WWE Hall of Famer Jake Roberts believes he could have overtaken Hulk Hogan as the company’s top babyface if given the chance.
Speaking on his podcast, The Snake Pit, Roberts reflected on his WrestleMania III match against The Honky Tonk Man, which took place on 29 March 1987. Roberts had recently turned babyface before the bout but admitted he never enjoyed working as a good guy. He stated that he felt restricted as a babyface and much preferred working as a heel.
Despite his discomfort in the role, Roberts was asked whether he thought he had the potential to surpass Hogan’s popularity. Roberts did not hesitate in his response.
“I know if I was given the opportunity, I could,” he said. “But I knew that I wasn’t going to get that opportunity; I was in limbo.”
Roberts’ claim is bold, given Hogan’s standing in professional wrestling history. During the mid to late 1980s, Hogan became a cultural icon, spearheading wrestling’s rise from a niche interest to mainstream popularity. His name is still synonymous with the boom period that turned WWE into a global powerhouse.
While Roberts was highly regarded for his charisma and psychological approach in the ring, he never reached Hogan’s level of superstardom. However, his influence on the industry and his enduring legacy as one of wrestling’s greatest minds is widely respected.
Which Fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Did Jake Roberts Instantly Know Was Special?
Jake Roberts spoke about how he knew The Undertaker was special the moment that he met him. Roberts said that he instinctively knew that The Undertaker would go on to become someone special in the wrestling business, so much so that he decided to take Undertaker under his wing when he first joined the company to help coach him on how to portray his character that went on to become one of the greatest wrestling characters of all time.
H/t to TJRWrestling.net