Week 9: Lariat-versus- Milenko

Mr. TM

Throwing a tantrum
Jake The Snake Roberts: Does he possess the greatest in-ring psychology of any wrestler?

Milenko is the home debater, he gets to choose which side of the debate he is on first, but he has 24 hours.

Remember to read the rules. This thread is only for the debaters.

This round ends Friday 1:00 pm Pacific
 
I guess since Milenko didn't show up within the 24 hours designated. I'll go with Jake Roberts possessing the greatest in-ring psychology of ANY wrestler and here are my reasons.

Getting over shortcomings

In a time where you had to look like a monster to get over, Jake 'The Snake' Roberts used his brain and his snake to get himself super over with the fans. Roberts didn't have the chiseled look that most of the wrestlers had, and wasn't a guy who depended on high octane offense and power to win his matches. He psyched you out, and hit you with the DDT, which was made to look so dangerous by Jake Roberts. He brought a live snake to the ring in a bag. THAT in itself is something so unique and ahead of it's time. He had great rivalries that simply revolved around the fears of other wrestlers. He was so cold and sadistic. And had to be to get over, because he wasn't the stereotypical blown up muscle man that most of the wrestlers were back in the 80's.

Working the mic

I would put Jake 'The Snake' Roberts up against ANY pro wrestler as far as the ability to cut a promo. His mic work and his mannerisms just gave you the impression that he sincerely wished pain and suffering on you. And as I mentioned before, he didn't exactly look scary. He just had long hair, a mustache, and a snake. His words and his eyes told more of a story than a novel. He could put anyone who was in a rivalry with him in a better spot than they were simply because of the way he presented himself. You wanted to see this nut case get his, and he usually did. And even if he did, he'd come back for more and you would believe that he could get revenge. It's all in the story, and no one could tell a better one than Jake Roberts.

The Snake

Deep down, many wrestlers thought that the snake would be put on them. It was a psych out ploy and it worked to perfection. Some of the biggest names and more over superstars were afraid of the snake. It became a part of the story. What made Jake's angle with Macho Man was when that Cobra was gnawing on his arm. The story went from rivalry to seemingly life and death. One reptile could change the whole facet of his game and would make many a wrestler change their strategy against the snake.

No belt, no worries

Jake Roberts never held a title in his run in the WWF or WCW. However, he didn't need to. His actions alone were enough to get him over. DDT'ing Steamboat on the concrete in front of his wife, scaring Andre the Giant to death with his python, stealing the Million Dollar belt from Ted Dibiase, and beating up on Randy Savage and going after the Intercontinental belt. Even though he didn't always come out on top in his matches, he still kept that aura about him. He feuded with some of the top guys in the WWF, including the Ultimate Warrior at his peak. Despite him rarely going after a title belt, he managed to always captivate the audience and play his part well. The best example of this is his feud with Ravishing Rick Rude. Rude was kissing random girls at live events and eventually, got to Roberts' real wife, Cheryl. Cheryl would not kiss Rude and Jake came down to save the day. Rude ended up wearing Cheryl's face on his tights during the feud, and Jake ended up tearing them off of him. Sounds simple enough, but that was one of the more memorable feuds that year. Why? Jake 'the Snake' Roberts.

Many can come close, but no one can be better in the ring psychology wise than Jake 'The Snake' Roberts.
 

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