Jake Roberts vs Ted DiBiase (WWF, 4-24-1989)

WWF on MSG Network, New York, NY

This is a request via Ko-fi. The request was a Jake match that didn’t involve Savage or Steamboat. This is available on WWE Network under the Home Video Classics section, on the Supertape (March 21, 1990) selection.

Tony Schiavone is on commentary with Lord Alfred Hayes, quite a team. Jake and Ted worked basically all of 1989 and through WrestleMania VI in 1990 together, and DiBiase once said that Roberts was very easy for him to work with. They knew each other well and had both been Mid-South guys. I knew I wanted to go with a DiBiase match, but not the WM VI one, because I’ve seen that one plenty. It’s solid, though. No reason not to watch that one, too, if you’re interested in the Roberts-DiBiase feud or either of them on their own.

C&E starts, Roberts pushes DiBiase to the ropes, and DiBiase shoves him off, then ducks under the top rope to annoy Jake. C&E again, DiBiase pushes Jake back to the corner, tries to throw a right, it’s blocked, and Jake cocks his right hand. DiBiase gets on the run, looks to duck out of a corner, and realizes Damien is there, so he scurries to another corner.

Lord Alfred talks finances.

They repeat the C&E into the corner, two blocked punches, DiBiase runs again. DiBiase takes advantage with the first series of right hands, but Jake fights back, knocks Ted into the snake corner again, and again DiBiase runs like hell, out to the floor. He wants nothing to do with Damien, and the crowd is delighted about it.

DiBiase takes his time, comes back into the ring. Jake assures the referee he’s not going to jump and attack. But he wants to, clearly. Test of strength and they really battle in it. DiBiase wins the battle, pushing Roberts to his knees. Roberts manages to turn it around, kicks to the gut, and goes for the DDT! But DiBiase escapes and goes back out to the floor.

C&E again when they get back together, and Roberts goes to the wrist. Robers with a knee into the shoulder, bu DiBiase stands it back up. He takes Jake over, reversing the wristlock, and yanks him down to the mat a few times, so Jake grabs the hair and smacks DiBiase’s head off the canvas. Referee gets in Jake’s face, and Jake cocks his fist at the referee, too!

C&E again, and Jake back to the arm. DiBiase with a forearm, sends Jake off the ropes, but Roberts drops him with a tackle, then hits a kneelift off the other side. Jake calls for the DDT, goes for it again, and DiBiase slips out and goes back to the floor. Roberts really thought he had it that time. Lord Al just made the point that though DiBiase isn’t doing so well physically here, he may be frustrating Jake badly.

And that appears to be true, as Jake rushes out of the ring and interrupts a DiBiase-Virgil conference by knocking their heads together. That gets into Ted’s head, as DiBiase shoves Virgil. Jake going after Virgil now after Virgil talks some shit, but really he just suckers DiBiase in and throws hm back into the ring. But when Jake rolls in, after a quick word with Virgil, DiBiase catches him coming in with an elbowdrop and a choke hold.

DiBiase finally takes over on offense, hanging Jake over the apron and landing an elbow. Ted jaws with the crowd a little bit. Elbow to the back of Jake’s head. Another one. Roberts rammed into the top turnbuckle, then some rights from DiBiase. Jake swings back wildly and hits nothing. DiBiase to the second rope, waits on Jake, and hits a double axhandle. He follows up with something we don’t see and gets a two count. Focus was on the Million Dollar Belt.

DiBiase sends Jake in, off the ropes and Ted hits a big clothesline, then a kneedrop to the chest for two. Chinlock now from DiBiase. Jake sits up but the chinlock is still on. Roberts finds his way out with an armdrag, but DiBiase gets right back on top of him. DiBiase lands the falling fistdrop, one of my favorite moves. Just looks nice. Cover gets two.

DiBiase back to the chinlock. “Let’s go, Jake” chants. Roberts fucks up, letting his arm drop three times, but the referee doesn’t call for the finish. I think that’s Dave Hebner. Slightly fatter face than Earl’s. Jake elbows out of the chinlock finally, but DiBiase meets him with a kneelift to the breadbasket.

DiBiase gets the Million Dollar Dream! Center of the ring. Jake fading after fighting initially, and he’s down, but he reaches his long leg out and gets his foot on the rope. DiBiase takes a full four count before releasing.

DiBiase drags Jake out to the center, pins him, and only gets two. DiBiase didn’t hook a leg. DiBiase stomping and demanding that Jake get up. Back to a chinlock, but Jake rises up and hits a jawbreaker, both men down! Roberts with a kick to the gut, series of jabs and a right hand drops DiBiase. Jake with the short-arm clothesline!

He’s calling for it, the fans want it, they know what’s next. Roberts goes for the DDT, but Virgil grabs a leg and DiBiase hits Jake from behind with an elbow shot after he’s out of the Snake’s clutches. DiBiase goes for a slam, Jake slides down and goes for a rollup, but DiBiase hangs on. DiBiase celebrates, though, and Roberts rolls him up anyway — 1, 2, 3!

DiBiase attacks after the match, and Virgil’s in to help. Roberts rolls out of the ring and tosses Damien’s bag into the ring, and Virgil almost stomps on the poor snake by accident. Virgil and DiBiase run, but Virgil is dragged back and thrown back into the ring. He gets Damien out, Virgil runs the fuck away, and that’s that.

Rating: 3.5/5. The type of a wrestling match I can just watch all day. 15, 16 minutes or so, doesn’t really feel like it, paced nicely. Not fast, not slow, always something happening, including the “stalling,” which is what whiny nerds started calling engaging a crowd. DiBiase and Roberts definitely had an easy and obvious chemistry together, and they delivered nice, smooth matches.