Flashback Friday: Jake "The Snake" Roberts

In honor of the Throwback Thursday tradition on social media, I’m going to showcase a pro wrestling superstar, match, or moment of the past here on “The Worked Shoot”.  Since this writer missed Thursday and is posting this on a Friday, I’m going to call this feature “Flashback Friday”. The subject of today’s inaugural “Flashback Friday” feature was a no brainer for me and his story is one that I can’t wait to tell. We start with the newest member of the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2014, Jake “The Snake” Roberts. 

Jake is the son of a six foot eight inch, three hundred and fifty pound powerhouse, Aurelian “Grizzly” Smith. Despite Jake following in his father’s footsteps as a professional wrestler, the relationship with his father was strained.  In the 2005 Jake Roberts “Pick your Poison” DVD, Jake told a chilling story about his conception in which he explains that Jake’s father was dating his grandmother and raped her 12 year old daughter and impregnated her. Jake was raised by his grandparents on his father’s side. His grandfather was an alcoholic and when his grandmother died, he moved in with his father. When Jake’s father was on the road wrestling, his stepmother tried to seduce him. After that, Jake moved in with his mother and stepfather until venturing out on his own. Jake’s younger sister married a middle aged man nearly 35 years older than her while she was still in her teens. The man’s ex-wife murdered Jake’s sister and her body was never found. In the DVD, Roberts explained that his father never smartened his children up to the fact that wrestling was scripted and would convince his kids that the injuries he suffered in the ring were real. Jake’s father would even come home wearing a neck brace at times to sell the TV storylines.

Despite the emotional disconnect that he felt from his father, Jake Roberts decided to follow in his father’s footsteps in the wrestling business and became a referee in the Mid-South territory in 1974. Jake started wrestling in 1975 and made a name for himself in Mid-South Wrestling, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Alliance.

I’m sure that most of you are most familiar with Jake Roberts’ work in the World Wrestling Federation, but his work in the National Wrestling Alliance gave him his first big break. He joined the Legion of Doom stable in 1983 and started a legendary feud with Ron Garvin over the NWA World Television Championship. Jake went on to World Class Championship Wrestling in 1984 and won the WCCW Television Championship and the 6-Man tag team title with “Gentleman” Chris Adams and Gino Hernandez. He returned to Mid-South Wrestling for a short run and feud with Dick Slater, before leaving for Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation in 1986.

I’d say the thing that made Jake Roberts so special is that he never needed a championship to make him stand out. His character did that on it’s own. Jake’s psychology in the ring and on the microphone is second to no one. He knew how to make the fans love him when he was supposed to be loved and when he was a villain, he had the ability to make everybody in the audience hate his guts. Roberts is considered one of the best promo men of all-time because he realized pretty early on that he didn’t need to scream and raise his voice to make people hear him. Jake Roberts spoke softly and concise and it made EVERY word that came out of his mouth matter to whoever was listening. Unlike today’s product where you see so many false finishes and guys kicking out of each other’s finishing moves, you knew it was over when Jake Roberts hooked in the DDT.  I’ve also failed to mention so far that Jake brought his snake, Damien, in a bag to the ring with him for all of his matches. The fans went crazy when Jake had the opportunity to let the snake out of the bag and drop him on his opponents after the match. At times, even in the years that Hulkamania was running wild, Jake’s snake would get the biggest crowd pop of the night.

Jake had legendary feuds with Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Ted Dibiase, The Ultimate Warrior, and “Ravishing” Rick Rude. His first run with the WWF ended in 1992 when Roberts felt betrayed by Vince McMahon for being passed up for a spot on the writing staff, despite being promised one before. Jake threatened to no-show his Wrestlemania 8 match with the Undertaker if he was not released from his contract. He was granted his release and would not return to the company for four years. His last promo before the match with the Undertaker is one of my favorites so I decided I’d share. Here it is: 

Roberts went on to have a short run with WCW and AAA in Mexico before returning to the WWF in the 1996 Royal Rumble. Roberts’ struggles with substance abuse were well documented throughout his career and were brought into storylines for the first time in this run with the company, as he became a bible-preaching babyface. Jake’s character change was complete with a new albino snake called Revelations to accompany him to the ring. The highlight of this run was Jake’s performance in the King of the Ring tournament, making it to the final match against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Jake lost the match in short fashion, but his Cinderella run in the tournament aided in making his opponent, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin a star.

Jake left the company in 1997 and had short runs with ECW, TNA, and other independent companies, but was most well known afterward for his struggles with drugs and alcohol. His demons got the best of him and despite three stints in rehab, Jake was unable to get a hold of himself and control his addictions. Jake felt that his rehab stints didn’t do him any good because he was easily able to manipulate his counselors. Jake often blames his substance abuse on the emotional trauma from his troubled childhood and surely, the physical effects of travelling and bumping around a wrestling ring for years probably didn’t help much either.

Finally in 2012, when it appeared as if Jake were at his lowest point and ready to die, a friend stepped in and changed everything for him. Wrestling peer Diamond Dallas Page called Jake a mentor and wanted to give back to the friend that helped him so much in the wrestling business. DDP created a workout program called DDP Yoga that helped transform people’s bodies and lives. With an intense exercise regime and dieting plan, DDP helped so many people lose weight and gain flexibility to heal their bodies from the past wear and tear that it suffered. DDP brought Jake into his home in Atlanta that he calls “The Accountability Crib” and there, he helped Jake get sober, lose weight, gain flexibility, and have a second chance at life. In this time, Jake was able to re-connect with his own children, whom he also was disconnected from while he struggled with his demons.

Today, Jake “The Snake” Roberts is a new man. At 58 years old, Jake feels that he is in the best shape that he’s been in for a long time and he went from waiting to die to looking forward to living. Jake Roberts made his return to the WWE in January 2014 at Old School Raw and was just announced as the newest member of the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2014.

This writer would like to extend his congratulations to Jake on getting his life back and on his well-deserved induction to the WWE Hall of Fame. As a fan, it is so heartwarming to see Jake “The Snake” Roberts overcome his demons and be in a good place in his life today. He still has so much to give not just as a wrestling legend, but as a man, and I’m looking forward to seeing him have the opportunity to do that. 

Which character, match, or moment would you like to see featured on a future "Flashback Friday"? Let me know by commenting below in the comments section, tweeting me at @majorlugo or email-me at jlugo22@hotmail.com