He started his career in various NWA territories before finally establishing himself within the WWF. He worked with the company to create a DVD retrospective of his career (the aforementioned Pick Your Poison DVD), which was released later that year. His gimmick also mirrored his real life, as Roberts had recently become a born-again Christian and had been preaching around the country.[28]. Because its not about me anymore, its about them.. One person who doesnt is WWE Hall of Famer Jake The Snake Roberts, one of the films subjects. All t-shirts unless otherwise noted are 100% preshrunk cotton . That no matter how far down somebody is theres hope. The team never won the tag titles and went back south. 145k Followers, 1,155 Following, 1,539 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Jake 'THE SNAKE' Roberts (@jakethesnakeddt) 145k Followers, 1,155 Following, 1,539 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Jake 'THE SNAKE' Roberts (@jakethesnakeddt) . Ive built guns, Ive built all sorts of things, Roberts said on Zoom call sitting in front of a wooden china hutch he built at 18. A son, a father and a brother. The two wrestlers feuded over the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship, which Smith won from The Spoiler in June 1968. I was trying to die at the time.. OCTOBER 19, 2020 BACK IN 1999, the 15 or so women who called themselves Sisters With Books, or SWB for short, were all strangers to me. [18] In reality, Roberts' bag contained hamburger meat intended to look like a snake and a small mechanical device to depict movement. This episode, entitled In the Shadow of Grizzly Smith, was most definitely not for the faint of heart. Articles by Marsha Smith How a Book Club Became My Joint. The Snake's still here, so clearly he beat it. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 5, 2014, and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2020. RSOW ran three events, each headlined by Roberts vs. Upon arrival at the ICU in Las Vegas, he was diagnosed with double pneumonia. They lied to me. WWF president Jack Tunney reinstated Savage as an active wrestler to get revenge for the attack. After being woken up and angrily demanding an 8-ball, Roberts stumbled into the arena and began mumbling at both the fans and Lightning. In early 1997, the WWF wanted Roberts to wind down his in-ring career and to join the backstage side of the company. Show this thread. See full bio Born: August 6, 1932 in Whitesboro, Texas, USA Died: June 12, 2010 (age 77) in Amarillo, Texas, USA Known For Jake "The Snake" Roberts. [17][18][19], Smith was born in Houston, Texas and grew up with a brother, who died at age nine, and two sisters. My God, he giveth but he ain't got the balls to do nothin' else." [32] On March 15, 2014, Roberts debuted in Regional Championship Wrestling's Rumblemania 9 in Reading, Pennsylvania as a surprise partner for Cliff Serenyi against Russian Mafia with Rich Rogers. Jake The Snake Height: Jake The Snake is 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm) tall. A month later, he made his pay-per-view debut, defeating George Wells at WrestleMania 2. Regardless if that is 100% accurate, in storylineJake attacked rude and ripped the tights right off of Rude in the middle of the ring. Of Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Still, it might've been a blessing in disguise: If he was drinking that much on a mediocre salary, he probably wouldn't have survived with more money to buy booze. After the ordeal, his father laid into him: "I'm ashamed of you, you're gutless, and you'll never amount to anything.". [2][22] Smith died of Alzheimer's disease on June 12, 2010 in Amarillo, Texas.[21][23]. 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. Aurelian Smith (August 6, 1932 - June 12, 2010) was an American professional wrestler better known as Grizzly Smith. Clearly, he succeeded. He was married to Michelle Hyde, Paula Lorraine Gay and Marsha. Me and the boys, we go fishing and all sorts of things, Roberts said. In the set-up, Roberts explained to Warrior that, after passing three tests, he would have the "knowledge of the dark side" to defeat Undertaker. Randy Savage said he enjoyed his run with Roberts, whose work was impressive. Roberts warned Orton that facing The Undertaker, particularly at WrestleMania, could be a soul-altering experience; he then fell victim to Orton's "RKO," helping to fuel Orton's "Legend Killer" gimmick. Roberts had a strained relationship with his pedophilic father,[5] and was sexually and physically abused by his stepmother during his childhood, which included vaginal penetration - his father was doing the same thing to his daughters (Aurelian Jr.'s sisters) too. That incident helped set up Roberts' feud with the Undertaker. So you go to find things to do. [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. Sadly, few if any higher-ups told him to get help until it was almost too late. I didn't see a way out. [5] Ted DiBiase said he enjoyed working with Roberts,[5] and Bad News Brown called him his second-best opponent. He would quickly ally with Cactus Jack and The Barbarian. 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. On May 2, he defeated Tony Anthony to win the SMW Heavyweight Championship; the title change aired on May 14. All Merchandise is owned by Jake The Snake Roberts . But alcohol was his biggest, and most damaging, vice by far. Roberts wrestled for the WWE in the late '80s and '90s and was infamous for bringing a pet snake . Roberts and Earthquake feuded throughout most of late-spring and into the summer, Roberts defeated Earthquake on July 1, at Madison Square Garden which featured Andr the Giant in Roberts' corner. During the latter segment, the Warrior opened the chest, only to be immediately bitten by a king cobra (actually a rubber prop). In fact, according to Dallas Page, he cared more about missing appearancesor letting down fans. In 2008, Roberts was booked against indie wrestler JT Lightning at Firestorm Pro Wrestling, but as TMZ reported, he was done long before hitting the ring. [28] To go along with his new gimmick, his new albino Burmese python was named "Revelations". [41] On March 4, 2020, he made a surprise appearance on AEW Dynamite, interrupting Cody. Damien, to put it mildly, kicked his butt. Roberts has been praised for his ring psychology. [25] He said that Grizzly forced her to marry him against her will, seeing as a possibly pregnant 13 year old daughter of the woman you're dating could bring unwanted attention. He is known for WCW Slamboree 1993 (1993), WCW Wrestle War (1991) and Wrestling Queen (1973). During the summer of 1997, Roberts debuted in ECW. If you dont like it, it dont go. And I said, Yeah. Were investing three years of hard work and filming. Smith began wrestling in 1958. Years later in a 2015 shoot interview, Roberts jokingly thanked the fans for ruining what would have been the biggest (and most profitable) run of his career as at the time Hogan was the biggest and most popular babyface and a run against Hogan would have meant main event television and pay-per-view matches. [26] In the DVD documentary, Old School with Rockin' Robin, Robin details how she was sexually abused by her father, beginning at age 8. Smith began wrestling in 1958. The segments included Warrior being locked inside a coffin (a reprise of an incident that occurred on The Funeral Parlor, hosted by the Undertaker's manager, Paul Bearer; earlier in the year); the Warrior being "buried alive" in dirt before being abandoned; and Warrior walking through a room full of live snakes to reach a chest containing "the answer". Despite this, Roberts would perform the DDT on Savage 3 times after the match and things came to a head when Roberts slapped Miss Elizabeth. In 1999, Roberts was unflatteringly featured in the wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat. [48] Roberts would accompany Archer to the ring during Archer's match with Wardlow on the April 27, 2022 episode of Dynamite. In fact, he's been dealing with adversity from day one, thanks to his father. [34] After Roberts took his snake out of a bag, Brother Runt told him to put it away. Wash on gentle, cold water. Smith's feud with The Assassins also took him to Western Canada, where he teamed with Don Leo Jonathan to defeat The Assassins for the Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship. 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. He was diagnosed with the flu two weeks earlier and ignored doctors' advice of rest and continued to travel to events. On the April 23, 1988 edition of WWF Superstars of Wrestling, Rude chose Roberts' real-life wife Cheryl, who refused the kiss and revealed that she was in fact the wife of Jake "The Snake". Roberts came to the ring to help Beefcake, who eventually won by disqualification. He was born Aurelian Smith Jr., but wrestling fans know him by his more famous, far catchier ring name: Jake "The Snake" Roberts. The Kentuckians' biggest rivals were the Assassins, with whom they feuded in matches across the United States. Roberts has a role in the 2019 film The Peanut Butter Falcon. [15] This began a heated feud throughout the summer of 1988, which escalated after Rude began wearing a pair of tights emblazoned with a visage of Mrs. Roberts, which an irate Roberts tore off. At that point, you watch it. Jake Roberts and His Snakes. He was one of the subjects of the 1999 documentary film Beyond the Mat. If you've never seen the film, it follows Jake through an independent wrestling event "I like his snakes, I like his style!" and a failed attempt to reconnect with his daughter, and speaks. 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 . Jake "The Snake" Roberts didn't feel pain when he wrestled. But at the time, whenever the fans started chanting DDT and I was with Hogan that was not a good thing and it cost me a lot of money. Early that year, Roberts told TMZ he had a cancerous tumor behind his knee that would require surgery. Roberts appeared as Mr. Lucas, the owner of a gourmet condom company, in the comedy film, The Bet which also featured Dallas Page and Roddy Piper. After Honky Tonk won the Intercontinental Championship from Ricky Steamboat, Roberts unsuccessfully challenged him for the Championship several times throughout the rest of 1987. No way, man. After several months, the feud culminated in a match at WrestleMania VII, in which both contestants were blindfolded (though both Roberts and Martel did later confess to having some limited vision due to mesh holes in the masks - these were briefly visible due to Jake putting his hand inside the mask after donning it shortly before the start of the match). But at 18, he decided to give wrestling a try to prove his toughness to his infamous father Grizzly Smith. They lied to my family and then they painted us all in a bad way. In the attack, Roberts was (storyline) injured by DiBiase and needed time off to have surgery to repair the damage. On the same video, Roberts also stated that he was conceived when his father, who was dating Roberts' grandmother, raped her 13-year-old daughter (this was also stated in the documentary Beyond the Mat, in which Roberts was also featured). At one point, he said he loved the wrestling business more than anything else in the world. And by young, we mean she was 12 years old. [23] A series of matches were planned, but the feud was canceled after the Ultimate Warrior was fired by the WWF the night of SummerSlam. Jake 'The Snake' Roberts' Tragic Real-Life Story. This will likely surprise you, but Jake "The Snake" Roberts a guy famous for carrying humongous pythons to the ring, oftentimes on his shoulders is no fan of snakes. [61], Jim Ross in one of the episodes of his 'Grilling JR' podcast revealed that Roberts still remains in poor health with breathing issues and pending surgeries.[62]. In the spring of 1994, Roberts returned to the United States to wrestle for Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW). As he explained, "I never wanted you to trust me.". Roberts appeared unannounced on WWE Raw and looked to be in phenomenal shape. Throughout the '80s and '90s, Roberts entertained millions of fans with his creepy antics, giant snake, and championship-caliber mullet. 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. Roberts derived his nickname for seeming snake-like and untrustworthy. [10] After Steamboat's recovery, Steamboat introduced a "Komodo dragon" as his pet to combat the psychological effects of Roberts' snake. It was in Georgia Championship Wrestling during 1983 that Roberts became part of Paul Ellering's stable, the Legion of Doom, and began a feud with Ron Garvin over the NWA World Television Championship that lasted into 1984. Be careful not to hit the wall or eat your tail! He was the father of professional wrestlers Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Rockin' Robin, and Sam Houston. He is the creator of the "DDT" finishing move and is one of the most well known wrestlers in history. The working man's privateer steed, the Jake the Snake is the go-to bike for Cyclocross racers and hard-core commuters alike. A short feud with Sid ensued when Sid was scheduled to wrestle "El Diablo" and the Undertaker came out and accepted the challenge to face Sid. Sadly, it didn't happen. Plus, Smith never bothered telling his son how wrestling worked. Aurelian Smith Jr. (born May 30, 1955), better known by the ring name Jake "The Snake" Roberts,[1][2] is an American professional wrestler and actor currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs as manager to Lance Archer, and he also serves a special advisor for AEW's community outreach program, AEW Together. The reason why haunts Jake to this day. Almost as well known is the dark side of Jake's life. [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. The only problem was Roberts was deathly afraid of them and still is today. The documentary opens with Roberts, who has eight children, fishing on a boat with two of his sons, Derek and Dustin. Cobras may be scary, but they only weigh 15 pounds. Born in 1955, Jake was named Aurelian Smith Junior after his father Aurelian aka Grizzly Smith a noted wrestler in the 1950s and 1960s. On May 18, 2013, Roberts returned to the ring for First State Championship Wrestling, a Delaware-based wrestling promotion, as part of an eight-man tag team main event. via playsleague.com On October 6, 2007, he lost to Scott Hall at Juggalo Championship Wrestling. We went to great lengths to show how far down I went and the road to recovery.. Oct 19, 2020 | By Marsha Smith | Los Angeles Review of Books. In Jake's case, however, he and the law had a long-running feud that wasn't nearly as fun as his WWF rivalries. According to the documentary Jake Roberts: Pick Your Poison, after Jake left WWF in 1992, he and WCW had agreed to a mega-deal worth up to $3 million a year. Money, Reborn Champion Cody Ices and Anthony Brody. He was the father of professional wrestlers Aurelian, Jr. (Jake "The Snake" Roberts), Michael (Sam Houston), and Robin (Rockin' Robin). After surgery and recovery, he was just fine. The culmination of their feud took place at WrestleMania VI at the Skydome in Toronto, wherein a match where the Million Dollar Belt was on the line, DiBiase gained a count-out victory over Roberts, thus regaining his non-sanctioned title. I think I would have been very successful, but Im very fortunate that I did fall into the wrestling because I think Ive been an architect in many ways because I helped build a lot of people.. Following a brief feud with Bad News Brown in the summer of 1990, Roberts also feuded with Rick "The Model" Martel throughout late 1990 into early 1991, after Martel (kayfabe) blinded Roberts by spraying his cologne "Arrogance" into his eyes. On the March 11, 1989, episode of Saturday Night's Main Event XX, Andr got involved in a match between Rick Rude and Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, siding with fellow Heenan Family member Rude. [5] Jim Ross said he also stands out for his promo work. . Several years later, he's still in great shape, and is growing back the mullet to boot. Then, his ex-wife showed up, kidnapped Jake's sister, and killed her. RA Rates: Major Fun Save to My Sights More on Marsh's Free Museum 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. Roberts no-showed several defenses, forcing SMW to give the title back to Anthony on July 5. When the wheel stopped, it had landed on what many observers believed was the worst option the Coal Miner's Glove match. Since he still loved to wrestle, he did not make this transition well. Roberts, who was so drunk that he could not stand up, took the fall in the match after Bundy splashed and pinned him. To prevent Roberts from sustaining a further injury, he was quickly defeated by Austin; in a post-match interview, Austin mocked his recital of the biblical passage John 3:16 by saying "You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere! Roberts also teamed with Tommy Dreamer at the 1998 November to Remember as his mystery partner defeating Justin Credible and Jack Victory.[29]. Aurelian Smith Jr. better known by the ring name Jake "The Snake" Roberts, is an American professional wrestler and actor signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs as manager to Lance Archer. It was something I was scared to death of because I got screwed over so bad with that other crap that was put together. Recognizing his microphone skills, Roberts was given his own talk segment called "The Snake Pit", which debuted on the first episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge in late 1986. 32. As he told SI, "The snake was something to hide behind. McMahon wanted to add a live snake to his persona. In May 1989, Roberts found himself arrested at a WWF show and charged with aggravated battery according to the Orlando Sentinel, he punched out a man in a Florida bar the previous December. In 2016, he went on his Unspoken Word tour. On Wednesday I drink a six pack. As further proof that Roberts is finally healthy, both physically and mentally, he dealt with a pair of setbacks in 2014 that could've either killed him or made him fall off the wagon, but he beat them both and is still around and in prime form today. Beginning on January 4, 2022, Roberts will take part in a podcast with Diamond Dallas Page and Conrad Thompson titled DDP Snakepit. [16][17] Roberts used his snake Damien to scare Andre into an eventual "heart attack". Following the loss to Sting he continued his feud, facing him on several house shows immediately after the event. The Resurrection of Jake the Snake is now streaming for free on Prime Video! [35] At Bound for Glory, he performed a DDT on Raven, which helped Samoa Joe win the match. Savage and Roberts feuded for the next few months. He was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to ten years' probation. At that point his savior arrived: Diamond Dallas Page, an ex-wrestler whom Roberts had trained back in the day. Though he has wrestled for multiple organizations, including the National Wrestling Alliance, Smith's life outside of the ring is rife with controversy. He also hoped to, one day, finally hear his dad say he was proud of him. Smith had a strained relationship with his son Aurelian Jr. (Jake Roberts), which Roberts stated was partially the result of his father not informing his children of the scripted nature of professional wrestling. Smith began competing in professional wrestling in Texas, but he worked on an oilfield part-time as well. What's more, once on the road full-time, he added drugs to his repertoire, regularly smoking pot and even doing speed on occasion. On the Pick Your Poison DVD, he says he got his nickname by copying Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken "The Snake" Stabler (of whom he was a fan). In November 1986, Roberts challenged Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Championship. February 26, 2023. As Jake recalled in his documentary, he had a sister, whose name he didn't disclose. 2014 WWE HOF, Writer/Creator, Motivational Speaker on personal recovery, bookings . Hopefully Im building a lot of people as we speak, showing them a way out of their alcohol addiction or your drug addiction, Roberts said. All signs point to Jake's tragic life story being over, and a happier one being told from here on out. From there, he went to Mississippi to work with promoter George Culkin. Around the same time, the WWF had also tried to set Roberts up as a nemesis to then fan-favorite WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan, and challenging him for the title. He often brought snakes into the ring, most famously a python. When you eat an apple, your tail grows by four blocks instead of the usual one. While in Stampede Wrestling, Roberts feuded with the Junkyard Dog.[7][8]. Jake "The Snake" Roberts is 64 years old. After several days, he was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The WrestleMania VIII match turned out to be Roberts' last for the WWF for nearly four years. That wasn't enough for Roberts, sadly. Later that year, he became less fine, coming down with double pneumonia because he's a big guy and one pneumonia simply wasn't enough. Roberts moved from the feud with Rude into a feud with Andr the Giant who was also managed by Bobby Heenan. And yet, there he was hanging around with a 12-foot python called Damien night in and night out. The match ended in a double disqualification. After a childhood lived under a cloud of sexual abuse, that night set him on a path to creating one of the best personas in wrestling history while helping build some of the companys top stars in the process. Roberts cut a drunken promo paying tribute to Ray Traylor, who had died a few days before, and almost got into a scuffle with several WAW wrestlers who were sent out to defuse the situation.[30]. But I'm excited.". He officially turned face when he feuded with The Honky Tonk Man, an Elvis impersonator, who attacked Roberts[12] with a guitar during his interview segment The Snake Pit. Thankfully, Roberts has kept his nose clean since then, at least in the eyes of the law. I grew up in the small Texas town where Jake was born (the same town where DDP picks him up at the beginning of the Resurrection of Jake the Snake documentary). Then "El Diablo" unmasked revealing himself as Jake. That first time I knew that son bitch was gold, Roberts said. He was drunk out of his mind, slurred an incoherent speech about how he cheats at blackjack, and could barely stand up. You start getting involved, go to church with the kids, do this with the kids, and become involved in what theyre doing and not what youre doing, he said. Its so good, Roberts said. Advertised as "a grueling 40 city campaign" containing pretty girls, wrestling, amazing circus stunts, and a fist fight, the tour features Jim Rose and wrestler Sinn Bodhi as "Team Jake". The feud continued through the early part of 1992 and included Savage eliminating Roberts from that year's Royal Rumble match for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Between weeks' worth of clothes, wrestling gear, and the giant snake, it's quite possible Jake's body was hurt more by traveling than getting thrown around the ring. [6], Roberts started his career in 1974 in the Louisiana area, as a referee and wrestler, making his name in Mid-South Wrestling, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Georgia Championship Wrestling. He was known in the Mid-South Wrestling, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, and Georgia Championship Wrestling at that time. Fortunately, he's on the rise again, thanks to old friends unwilling to give up on him no matter how much he gave up on himself, but that doesn't change how often the man's been through the ringer, essentially since birth. Cops also got him on an outstanding 1999 warrant for unpaid child support. Marsha Smith in Georgia We found 100+ records for Marsha Smith in Tiger, Atlanta and 52 other cities in Georgia. Unknown to fans for years, Sam Houston and Rockin Robin are brother and sister to Jake and. So when Dallas brought this to me, the first thing I did was scream, No way! Apparently, Watts had a deal with WCW where he made a percentage of the money he saved the company, so he was cutting down contracts left and right, including Jake's. He then called the former superstar a "piece of sh*t" who ripped off all the fans who paid to see him. 4. 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. The only problem. I always kept it very, very real. Hours: Su-Th 10-5, F-Sa 10-6 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access. Jake "The Snake" Roberts WWE While working in Mid-South in 1986 he caught the eye of Vince McMahon and WWE - then the WWF. Watts voided Jake's contract, forcing him to sign for a mere $200,000 per year. Talk about your Psalms, talk about John 3:16 Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!". According to Jake, Smith had gotten her pregnant three times before turning 18, so it's no surprise she would try escaping that situation through any means necessary. During the post-SummerSlam wedding reception of Savage and Miss Elizabeth (in reality they had been married since 1984), Elizabeth opened a gift package containing a live cobra. Jake dealt with this fear (and pain) every night because he saw his snake as a wall to keep people from learning too much about the man behind the slithery creature. Roberts had trouble developing his character, so in the late 1970s he traveled to Canada to wrestle.
Miami University Farmer School Of Business Ranking, Taylor Swift Reputation Fye Vinyl, Gary Delaney Boxer, Denver Flight 9 Crash 99 Dead, Articles M