title=AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, News And Notes As Jay White And Keith Lee Debut |website=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alfredkonuwa/2022/02/09/aew-dynamite-results-winners-news-and-notes-as-jay-white-and-keith-lee-debut/ |access-date=February 10, 2022}}</ref> Roberts would accompany Archer to the ring during Archer's match with [[Wardlow (wrestler)|Wardlow]] on the April 27, 2022 episode of ''Dynamite''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kyln |first=Parker |date=April 27, 2022 |title=AEW Dynamite live results: TNT Championship ladder match, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler of FTR will also face each other in an Owen Hart qualifier. |publisher=Figure Four Online |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/results/aew-dynamite-live-results-tnt-championship-ladder-match |accessdate=May 16, 2022}}</ref>

On February 1, 2023, it was announced that Roberts, along with [[Mark Henry]], [[Big Show|Paul Wight]], and Shawn Dean was named a special advisor in AEW's community outreach program, titled ''AEW Together''. In a press release, their roles were explained as "they will bring their experience and passion for community relations to help identify partner organizations across the country, assist in incorporating talent participation and provide counsel on enhancing activations."<ref>{{cite web |last=Russell |first=Skylar |date=February 1, 2023 |title=AEW Announces Refresh Of Community Program, Roles Revealed For Paul Wight, Jake Roberts, More |work=Fightful |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/aew-announces-refresh-community-program-roles-revealed-paul-wight-jake-roberts-more?amp |access-date=February 1, 2023}}</ref>

==== ''La Facción Ingobernable'' (2024–present) ====
{{See also|La Facción Ingobernable}}
On the October 8, 2024 episode of ''Dynamite'', Roberts acquired ''[[La Facción Ingobernable]]'' ([[Rush (wrestler)|Rush]], [[Dralístico]], and [[The Beast Mortos]]) from [[Don Callis]] in exchange for Lance Archer.