Ted DiBiase On Why Jake The Snake Roberts Was His Favorite Opponent
Storytelling has long been one of the hallmarks of WWE Hall of Famer Jake "The Snake" Roberts' career. Roberts, who is currently signed to AEW, has been lauded by many — including his fellow Hall of Famer, "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase — as a master of psychology, a blueprint in the art of talking and purposeful in-ring work. In a recent appearance on Roberts' podcast "The Snake Pit," co-hosted by producer Marcus DeAngelo, DiBiase named Roberts as his favorite opponent.
"It's a hard question to answer because there are several," DiBiase admitted, "[B]ut I have said if I had to pick one ... it would probably be Jake, because we did the dance together so well."
The wrestlers' decades-long friendship dates back to 1975, when DiBiase began wrestling for the Mid-South Wrestling Association, where Roberts worked as a referee prior to stepping into the ring as a competitor. During the episode, the two recalled an early encounter during a match between DiBiase and Roberts' father, Grizzly Smith.
"[Roberts] said 'Punch me, punch me'," DiBiase remembered with a laugh. Little did they know the obliging punch would set the tone for their relationship going forward.
A story that culminated on the grandest stage
Roberts and DiBiase would meet again in the late 1980s, this time in the World Wrestling Federation. The pair's shared philosophy allowed the two to seamlessly continue the story of their rivalry. with fresh matches despite their many encounters.
"[W]e had great chemistry from the get-go, and I believe that's because we both came from the same school, if you will, of wrestling psychology, you know, the old school way," DiBiase explained.
Their rivalry culminated in a match at Wrestlemania VI, where Roberts and DiBiase tangoed for possession of the Million Dollar Belt. The effortless chemistry demonstrated in that match and its lead-up resulted in career highlights for both — DiBiase says it's his "favorite Wrestlemania match of all time" and calls Roberts' dynamic promo "one of the best promos...[Jake] ever cut."
"When anyone asks me who does the best promo in wrestling, I say Jake Roberts," DiBiase said, "I tell people that all the time."