Jake Roberts Appears At WWE SummerSlam Fan Event In Minneapolis

WWE Hall of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts made an appearance under the WWE banner during SummerSlam weekend in Minneapolis, taking part in the SummerSlam TakeOver fan experience hosted by WWE in partnership with Fanatics on Friday, July 31. Fans got the chance to meet Roberts in person during an autograph signing, and WWE shared video of him interacting with attendees at the event.

Roberts isn’t done in the Twin Cities just yet. The 71-year-old, along with his wife Cheryl, is also set to appear at WrestleCon on both Saturday and Sunday, giving fans in town for SummerSlam multiple chances to cross paths with one of the most influential figures in wrestling history.

The appearance lands at an interesting moment for Roberts, who recently confirmed that his long association with AEW has come to a close. In an interview with Bill Apter that was recorded back in May but only released this month, Roberts revealed he is no longer affiliated with the promotion he’d been connected to since its inception. Despite the split, he had nothing but praise for AEW President Tony Khan, calling him “awesome” and “a breath of fresh air.”

It’s worth noting that Roberts’ AEW presence had already dwindled significantly in recent years — he rarely showed up on AEW television, serving more in an advisory or occasional on-camera capacity than as a regular fixture. Throughout that entire stretch, he remained under a WWE Legends contract, a deal that has allowed him to keep making appearances like this one even while nominally part of AEW’s roster of personalities. That dual arrangement speaks to how loosely defined “exclusivity” can be for legends-era talent, and it’s part of why this weekend’s WWE tie-in doesn’t come as a total surprise.

Roberts was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014, cementing his legacy with the company that made him a star in the 1980s and ’90s through his work with the DDT, the python Damien, and some of the most psychologically sharp promos the business has ever produced. His comeback story — battling personal demons publicly and finding a second life in wrestling as a mentor and elder statesman — has made him a beloved figure across promotional lines, which is exactly why he can pop up at a WWE fan festival one weekend and headline AEW nostalgia segments the next without much friction.

With AEW now officially in his past, it’s reasonable to expect Roberts’ WWE ties to become more visible going forward, whether through further Legends-contract appearances, digital content, or fan events tied to future premium live events. For now, his SummerSlam weekend swing through Minneapolis — split between WWE’s TakeOver activation and the independent WrestleCon convention — shows he’s still very much in demand on the convention and appearance circuit, even as his in-ring days remain firmly in the rearview mirror.

Jake the Snake is in the house! 🐍 pic.twitter.com/uyI32goFWf

— WWE (@WWE) July 31, 2026