[1991-03-11-WWF-Primetime Wrestling] Jake Roberts in the studio

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Jake tries to speak candidly about what Martel has put him through. Heenan fakes playing a violin in the background every time he and Vince turn their backs. There are several snakes in the studio on which Jake gives some background. Heenan keeps using Vince as a human shield, which is funny. Jake scares Heenan off, and I must say he has a way of coming across as the real deal, even when in an obviously fake environment.

 

After commercial break, Jake gets over the blindfold. He says all you have to do is listen and those around you will show you the way. He then demonstrates how it will work on a returning Heenan. Heenan then demonstrates too, and ends up with his hands on the snake! Jake is so good in his persona it's ridiculous. This is the best of these studio segments so far.

[shoe]

The snake lessons were boring. Now getting over the blindfold gimmick is great. Jake comes across as real in a promotion full of cartoony buffoons. I think being in the WWF made it easier to get his character over. When everyone else are yelling in their promos or coming across as phony he stands out.

[PeteF3]

It's amazing how Jake is able to seamlessly blend his dark persona with gladhanding and bantering with the Brain and still come off as natural. His ability to work even what's probably a planted crowd comes through.

[Kevin Ridge]

We got an ugly sweater contest between Vince, Bobby and Jake. Heenan plays violin to Jake’s sad story. Roberts shows off a bunch of snakes. Roberts runs Heenan off pretending a snake is biting him.

 

Back from commercial we play some pin the tail on the donkey. Silly segment but Roberts explains he has the crowd in his corner and they will help him while he is blindfolded. Actually good way to play up the match at WrestleMania.

[soup23]

These sweaters look like Christmas 1991 in my household.

 

Amazing segment that shows how valuable both Jake and Bobby are. I know this is the first year where I remember a lot of this stuff but so far I have enjoyed the character arcs and personas of 1991 more than any year I can recall. Showing us how the blindfold match would work was great and Hennan gets his payoff.

[ajtroma]

Heenan still is able to do more with a bag over his head than except only the best comic actors.

 

Heenan is GOLD.

[garretta]

This was tremendous, and it didn't really come off as silly, either. I liked Jake explaining what the injury did to him and his family, and while the snake lessons were out of place a bit, they had to explain them since they went to the trouble of bringing them out in the first place. The pin the tail segments were funny, but they also put over how the blindfold match was going to be worked. Anyone who saw the segment would know how to help Jake at Mania, which increases crowd participation and involvement in what's bound to be a very awkward match where physicality is going to be limited.

 

Both Jake and Bobby were at their comic best, and it amazes me that Jake's going to be the most hated man in wrestling in just a few months, because the crowd's eating him up here, especially when he's chasing Heenan out of the studio. It's kind of sad that we don't see more Martel promos for this match, but Jake's so good at selling it that we don't have to hear from his opponent.

 

I didn't know until just a few days ago that Jake was as scared of snakes as most of the other wrestlers were. It amazes me that he was able to keep his cool in segments like this, where he's surrounded by them, and that he was able to carry Damien, Lucifer, and especially the cobra to the ring so calmly. As Savage found out, even a defanged cobra can be mighty dangerous.

[dawho5]

Jake and Bobby are so damn good in this. Two absolute professionals in every sense of the word. Just amazing to watch.

[drew wardlaw]

The battle of wits between Bobby and Jake is great, and lets just get a quick fashion check: Vince in a bodybuilding leisure suit, Bobby in a Cosby-lite sweater, and Jake in baggy leather pants tucked into Wyatt Earp boots. Great segment.