If you dont like it, it dont go. And I said, Yeah. Were investing three years of hard work and filming. 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. Smith and Brown formed a tag team known as The Kentuckians, and the pair used the gimmick of a pair of hillbillies. It's a tale about trauma, tragedy and redemption. He was born Aurelian Smith Jr., but wrestling fans know him by his more famous, far catchier ring name: Jake "The Snake" Roberts. 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. It was a necessity. A&E Network. Despite all that, he had an image to uphold since he was a face (good guy) for much of his WWF tenure. Roberts' first major feud was against Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, beginning on a nationally televised episode of Saturday Night's Main Event VI in May 1986. Smith began competing in professional wrestling in Texas, but he worked on an oilfield part-time as well. After several days, he was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. After graduating high school (his ever-supportive dad said, "Well, I hope you don't want anything from me"), Roberts attended one of Smith's matches and decided to challenge another wrestler. Afterward, you just got to know that its not you, its them thats sick.. The documentary opens with Roberts, who has eight children, fishing on a boat with two of his sons, Derek and Dustin. Forever ditching his birth name of Aurelian Smith Jr., Jake "The Snake" Roberts becomes lost in the character he's playing in the ring, often to his detriment. Eat as many apples as you can to grow as long as possible. Luckily for him, an appellate court concluded Roberts' lawyer sucked at his job and nullified the verdict. [46] In July 2021, Roberts announced he had signed a 2-year contract extension with AEW. Smith, who had wrestled under the ring names Jake Smith and Tiny Anderson,[4][2] began competing as Grizzly Smith, although he also wrestled as Tiny Smith. Aurelian Jake Smith Jr. (born May 30, 1955) is a second-generation professional wrestler best known as Jake "The Snake" Roberts. 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. Jake The Snake Salary: Roberts was making $500,000 per year when he was wrestling in the WWF in the late 1980s. But at 18, he decided to give wrestling a try to prove his toughness to his infamous father Grizzly Smith. Almost as well known is the dark side of Jake's life. 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 . The team never won the tag titles and went back south. Jake The Snake Roberts once had a dream other than becoming one of the biggest professional wrestling stars ever. Born in 1955, Jake was named Aurelian Smith Junior after his father Aurelian aka Grizzly Smith a noted wrestler in the 1950s and 1960s. At one point, he said he loved the wrestling business more than anything else in the world. 30 years later, Roberts has lost nearly everything to his inner demons. Since he still loved to wrestle, he did not make this transition well. The tour kicked off on November 6, 2018, at the Lookout Lounge in Omaha, Nebraska. 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. Be careful not to hit the wall or eat your tail! 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. 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. PW Insider reported earlier today, there was an incident between New Japan Star Harry Smith and WWE Hall of Famer Jake 'The Snake' Roberts. Jake Roberts. In February 2014, TMZ reported that Roberts had muscular cancer below his knee and was scheduled to go into surgery. Moments later when the lights came back on, Roberts was already in the ring, and proceeded to give Tommy Dreamer a clothesline. 3 Jake "The Snake" Roberts has opened up on his drink and drug demons Credit: Getty 3 [17][18][19], Smith was born in Houston, Texas and grew up with a brother, who died at age nine, and two sisters. Roberts made an appearance on March 14, 2005, on Raw, where he confronted Randy Orton, who was preparing to challenge The Undertaker at WrestleMania 21. Roberts came to the ring to help Beefcake, who eventually won by disqualification. Her solution was to run off with a 55-year-old man when she was just 18. He teamed with Eric Chapel and CraziiWolf (Crazii Shea and Greywolf), defeating the team of Salvatore Sincere, Steve C Wrestling and Pretty Ugly (Jimmy Dream and Adam Ugly). Jake "The Snake" Roberts, 59 -- The Lowest Point It was a long journey - it's been almost three years now. Sadly, few if any higher-ups told him to get help until it was almost too late. Jake Roberts and His Snakes. [36], Roberts made a one-night return to TNA in 2008 as a guest of "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal and SoCal Val's storyline wedding at Slammiversary.[37]. During his run, he was known for his iconic matches and jaw-dropping moments. The Honky Tonk Man's guitar shot actually injured Roberts' neck, as at the time guitars were not prepared to break easily. Jake 'The Snake' Roberts' Tragic Real-Life Story. It's paid off immensely, as WWE fans saw for themselves in early 2014. Allida is tongue-tied with An Impossible Thing to Say by Arya Shahi, in which an Iranian American teen in Arizonafalls in love with the new girl at school, Shakespeare, and rap music while . Roberts went on to work for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) alongside his father, Grizzly Smith, where he aligned himself with The Barbarian and Cactus Jack to feud against Sting and Nikita Koloff. Roberts no-showed several defenses, forcing SMW to give the title back to Anthony on July 5. [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". 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. [5] He has a half-brother, Michael Smith, and a half-sister, Robin Smith, both of whom also became wrestlers. On television, Rude's lower body was blurred outintimating that Rude was stripped nude. Roberts returned and feuded with DiBiase throughout the end of 1989 into 1990, including a point where Roberts stole DiBiase's Million Dollar Belt, daring him or Virgil to reach into the canvas sack where Damien was to retrieve it. Roberts, 67, said there are still moments where I get really down on myself when I realize how much I missed because he was on the road wrestling and later in his life battling addiction. The Hon. They lied to me. Randy Savage said he enjoyed his run with Roberts, whose work was impressive. Her areas of practice include general legal advice, probate . First reports indicated that Roberts had fallen unconscious, but his manager/lawyer, Kyle P. Magee, confirmed that Roberts was alert and awake during the flight and notified the flight attendant of his pain and shortness of breath. This match ended in a DQ. 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. Then, once released, she and her ex collected the money from Jake's sister's life insurance and ran off together. Roberts responded by flashing the crowd, punching a wall, breaking his hand, and running out into the streets crying. In a press release, their roles were explained as "they will bring their experience and passion for community relations to help identify partner organizations across the country, assist in incorporating talent participation and provide counsel on enhancing activations."[50]. As the match went on, the arena lights were turned off. [10][11], The Kentuckians reunited in the NWA Tri-State territory. [2][22] Smith died of Alzheimer's disease on June 12, 2010 in Amarillo, Texas.[21][23]. In the 2023 A&E documantary on his son's life, Aurelian Jr., better known as Jake the Snake Roberts, again stated that his father sexually abused minors during his childhood. Regardless if that is 100% accurate, in storylineJake attacked rude and ripped the tights right off of Rude in the middle of the ring. You know, Beyond the Mat. In the summer of 1991 there were a series of televised vignettes featuring the Ultimate Warrior turning to Roberts for help in his feud with The Undertaker. Wrestling icon shot to stardom in the 1980s and early 90s with pet python Damien but turned to drink and drugs aged just 11. . When your life is mostly drugs and alcohol seasoned with a little wrestling, you're probably running afoul of the law every now and again. [20] Smith briefly married again on June 22, 1992 this time to a woman named Michelle D. Hyde who was 34 years his junior. 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. Sixteen years later, some of Jakes parts are still hard to watch, and not everythings as instantly wonderful as this scene: Jake The Snake Roberts Says Beyond The Mat Raped Him And His Family, Watch Kenny Omega Make His Return To AEW With The Young Bucks, The Best Post-Wrestling Acting Careers, Ranked, Snoop Dogg Did An Awkward Snoop Splash Off The Top Rope On All Elite Wrestling, Video Of A Coronavirus Vaccine Delivery Had Everyone Making The Same Sports And Wrestling Jokes, One Of The Best Pro Wrestlers In The World Is Reportedly Coming To WWEs NXT UK, NXT Trainees Reportedly Complained To Authorities Investigating WWE Venues As Possible COVID Hotspots. PWA wrestler "Rockstar" Robbie Gillmore then interrupted Roberts and attempted to make an alliance based upon the fact that Robbie wears an 80s style shirt featuring a cobra. I was trying to die at the time.. Jake "The Snake" Roberts didn't feel pain when he wrestled. At WrestleMania VIII, Roberts lost the match, becoming the second man to lose to The Undertaker at WrestleMania.[10]. During the latter segment, the Warrior opened the chest, only to be immediately bitten by a king cobra (actually a rubber prop). He began wrestling in 1975, and the drinking only escalated from there. Roberts made his first television appearance on August 2, 1992, at a Main Event taping in Baltimore, Maryland after coming through the crowd to attack Sting. All of it is covered in the latest documentary in A&Es Biography: WWE Legends series airing Sunday at 8 p.m. Thankfully, Roberts has kept his nose clean since then, at least in the eyes of the law. While that's certainly enough to feed most families, it's a slap in the face when you were just promised 15 times that amount. [24] Roberts and the Undertaker attacked Savage, until Sid Justice ran them off. They held the belts for several months before dropping them to Gorilla Monsoon and Luke Graham the following January. Before Aurelian Smith Jr. ever stepped in a ring he hoped to be an architect, having a love of working with wood and buildings. promo from 1999. The actual match lasted maybe a minute. "[59] In July 2014, he announced that he was cancer-free after various surgeries. It's not your typical sketchy cross bike. Roberts appeared on The Funeral Parlor to demand answers from the Undertaker about why he stopped him from attacking Elizabeth. Professional wrestling was lucky to have Jake "The Snake" Roberts then, as an entertainer, and it's lucky to have him now, as a source of knowledge. In late 1986, Roberts began to enjoy an upsurge in fan popularity, despite the WWF's attempts to cast him as an unpopular villain. 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 . Jake The Snake Roberts on his Character in WWE in 1996. Coolmath's snake game is different from most. Roberts was expecting a triumphant night before heading to college, but instead was embarrassed during his match and scolded by his dad. It led to him praying to the devil to help him one day become a bigger wrestling star than his father. Oct 19, 2020 | By Marsha Smith | Los Angeles Review of Books. He'd slither into the ring, pepper . Once he began coming into his own, he stumbled into his famous DDT when The Grappler stepped on his left foot and he fell flat on his ass. The accident became one of pro wrestlings most devastating and protected finishers and changed Roberts career. 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). He was released in February 1997. Wrestling star Jake "The Snake" Roberts, real name Aurelian Smith, Jr., is in the hospital, and he's not in good condition, WrestlingInc reports. He is also the father to wrestlers Sam Houston, Rockin' Robin, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. He also stated that the cobra died a week after the angle and he joked that the cobra must have got the venom from him. In fact, he's thriving, because 60 years of misery was apparently his limit. After the ordeal, his father laid into him: "I'm ashamed of you, you're gutless, and you'll never amount to anything.". He was a part of the League of Doom ensemble for the National Wrestling Alliance in 1983. 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. 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. As I understood it from my grandparents, the things Grizzly Smith did were a sort of open secret among people who were around during that time and it always bothered me that the same . 5. 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. 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. 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. 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. I didn't see a way out. [5] Notably, although Ambrose's onscreen character was unconscious, he himself was visibly attempting not to smile during the segment as Roberts had been his favorite wrestler during his childhood. (358) 7.8 1 h 36 min 2015 PG. Jake, untrained and drunk, got battered and stretched worse than he'd ever been. Roberts next feuded with Jerry "The King" Lawler, who went to great lengths to ridicule Roberts' past alcoholism. [2] In many of these matches, The Assassins were joined by the Missouri Mauler and The Kentuckians teamed with Haystacks Calhoun. In 1999, Roberts was unflatteringly featured in the wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat. (Matsuda later recommended Smith's daughter Rockin' Robin to work for All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling in the 1990s). He was the father of professional wrestlers Aurelian, Jr. (Jake "The Snake" Roberts), Michael (Sam Houston), and Robin (Rockin' Robin). Its showing them that things are possible., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, WWE star arrested for gun possession in New Jersey, Major AEW faction needs direction change and it may have already begun, Wrestling legend hopes for lasting TV chance after rough health issues, WWEs red-hot run puts AEW in uncharted waters, shock value of a live snake moving around in a bag, reaching out to his friend Diamond Dallas Page, WWE's red-hot run puts AEW in uncharted waters, Patrick Kane well worth struggle to bring him to Broadway, The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Kanye West and 'wife' Bianca Censori look surprisingly happy on dinner date, 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting. In the spring of 1994, Roberts returned to the United States to wrestle for Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW). [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. McMahon wanted to add a live snake to his persona. 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. [15] After Rude began insulting Roberts, Cheryl slapped him, angering Rude before Roberts ran out for the save. After kicking their decades-long addictions to drugs and alcohol, Jake "The Snake" Roberts (real name: Aurelian Smith Jr.) and Razor Ramon (real name: Scott Hall) will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame next month during Wrestlemania XXX. Various surgeries his father than his father great lengths to ridicule Roberts ' lawyer sucked at his job nullified... 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