The Teased WWE Feud Fans Never Got To See
Mia Walsh
Published Mar 27, 2026
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The 1980s are remembered as the Hulk Hogan show in WWE, and for good reason. It was the Hulkster who ignited the wrestling boom when he defeated Iron Shiek at Madison Square Garden for the world title. With his colorful attire, powerful catchphrases, and a metric ton of charisma that drew the masses towards him, Hogan became a household name and grew to the point that he ended up transcending the business itself.
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That said, as cool as Hogan was, there was another guy who captured the imagination of fans back then, and he never got enough credit. Much like many of the superstars from back then, he never got to hold the WWE title, but even without it, the guy was extraordinarily skilled at his craft. That man was Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and despite working as a heel for the majority of his prime, fans loved him as he was unlike anyone else on the roster.
Jake Roberts And Hulk Hogan Never Had A Full Feud With Each Other
In a roster populated with simple gimmicks and characters, Roberts actually had a bit of edge to his character. His promo work was incredible and his in-ring psychology was unmatched. The beloved hero in Hulk Hogan versus the dark and demented villain in Jake Roberts, this was a feud capable of defining the entire era, and while it did sort of happen, the plan was scrapped within months and the two never feuded with each other, on WWE television or anywhere else.
Hogan and Roberts did briefly work together in 1986 and the plan was to have Roberts challenge for the world title, but the storyline was nixed and the two wrestlers went their separate ways. What happened? Well, it depends on who you ask.
When Hogan was asked why the feud was nixed, he said that it came down to a lack of chemistry, as the program did not click. He recalled the lone segment they worked together, where Hogan was a guest on the Snake Pit. Per Hogan, that was just the beginning of a big storyline, but it turned out that Roberts and Hogan did not mesh well together. They worked hard and neither deserved the blame as they just did not click well, and that is the reason (according to Hogan) why the feud was nixed by Vince McMahon.
So the guy who had incredible chemistry with almost everyone in the locker room did not mesh well with the top star, Hulk Hogan. Strange. Of course, Jake Roberts had a different opinion as to why the feud was scrapped. On an episode of his podcast, Snake Pit Podcast, Roberts claimed that the feud was nixed because the live crowd supported him over Hogan.
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After the Snake Pit segment, Vince McMahon approached Roberts backstage and hugged him, giddy about the amount of money he and Hogan were going to make for him. Vince was super ecstatic about the program but as soon as the crowd started chanting “DDT” over and over again, McMahon’s joy turned to sheer rage.
Apparently Vince McMahon Nixed The Feud Because Jake Roberts Was Getting Support
The chairman of WWE could not stomach the idea that Roberts was getting the majority of the cheers over the babyface, and despite selling out a bunch of arenas due to name alone, Vince McMahon, on the spot, scrapped the idea and that was that. According to Roberts, McMahon said he didn’t give a damn, as Roberts getting cheered in favor of Hogan was not what it was about.
Hogan getting booed in 1986. As insane as it sounds, there might be some truth to this story. Roberts, despite being a heel, was massively popular, so it’s not inconceivable that the crowd was backing him.
Roberts admitted that the cancellation caused a fair bit of resentment and jealousy as he wanted to be part of the show but he never got the chance. Having gone through all this, it doesn't seem too out of character for Vince McMahon. The boss has been known to freak out over abnormal crowd reactions so this does sound like something he would do. Pity it cost WWE fans a feud for the ages.
