If youre like a lot of wrestling fans, you love the infinitely quotable 1999 pro wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat. Sadly, this is what can happen when someone who hates snakes is in charge of one. Jake 'The Snake' Roberts' Tragic Real-Life Story. [21], Smith retired from wrestling and moved to Louisiana, where he shared a house with his son Michael (Sam Houston) in Metairie. 30 years later, Roberts has lost nearly everything to his inner demons. She was admitted to practice law in 1997. In January 1967, the Kentuckians showed up in Japan's International Wrestling Enterprise. His gimmick also mirrored his real life, as Roberts had recently become a born-again Christian and had been preaching around the country.[28]. By the end of 1994, Roberts took a hiatus. As he told SI, "The snake was something to hide behind. It's the kind of unhappy existence that at least makes you understand why Jake turned to drugs and alcohol, even if you would much rather he had never touched the stuff. [24] In an interview on Jake "The Snake" Roberts: Pick Your Poison, a video released by World Wrestling Entertainment, Roberts stated that his father convinced the family that his injuries in the ring were real and wore a neck brace at home to sell a storyline. It was something I was scared to death of because I got screwed over so bad with that other crap that was put together. This summer, however, due to low river and reservoir levels, CVP facilities are expected to generated only about 4,100 GWh--which is 18% below average. Clearly, he succeeded. By 2012, Roberts was a total mess. [45] At Double or Nothing on May 23, 2020, Archer lost the final to Cody Rhodes after Mike Tyson prevented Roberts from interfering on Archer's behalf in the finals match for the new AEW TNT Championship. After the ill-fated night at 18, he learned the business through trial and error and got his ass handed to me often by veterans over his first two years. Roberts made an appearance at Booker T's Houston-based Pro Wrestling Alliance (PWA) promotion, in which he cut a promo urging those who want to enter the wrestling business to not follow along his path. He's known for having innovated one of wrestling's most inspired finishing moves in the DDTa swift symphony of high impact offense where an opponent's head is held in a front face lock before. [24] Roberts and the Undertaker attacked Savage, until Sid Justice ran them off. After executing a DDT for the pin, he would place a python on the opponent, to various reactions. Does that mean I got to sell some furniture? At one point in the documentary, Derek says I cant imagine as a father not doing that [everything] for your own kids. His daughter Brandy tells a story about how she drove her and her dad from Texas to Georgia in 1993 while he smoked crack the entire time. He had a massive following. The attack led to their match at WrestleMania III in which Roberts had Detroit native Alice Cooper (a known lover of snakes) in his corner. I didn't want anyone to get close to me. Such callousness motivated Jake to pursue wrestling full-time to show his dad how wrong he was. It's little wonder Jake left WCW before ringing in 1993. In November 1986, Roberts challenged Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Championship. Roberts debuted in the World Wrestling Federation on March 8, 1986, at the Boston Garden defeating Jose Luis Rivera. After Pat Patterson stepped down from his post on the writing staff stemming from the recent sexual harassment scandal, McMahon decided that, out of respect for Patterson, the spot would be left vacant. [10] The following month, Smith gained another title when he teamed with Fritz Von Erich to defeat The Spoiler and Gary Hart to win the NWA American Tag Team Championship. [2] In many of these matches, The Assassins were joined by the Missouri Mauler and The Kentuckians teamed with Haystacks Calhoun. The WrestleMania VIII match turned out to be Roberts' last for the WWF for nearly four years. He is best known by his ring name of Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and often brought snakes into the ring, including a boa constrictor named Damien and even a de-venomed cobra, named Lucifer. February 26, 2023. How Old is Jake The Snake? He wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance in 1983, World Championship Wrestling in 1992, and the Mexico-based Asistencia Asesora y Administracin between 1993 and 1994 and again in 1997. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.229), Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, becoming the second man to lose to The Undertaker at WrestleMania, Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Championship, Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship, Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship, "Interview: Get ready for story time with Jake 'The Snake' Roberts", "WrestlingGoneWrong.com is available at DomainMarket.com", "WWE: 10 Things You Need To Know About Jake "The Snake" Roberts", "Collectible News: Action Figure Spotlight - 40-inch "Damien" snake", "The SmarK DVD Rant for Jake Roberts: Pick Your Poison | Inside Pulse", "Extreme Championship Wrestling Results (1998)", "smackdown-raw-superstars-nxt Jake Roberts", "1/29 PWG results in Los Angeles: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of PWG Title match, Kaval vs. Davey, Roberts retirement, Legends Battle Royal", "6/14 Reborn Wrestling: Jake Roberts and EZ Money meet in the six-man tag main event of a Christian based pro wrestling show", "Keller's TNA Impact Report 10/19: Angle-Joe confrontation, Final Bound for Glory Hype", "Impact: Angle Arrives, along with a Snake", "Keller's TNA Bound for GLory PPV Report 10/22: Ongoing "Virtual Time" Coverage", "Jake Roberts disparagingly about hall of fame induction", "Jake Roberts Returns in AEW, Says He's Going To Manage An Incoming Talent", "Jake Roberts Reveals Lance Archer is His New Client on AEW Dynamite", "AEW introducing the TNT Championship belt, winner to be crowned in a tournament", "4/29 AEW Dynamite TV results: Powell's live review of Cody vs. Darby Allin and Dustin Rhodes vs. Lance Archer in TNT Title tournament semifinal matches, Best Friends vs. Jimmy Havoc and Kip Sabian, Brodie Lee vs. Marko Stunt, AEW Champ Jon Moxley's promo", "WATCH: Mike Tyson scares off Jake 'The Snake' Roberts at AEW Double or Nothing wrestling show", "JAKE ROBERTS SIGNS NEW TWO-YEAR EXTENSION WITH AEW", "AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, News And Notes As Jay White And Keith Lee Debut", "AEW Dynamite live results: TNT Championship ladder match, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler of FTR will also face each other in an Owen Hart qualifier", "AEW Announces Refresh Of Community Program, Roles Revealed For Paul Wight, Jake Roberts, More", "Boy Meets Vader: Because Every TGIF Sitcom Needs a Mastadon [, "Dallas Page, Jake Roberts Team Up for 'DDP Snakepit' Podcast", "Update On Jake "The Snake" Roberts Rehab Status", "Jim Ross comments on visiting WWE developmental headquarters, Jeff Hardy, and Jake Roberts", "Jake Roberts regains mobility and spirit", "Diamond Dallas Page and the Resurrection of Jake "The Snake" Roberts", "Jake "The Snake" Roberts I Have Cancer", "Jake Roberts Reportedly Hospitalized With Double Pneumonia", "Lawyer: WWE legend Jake Roberts has brain abnormality", "Jake Roberts Still Suffering Health Issues & Requires Further Surgeries", NWA World Television Title (Georgia) history, North American Heavyweight Title (Mid-South) history, "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners Inspirational Wrestler of the Year", "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1991", "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years", Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Title history, World 6-Man Tag Team Title (World Class) history, "WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremony: Jake 'The Snake' Roberts' Emotional Induction Stuns Crowd", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jake_Roberts&oldid=1142198914, AWN World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Mid-South Television Championship Tournament (1986), PWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mike Blade, Ranked No. He later had two more children, Michael and Robin, with his second wife Marsha. On October 20, 2002, Roberts became the NWA UK Hammerlock Heavyweight Champion in Maidstone, Kent, England by defeating "Vigilante" Johnny Moss. It led to a persona that Roberts agreed was ahead of its time in the 1980s with the shock value of a live snake moving around in a bag and on opponents including the famous scene of one biting a tied-up Macho Man Randy Savage in the ropes. They held the belts for several months before dropping them to Gorilla Monsoon and Luke Graham the following January. [2] Smith also competed in Georgia, where he challenged Freddie Blassie for the NWA Georgia World Heavyweight Championship but was unable to win the title belt. It was a necessity. Roberts has several siblings, but one of them is no longer with us. He said, If you dont think its a fair toss, then we toss it out the window. Well, I couldnt argue with that.. After doing such things as pretending his snake was a penis and stroking it like he was masturbating and attempting to kiss the snake with his tongue, the show's promoter sent King Kong Bundy and Yokozuna, who were supposed to compete in the other main event match, to the ring and made the main event a tag team match with Roberts teaming with Yokozuna against Bundy and Neidhart. Unexpectedly, Jake gets a visit from an old friend who returns in an effort to repay him. A fallen professional wrestling superstar battles his past demons in a struggle to reclaim his life and the family that has given up on him. On May 2, he defeated Tony Anthony to win the SMW Heavyweight Championship; the title change aired on May 14. In some cases, shady people in his profession made his life harder by making his wallet thinner. [28] To go along with his new gimmick, his new albino Burmese python was named "Revelations". I was in a bad mood and underproductive and wouldn't, couldn't get up off the couch unless I had something to drink.". Her solution was to run off with a 55-year-old man when she was just 18. You got to have outlets and when the time comes and you know things are gonna happen then you just try to go through that and find a hole to hide in within yourself while its going on. After all he's been through, it's shocking that Jake Roberts isn't dead. [25] On his Pick Your Poison DVD, Roberts expressed his regret for his actions to get a release from his contract. Its so good, Roberts said. This led to a relapse with drugs and alcohol. The WWE icon was hit in the head with chairs and guitars and once broke his arm so badly during a match his bone was sticking out. Jake "The Snake" Roberts is 64 years old. WWF president Jack Tunney reinstated Savage as an active wrestler to get revenge for the attack. Jake "The Snake" Roberts began his career when he became a referee and a wrestler. His single WCW pay-per-view match was against Sting at Halloween Havoc in 1992. You couldnt see through my st.. Hours: Su-Th 10-5, F-Sa 10-6 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access. Roberts, who was so drunk that he could not stand up, took the fall in the match after Bundy splashed and pinned him. In 2012, he moved in with fellow wrestler Diamond Dallas Page to seek help in getting his life back on track following years of alcohol and drug addiction, a period covered in the 2015 documentary The Resurrection of Jake the Snake. Roberts stated in a shoot interview with Jim Ross that the feud with Savage had to end early because Elizabeth's parents were upset with Savage for not protecting Elizabeth when Roberts kayfabe slapped her. OK, fk it. Throughout the film, he made confessions about his tragic past, including the murder of his sister by her husband's ex-wife and the collapse of his marriage. His departure came after he was upset that WWF chairman Vince McMahon did not offer him a position on the writing staff, despite being promised such previously. There is a point in the A&E documentary where he happily says, Im that guy thats doing the right thing. Being able to do so without lying has been freeing. In 2004, he got nabbed on animal cruelty charges. Marsha Smith, MP was born and raised in the parish of Saint Ann. The segment went on longer than planned, and Savage's blood was clearly visible as it dripped from the puncture wounds. After retiring in the late-1970s, he held various backstage positions with promotions including Mid-South Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and World Championship Wrestling . As the match went on, the arena lights were turned off. [27] These allegations were also the subject of the season 3 episode of Dark Side of the Ring named "In The Shadow of Grizzly Smith". Jake and his two half-siblings all even wrestled in the WWF at the same time in the 1980s. Jake Roberts' life didn't take long to turn tumultuous. The 67-year-old wrestling legend said he spent around 18 months on oxygen after getting COVID-19 three times since the pandemic started and dealing with lung issues that include hereditary chronic. [34] After Roberts took his snake out of a bag, Brother Runt told him to put it away. After his wrestling career ended, he served for a time as a backstage official in the World Wrestling Federation and a road agent in World . Up until the late '90s, fans might have been aware that Jake Roberts had some personal issues, but many had no clue how bad they truly were. [2] He had three children from his first marriage: two sons, Aurelian Jr. and Richard, and a daughter, Jo Lynn (who was kidnapped in 1979). 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