In the fall of 1999, the documentary “Beyond The Mat” was released. While it has been both praised and criticized, it served as my first real look at the downward spiral that Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ life had taken. Sure, his alcohol problems were brought up during his second run with WWE in 1996, but they were spoken of in the past tense. To see him in that light, as a fan it made me sad. I remember watching as a kid, there weren’t many guys (if any) who could match Roberts in cutting a promo.
Even as a babyface, there was always a certain darkness to his promos. Very cold and intellectual. Methodical, yet intense. Some could say he was the original “Cerebral Assassin” and that attention to detail, that psychology, translated to the ring. Roberts could always tell a great story, no matter who he was in the ring with and no matter what challenge he faced. He even managed to make an interesting match out of a blindfold match. And while it had its comedic moments, he came out of it without looking silly. He was one of those guys that I really liked as a kid, but didn’t truly appreciate the worker that he was until a little bit later. A time when I feared it was too little too late.
Much like Scott Hall, Sean Waltman and others, Roberts’ name became as synonymous with drug and alcohol abuse as it did with wrestling. The film “Beyond The Mat” seemed to be a portrait of Jake concluding his descent to rock bottom, and that disappointed me. Whether you take stock in the picture that documentary painted or not, it was clear that Jake Roberts had fallen very far, with his future and his ability to rise from that fall looking bleak.
Enter Diamond Dallas Page. A man who had been trained by Roberts when he first broke into the business. A man who had seen many friends and co-workers struggle with addiction. A man who would become a guardian angel of sorts for Jake Roberts. It was due to Jake’s helping train him when he entered the business that caused Page to want to help. And the change in Roberts is nothing short of amazing. You can look up videos on DDP’s site or see before and after pictures to see the amazing change that Jake has gone through. To see how Page and his DDP Yoga has not only gotten Jake back in good shape, but has been a source of inspiration and comfort for him, makes me really quite happy. I never wanted to see the side of Jake Roberts from “Beyond The Mat” be his legacy. So to see him getting back in shape, with a new zeal for life, it has made Jake an inspiration. That he could fall so far, and still make it back, is a tremendous feel-good story of professional wrestling.
But, the story doesn’t end there. In April of 2013 Jake made his intentions known that he wanted to be a participant in the 2014 Royal Rumble match. Although still rehabbing from shoulder surgery at the time, he was in pretty good shape. Making that announcement in April gave him a solid nine months to prepare, provided WWE would let him take part. But to me that seems to be a non-issue as Jake has made several one-off appearances with WWE over the years. But it was the “Old School” Raw from January 6, 2014 where the WWE Universe got to see the re-emergence of Jake “The Snake” Roberts. However, the question remains as to whether or not this was a one-time thing, or if Jake’s goal of entering the 2014 Royal Rumble match will come true. Personally, I’d love to see even more than a mere Rumble appearance.
Jake’s appearance on the “Old School” Raw seemed to be more than the obligatory cameos that we have grown accustomed to from the likes of Ted Dibiase, Kamala, I.R.S., and many others. He came out to help CM Punk, one of the top guys in the company, and to close the show. Maybe this was WWE’s way to gauge interest from the fans, but judging from the reactions and chants of D-D-T, that shouldn’t be a problem. But as a fan myself, I don’t want to simply see a Royal Rumble appearance. I’m not saying I think he should have a title run or anything, but with all of the hard work he has put in to get to this point, and with how much the fans do still love him, I would love to see one more short run. I think he has it in him. Just something similar to what Ricky Steamboat did in 2009. Have Jake enter the Rumble match and eliminate a young talent. Maybe Dean Ambrose, since some potential seeds could have been planted for a feud with Jake’s Raw appearance. But, it could just as easily be a different wrestler as well. Then the feud could go on, culminating in a match at Wrestlemania XXX. Jake wouldn’t have to wrestle a lot, or even make constant appearances. Have it be sporadic at first with a heavier schedule as Wrestlemania drew closer. But, maybe that’s just me being an armchair booker.
But even still, if WWE was really feeling up to it, they could also induct Roberts into the Hall of Fame in 2014. What better ending could he have after falling so far, and fighting to make it back? Like a snake shedding its skin, Jake Roberts has seemingly shed the demons from his past, and I for one, couldn’t be happier.
