Last week, Dark Side of the Ring covered the life and career of The Ultimate Warrior. This week, Dark Side of the Ring took a deep dive into the Grizzly Smith, who wrestled during the late 1950s, throughout the 1960s, and most of the 1970s. He is also the father to wrestlers Sam Houston, Rockin’ Robin, and Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Though he has wrestled for multiple organizations, including the National Wrestling Alliance, Smith’s life outside of the ring is rife with controversy. This episode, entitled In the Shadow of Grizzly Smith, was most definitely not for the faint of heart. Here is what viewers learned about Smith, as well as his family, coming out of this episode.
The family of Grizzly Smith wasn’t close.
Grizzly Smith’s children were raised at a distance. There was no mutual support for one another. To the fans, there was no knowledge that they were related. Nonetheless, Sam Houston recalled being proud of his father as a child, seeing him as “Superman.” Houston idolized his father until his passing. Smith would know how to play the children against one another as well.
Rockin’ Robin’s name was, to her, a “lazy thing.”
It was a name that was decided on before a match. She said that she probably should have tried out “Rotten Robin,” saying it would have been fun.
All the children that became wrestlers had their strengths and weaknesses.
Smith’s biological son, Richard, said that he didn’t want to travel, nor did he want the lifestyle. Meanwhile, Jake Roberts enjoyed the lifestyle in question. Sam Houston, according to Jim Cornette, was a solid technical wrestler. Jake Roberts understood the mental aspect of professional wrestling and had the verbal aspect down. Roberts made fans believe that he was “a snake in the grass.” Smith was resistant to the idea of Roberts getting into wrestling. Roberts said that he got into wrestling out of hatred for his father.
Grizzly Smith previously worked in the oil field.
Smith met someone that was involved in wrestling, who believed that he could be a good wrestler. Smith bet people money to see if they could make him double over with a punch in the stomach. He made considerable money doing this as he got into wrestling.
Jake Roberts saw Grizzly Smith work his family.
Smith played up the extent of his in-ring injuries and his hatred toward his opponents at home. Roberts recalled crying himself to sleep on multiple nights, believing that Smith’s feuds with his opponents were real.
Jim Cornette recalled jokes made about Grizzly Smith in the locker room.
Every joke regarding Smith was made in terms of being with younger girls, which Cornette saw as strange. As a young man in wrestling, at that point, Cornette didn’t know about Smith’s life outside of the ring.
Baby Doll saw strange happenings with Grizzly Smith firsthand.
She was married to Sam Houston from 1986 to 1994. Baby Doll recalled a road trip with Smith, where he picked up a teenage girl that would travel with them on the road. Her parents would wave goodbye as the car rode off. In time, Baby Doll learned the seedy details of Smith’s life.
Jake Roberts thought back to his traumatic childhood.
Jake Roberts terrorizing the entire Royal Rumble with his snake.
Mabel's reaction is my favorite. He was having none of it 😂 pic.twitter.com/ZNzPgrQn6L
— Apron Bump (@ApronBump) November 12, 2022
Roberts said that he did away with “Aurelian Smith Jr.,” as it would have been too painful otherwise. To him, the person hasn’t grown since he was 12 or 13 years old. He was more comfortable as “Jake Roberts” and would use it as an escape from his troubled past. Roberts’ mother was 13 when he was born, making Smith a pedophile. When they divorced, the children were passed around to different homes. Roberts would soon move in with his grandmother until her passing. At age 11, Roberts moved in with his father and his new wife, Marcia.
Smith’s new wife would, according to Roberts, play “games that weren’t so funny” to him. Roberts confided to his father about this, which she caught. Later on, she would beat Roberts with a clothes hanger and a flyswatter. Smith was completely aware of this as he was doing the same thing to Roberts’ sisters.
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Robin recalled being sexually assaulted by her father.
It started when she was 8 or 9 years old, according to her. About one month prior, he completely ignored her, not standing to be in the same room as her. One day, her mother was gone and her father was home. Smith called her to the back to say he loved her. This would lead to the first time he put his hands on her, which she was unable to process. According to her, it stripped her of her innocence. Sexual assault at the hands of her father lasted from age 8 to 14. She told her mother and the two promptly left. Robin even threatened to shoot Smith with his own gun if it ever happened again.
JoLynn, Robin’s half-sister, was a focus of the episode as well.
JoLynn asked if Robin felt safe. Robin believed that JoLynn went through the same abuse at the hands of their father. Two weeks later, JoLynn would be kidnapped. While Robin, Richard, and Michael (Houston) were at a rollerskating rink, they received a call to come home. When they did, they were informed of JoLynn’s kidnapping. Richard took it the hardest, as he was closest to JoLynn. JoLynn was with her infant son, Ted, when she was abducted by two assailants. When authorities arrived on the scene, they saw the baby, totally fine, in his crib. They would also find menacing letters, leading them to the ex-wife of JoLynn’s husband.
She would confess to the kidnapping. However, she claimed that JoLynn escaped shortly after the abduction. This led to a massive investigation, even including a psychic. JoLynn’s body was never recovered, making a murder charge impossible. It was believed, by former Chief of Police of Tatum, Texas, Carl Gage, that her body was brought to an incinerator to eliminate any evidence. The only information Smith’s children received was from him. The ex-wife of JoLynn’s husband was convicted of aggravated kidnapping.
Robin believed that her father may have been responsible for JoLynn’s disappearance and death.
Robin thought that JoLynn had information on Smith. Such information could have cost him his career. It’s never been confirmed whether this was the case. Richard suggested taking the case to Unsolved Mysteries, which Smith was against. According to Richards, he didn’t seem to express much sadness in regard to the loss of JoLynn.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts took the hate from his real life and brought it into his character.
He used the snake bag as a way to divert attention from him and create fear. “Look at the snake bag,” said Roberts. “Don’t look at me.” However, the snake would, surprisingly enough, appeal to younger fans while parents expressed fear over the snake. Thus, Roberts initially was a fan favorite in the World Wrestling Federation.
Rockin’ Robin would work for the WWF, though her time with her father wasn’t done yet.
On this day in 1988, Rockin' Robin won the WWF Women's Championship #WWE #WomensTitle pic.twitter.com/utl2HxLu9y
— Wrestling History (@HoursOfWrestlin) October 7, 2022
Robin’s work would catch the attention of WWF promoter Vince McMahon, who said she threw a punch like a man would. From there, Robin would begin working for the company, winning the Women’s Championship. Living on her own, Robin received a visit from Smith and a little girl. Robin immediately knew the girl was in trouble. Smith asked Robin to make the girl a daiquiri. When Smith went to bed, Robin stayed up with the girl to ask her questions, such as if he ever pulled over to ask her for a kiss. When Smith left, Robin kept the girl behind, saying he wouldn’t be bringing her along anymore.
Sam Houston was a “good hand,” which led to an underwhelming wrestling career.
As the best worker in the family, according to Cornette, Houston’s size kept him from being used in a more prominent spot. Houston would develop a drinking problem. When the topic of his marriage to Baby Doll arose to Smith, Houston consumed 32 Crown and Cokes. He would rack up multiple DUI offenses, though he initially avoided significant jail time due to his father’s influence. Smith denied that his father had anything to do with it. Ultimately, Houston was sent to prison, his father’s influence being unable to help. He was told he would be in prison for 30 years. During his time in prison, Houston attempted suicide.
Jake Roberts would sink further to his own addictions.
The most important thing to him, at that time, was cocaine. Being in the limelight allowed him to get what he believed he needed, whether it was drugs, time with women, or anything else associated with the party life. Roberts would infamously show up at the Heroes of Wrestling event in no condition to perform. Subsequent public appearances would see him behave erratically.
As the WWF phased out their women’s division, Rockin’ Robin developed her own addictions.
She would turn to alcohol following her departure from the company. She believed that this had more to do with her childhood, which was ruined by her father.
In 2010, Grizzly Smith passed away due to Alzheimer’s disease.
His biological son, Richard, was his sole caretaker until his final days. Smith passed away while Houston was in prison. Smith never apologized for his abuse toward his children, seeing his behavior as completely normal. Richard was also never apologized to for being given up for adoption. Nonetheless, Richard believed that he was lucky for this. All the children expressed interest in being closer to one another. Roberts and Robin stressed the importance of seeking help to those that are where they were as children. Roberts closed the episode with the advice, “never ever, ever, ever give up.”
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Catch Dark Side of the Ring on VICE, with new episodes airing each Thursday at 9 PM EST.
