10 Times Pro Wrestling Got Way Too Real

2. Savage And The Snake

1991 was not a time where you would expect realism in wrestling. Not quite ready to focus on athleticism and the ‘New Generation’, the WWF still in cartoon mode.

On an episode of WWF Superstars, however, fans were treated to an ultra-realistic angle between two of the Cartoon Era’s biggest stars. Jake Roberts had been calling out Macho Man Randy Savage (who was ‘retired’ and commentating at that point) but Randy had stayed in the announce booth.

After Roberts had won a quick squash match he began insulting Savage again, Savage had had enough and went towards the ring but the referee stopped him (he was retired after all) and Roberts pounced, attacking the Macho Man. Roberts continued to attack Savage and eventually tied him up in the ring ropes. It was at this moment that the angle took a turn for the real.

Jake picked up his pet cobra and placed it on Savage’s arm. The cobra was genuinely biting him. Savage had, of course, agreed to let this happen and it was an undoubtedly shocking visual. The snake continued to bite long past it was supposed to and even Roberts began trying to shake him loose.

Savage truly was one-of-a-kind. Not many wrestlers would let a king cobra bite them for the sake of a wrestling angle, but he did.