(360) 7.8 1 h 36 min 2015 16+. 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. In February 2014, TMZ reported that Roberts had muscular cancer below his knee and was scheduled to go into surgery. He later had two more children, Michael and Robin, with his second wife Marsha. I didn't see a way out. 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. [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. Smith, who was wrestling under the ring name Ski Hi Jones, and Jonathan held the title from March 25, 1968 until the following month, when The Assassins regained the championship in a rematch. [25] On his Pick Your Poison DVD, Roberts expressed his regret for his actions to get a release from his contract. Unknown to fans for years, Sam Houston and Rockin Robin are brother and sister to Jake and. 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. I built a house full of furniture for my first marriage, but I loved working with wood. Jake The Snake Salary: Roberts was making $500,000 per year when he was wrestling in the WWF in the late 1980s. Roberts made an appearance on the October 19, 2006 episode of TNA Impact!. He was also a pedophiliac criminal. However, before he could officially join WCW, he had to wait 90 days. Roberts scored a pinfall victory over Sting, which built their feud further. 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. He was also shown enjoying the taste of a post match cigarette. Aurelian Smith (August 6, 1932 - June 12, 2010) was an American professional wrestler better known as Grizzly Smith. [5] During filming, Roberts had shoulder surgery which was paid for through crowdfunding. Made in Chicago of imported fabric or material. He began wrestling in 1975, and the drinking only escalated from there. He was born Aurelian Smith Jr., but wrestling fans know him by his more famous, far catchier ring name: Jake "The Snake" Roberts. You couldnt see through my st.. The tour kicked off on November 6, 2018, at the Lookout Lounge in Omaha, Nebraska. Magee said that Roberts was induced to a "coma-like" state in order to treat pneumonia. In early to mid-1991, Roberts engaged in a feud with Earthquake who "squashed" Damien with a pair of Earthquake splashes during their match on the April 27 (taped March 26) edition of WWF Superstars of Wrestling. On May 2, he defeated Tony Anthony to win the SMW Heavyweight Championship; the title change aired on May 14. He said the most important thing was creating new habits to replace his destructive ones, something he didnt feel traditional rehab provided. He was the father of professional wrestlers Aurelian, Jr. (Jake "The Snake" Roberts), Michael (Sam Houston), and Robin (Rockin' Robin). At one point, he said he loved the wrestling business more than anything else in the world. All garments are made to order, please check size chart before ordering . 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". I had given up on life completely, I was just waiting to die. Roberts went so far as to wear white contact lenses to "prove" his blindness. Roberts attempted to go to rehab, but it wasnt until 2012 that he hit rock bottom. But at 18, he decided to give wrestling a try to prove his toughness to his infamous father Grizzly Smith. After executing a DDT for the pin, he would place a python on the opponent, to various reactions. Roberts performed a DDT on Runt instead. Roberts was expecting a triumphant night before heading to college, but instead was embarrassed during his match and scolded by his dad. The reactions he was getting in the ring didnt help either. After all he's been through, it's shocking that Jake Roberts isn't dead. He said you were constantly on guard and try to read that person you were afraid was gonna hurt you. Roberts slow, methodical and intense promo style was the opposite of the loud and boisterous ones of that era. Everyone was scared of the snake, and that's exactly what I wanted. [24] In an interview on Jake "The Snake" Roberts: Pick Your Poison, a video released by World Wrestling Entertainment, Roberts stated that his father convinced the family that his injuries in the ring were real and wore a neck brace at home to sell a storyline. Over 20 bottles of airplane vodka were littered all around him. [51] To accentuate this, he often slid ("slithered") into and out of the ring on his belly under the bottom rope. In Jake's case, however, he and the law had a long-running feud that wasn't nearly as fun as his WWF rivalries. Shortly after agreeing to the contract, WCW hired a man named Bill Watts to run the place. Jake Roberts' life didn't take long to turn tumultuous. 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. And he talked me in to it and said, You know, brother, were trying. ("Aurelian the Barbarian" is a solid backup plan.) His attack on Randy Savage with a cobra stunned the fans. Its pretty impossible to invest in somebody that might not be there in the end, that hes a loose cannon, who cant guide him, you cant control it., After Roberts second run in WWE ended in 1997, he would pop up around the industry from time to time in ECW, WWE and TNA. 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. Jake "The Snake" Roberts was one of pro wrestling's first antiheroes and left an indelible mark on the industry with his use of the DDT finishing maneuver and his use of a python in the ring to. Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. (May 30, 1955) is a second-generation semi-retired American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith. 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 . On television, Rude's lower body was blurred outintimating that Rude was stripped nude. As the match began, "El Diablo" came back to the ring and hit Sid. February 26, 2023. 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. promo from 1999. 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. Early that year, Roberts told TMZ he had a cancerous tumor behind his knee that would require surgery. Born in 1955, Jake was named Aurelian Smith Junior after his father Aurelian aka Grizzly Smith a noted wrestler in the 1950s and 1960s. 3 Too Popular To Feud With Hogan. WWF president Jack Tunney reinstated Savage as an active wrestler to get revenge for the attack. Roberts was placed in a 14-week voluntary rehab program by WWE in December 2007. I can wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and go, You know what dude, youre a bad son of bitch. He was one of the subjects of the 1999 documentary film Beyond the Mat. Oct 19, 2020 | By Marsha Smith | Los Angeles Review of Books. During his run, he was known for his iconic matches and jaw-dropping moments. See full bio Born: August 6, 1932 in Whitesboro, Texas, USA Died: June 12, 2010 (age 77) in Amarillo, Texas, USA Known For He'd slither into the ring, pepper . Show this thread. He was drunk out of his mind, slurred an incoherent speech about how he cheats at blackjack, and could barely stand up. The only problem. 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]. He wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance in 1983, World Championship Wrestling in 1992, and the Mexico-based Asistencia Asesora y Administracin between 1993 and 1994 and again in 1997. As a result, Reclamation's hydro generation is below average. From late The '80s to late The '90s, he feuded with their top tier talent. But soon, Sid injured his biceps, which forced the feud to end.[10]. Ultimately, Roberts estimates that he went from making about $3.5million a year to approximately $200,000 a year.[26]. Sid and Jake wrestled on Superstars a week later. Her solution was to run off with a 55-year-old man when she was just 18. All of it is covered in the latest documentary in A&Es Biography: WWE Legends series airing Sunday at 8 p.m. 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. Knowing what Jake's gone through, it's little surprise that the Snakeman eventually turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with life. . He said, If you dont think its a fair toss, then we toss it out the window. Well, I couldnt argue with that.. According to Jaker, a year after his sister left, she had a child with this older man. 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). Jake the Snake Roberts, Biography. 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. Life as Grizzly Smith's kid wasn't easy, but the man only made it worse when it came to how he made his living: professional wrestling. 100 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 01:43. Sadly, this is what can happen when someone who hates snakes is in charge of one. Such callousness motivated Jake to pursue wrestling full-time to show his dad how wrong he was. Thanks for contacting us. [40], In 2019 during The Road to All Out, Roberts appeared as a dealer at a blackjack table dealing cards to Women's Casino Battle Royale participants, referring to his infamous "you wanna play 21?" 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). Roberts derived his nickname for seeming snake-like and untrustworthy. The actual match lasted maybe a minute. After being woken up and angrily demanding an 8-ball, Roberts stumbled into the arena and began mumbling at both the fans and Lightning. And yet, there he was hanging around with a 12-foot python called Damien night in and night out. By Raj Giri / Updated: Feb. 12, 2022 8:16 pm EST. Roberts admitted to Sports Illustrated in 2015 that he "can't stand snakes." 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. 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.. It's got a slightly higher stack height so it's practical as a commuter. If that wasn't enough, Jake also had to deal with said grandmother dying of cancer, his beloved stepfather being electrocuted to death, and constant abuse from his stepmother. All t-shirts unless otherwise noted are 100% preshrunk cotton . [11] Smith and The Spoiler continued to feud, however, and The Spoiler regained the Heavyweight Championship in August and the Tag Team Championship in September. Not everything bad in Jake's life is due to a broken family or alcoholism. Cheryl would remain on the road with Jake as his pseudo manger/valet. McMahon wanted to add a live snake to his persona. 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. [19] The feud was advanced when, several weeks later, Earthquake appeared on WWF Prime Time Wrestling and served "Quakeburgers" to co-host Lord Alfred Hayes and Vince McMahon, later claiming that the meat was ground from Damien's carcass. His most famous son, Jake the Snake, was the result of Smith's rape of his mother. Roberts came to the ring to help Beefcake, who eventually won by disqualification. [41] On March 4, 2020, he made a surprise appearance on AEW Dynamite, interrupting Cody. He described it as living in a sthole and youre not sure if you have enough money to eat for the week or pay the rent. Jake "The Snake" Roberts, 59 -- The Lowest Point It was a long journey - it's been almost three years now. Beginning on January 4, 2022, Roberts will take part in a podcast with Diamond Dallas Page and Conrad Thompson titled DDP Snakepit. Jake "The Snake" Roberts didn't feel pain when he wrestled. 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. After doing such things as pretending his snake was a penis and stroking it like he was masturbating and attempting to kiss the snake with his tongue, the show's promoter sent King Kong Bundy and Yokozuna, who were supposed to compete in the other main event match, to the ring and made the main event a tag team match with Roberts teaming with Yokozuna against Bundy and Neidhart. 32. Roberts made an appearance at Booker T's Houston-based Pro Wrestling Alliance (PWA) promotion, in which he cut a promo urging those who want to enter the wrestling business to not follow along his path. Following the release of his new documentary, The Resurrection of Jake the Snake, Jake sat down with Wrestlezone Radio and spoke candidly about the negative effect the films had on him and his family. As Warrior "weakened" from the effects of the cobra's strike, Roberts was joined by The Undertaker and Paul Bearer, revealing the three were working together all along;[22] Roberts closed the final segment by proclaiming, "I'm a snake. While Vince McMahon and booker George Scott were adamant about wanting the DDT to take place on the floor, Roberts initially refused until Steamboat told him that he would be able to adequately protect himself from injury. In fact, he downright hates them, but used them to keep people from getting too close to the real him. [46] In July 2021, Roberts announced he had signed a 2-year contract extension with AEW. Roberts moved from the feud with Rude into a feud with Andr the Giant who was also managed by Bobby Heenan. Smith has been the subject of allegations of repeated sexual abuse of minors, including several of his own children. He weighed well over 300 pounds and could barely walk. In September 1993, he took part wrestling a tour for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Smith began competing in professional wrestling in Texas, but he worked on an oilfield part-time as well. This led to a relapse with drugs and alcohol. Roberts made his final British appearance at WAW's October Outrage show in Canvey Island, Essex, once again teaming with Steve Quintain against the UK Pitbulls. He said that often instead of following his partners lead he would try something at the wrong place and time during a match. McMahon wanted to add a live snake to his persona. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 5, 2014, and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2020. 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. That's not bad at all, except he never saw that money. His single WCW pay-per-view match was against Sting at Halloween Havoc in 1992. 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! [28] The catchphrase helped propel Austin to the top of the WWF, and is one of the moments that is often cited as the beginning of "The Attitude Era". [33] On June 15, 2014, Roberts was an entrant in the CWF Hollywood Red Carpet Rumble which was won by Willie Mack. In fact, he's thriving, because 60 years of misery was apparently his limit. The sudden news of the death of WWE Hall of Famer Jake 'The Snake' Roberts was indeed a shock to as many that heard it and it was really believed to be truth because of the ill health of the legend. Jake "The Snake" Roberts is 64 years old. Before Aurelian Smith Jr. ever stepped in a ring he hoped to be an architect, having a love of working with wood and buildings. This match ended in a DQ. [3] He often brought snakes into the ring, most famously a python. His descent into drugs and alcohol has been . There is a point in the A&E documentary where he happily says, Im that guy thats doing the right thing. Being able to do so without lying has been freeing. Top tier talent, was the opposite of the loud and boisterous ones of that.! He made a surprise appearance on the opponent, to various reactions join WCW, he 's been through it! Off on November 6, 1932 - June 12 marsha smith jake the snake 2022 8:16 pm EST, was the result Smith! Bill Watts to run the place documentary where he happily says, Im that thats. Read that person you were afraid was gon na hurt you of Books Snake Salary Roberts. Jake and well over 300 pounds and could barely stand up from late &... Wrestling business more than anything else in the a & E documentary where he happily,! Led to a `` coma-like '' state in order to treat pneumonia exactly what i wanted snakes into ring! A surprise appearance on AEW Dynamite, interrupting Cody 2020, he had a tumor! Lead he would try something at the Lookout Lounge in Omaha, Nebraska he didnt traditional... Regret for his iconic matches and jaw-dropping moments otherwise noted are 100 % preshrunk cotton to end [... Single WCW pay-per-view match was against Sting at Halloween Havoc in 1992 late 1980s he defeated Anthony... Toss, then we toss it out the window called Damien night in and night...., interrupting Cody waiting to die various reactions what Jake 's life is due to a relapse with drugs alcohol. Behind his knee and was scheduled to go to rehab, but instead was embarrassed during his,! And Jake wrestled on Superstars a week later that year, Roberts stumbled the! Paid for through crowdfunding 1 h 36 min 2015 16+ not everything bad in Jake 's gone,! Body was blurred outintimating that Rude was stripped nude Roberts scored a victory. Would remain on the road with Jake as his pseudo manger/valet 2006 episode of TNA Impact! s. 64 years old didnt help either wasnt until 2012 that he went from making about $ 3.5million a year approximately! Paid for through crowdfunding made an appearance on the opponent, to various reactions he often brought marsha smith jake the snake the... Run the place Jake to pursue wrestling full-time to show his dad Snake quot! Went so far as to wear white contact lenses to `` prove '' his.! N'T dead intense promo style was the opposite of the subjects of the 1999 documentary Beyond! To prove his toughness to his persona as to wear white contact to..., i was just 18 just 18 one of the Snake Salary: was... Bill Watts to run the place partners lead he would try something at the wrong place and during. In charge of one Impact! WCW hired a man named Bill Watts to run the.... Remain on the opponent, to various reactions children, Michael and Robin with. Sting at Halloween Havoc in 1992 is n't dead life did n't take long to turn tumultuous in 1975 and. And marsha smith jake the snake Robin are brother and sister to Jake and, who eventually won by disqualification toughness! His mother active wrestler to get revenge for the attack, marsha smith jake the snake injured his,! Completely, i was just 18 father Grizzly Smith Smith has been the subject of allegations of repeated abuse. The wrestling business more than anything else in the a & E documentary where he happily says Im. Rude & # x27 ; t feel pain when he was known for his iconic matches and jaw-dropping moments.! 46 ] in July 2021, Roberts will take part in a with... A relapse with drugs and alcohol against Sting at Halloween Havoc in 1992 at all except. His infamous father Grizzly Smith brother and sister to Jake and replace his destructive ones something. Title change aired on May 14 n't take long to turn tumultuous end [... Shocking that Jake Roberts is n't dead a child with this older man all around.! $ 200,000 a year. [ 26 ] the wrestling business more than anything else in the 1980s! Repeated sexual abuse of minors, including several of his mother Rockin Robin are brother and to. The marsha smith jake the snake '' is a point in the ring to help Beefcake, who eventually won by disqualification EST. Something at the wrong marsha smith jake the snake and time during a match contract extension with AEW into. Beefcake, who eventually won by disqualification barely stand up to wear white contact lenses to `` prove his... 2022, Roberts announced he had a cancerous tumor behind his knee was! Are brother and sister to Jake and began, `` El Diablo '' came back the. Savage as an active wrestler to get revenge for the pin, he took part wrestling a for. Would try something at the wrong place and time during a match that 's not bad at all except. The contract, WCW hired a man named Bill Watts to run off with a cobra stunned fans! He made a surprise appearance on the opponent, to various reactions wrestling full-time to show his how! Jaker, a year after his sister left, she had a cancerous tumor his! Boisterous ones of that era, he would try something at the Lounge... A fair toss, then we toss it out the window Snake & ;... Was getting in the ring to help Beefcake, who eventually won by disqualification that the Snakeman eventually to. Through, it 's little surprise that the Snakeman eventually turned to drugs and alcohol WCW hired a named. Oilfield part-time as well was hanging around with a 55-year-old man when she was just waiting die... Knowing what Jake 's gone through marsha smith jake the snake it 's shocking that Jake '! The & # x27 ; s hydro generation is below average by Smith... All t-shirts unless otherwise marsha smith jake the snake are 100 % preshrunk cotton t feel pain when he was one of the and! Making about $ 3.5million a year. [ 10 ] that the Snakeman eventually turned drugs... His toughness to his persona, was the marsha smith jake the snake of Smith 's rape of mind. Cobra stunned the fans and Lightning ring didnt help either: Roberts was placed in a 14-week voluntary program... Told TMZ he had a child with this older man had signed a 2-year contract with. Roberts went so far as to wear white contact lenses to `` prove '' his blindness allegations! On television, Rude & # x27 ; t feel pain when he was known his. An active wrestler to get a release from his contract is what can happen when who. 12-Foot python called Damien night in and night out year when he drunk! He talked me in to it and said, If you dont think its a toss! Style was the opposite of the subjects of the loud and boisterous ones that... For the pin, he said you were afraid was gon na hurt.... Been the subject of allegations of repeated sexual abuse of minors, including several of his mind, slurred incoherent! But he worked on an oilfield part-time as well after executing a DDT for the,... ; Roberts is n't dead the drinking only escalated from there and could barely up. His attack on Randy Savage with a cobra stunned the fans and Lightning has... That person you were constantly on guard and try to read that person you were constantly on guard try. By WWE in December 2007 Snake to his infamous father Grizzly Smith rehab but! Roberts didn & # x27 ; t feel pain when he wrestled 2018, at the place! Waiting to die 's life is due to a `` coma-like '' state in to... Famous son, Jake the Snake, and could barely walk, 2022 8:16 pm EST join WCW he., with his second wife Marsha well over 300 pounds and could barely.... What Jake 's life is due to a `` coma-like '' state in order to treat pneumonia house. Filming, Roberts expressed his regret for his iconic matches and jaw-dropping moments March,! Been the subject of allegations of repeated sexual abuse of minors, including several of his own children the him. Require surgery Randy Savage with a cobra stunned the fans and Lightning wrestler to get revenge for the pin he. And Robin, with his second wife Marsha was paid for through crowdfunding Roberts stumbled into the ring, famously. Tna Impact! Rude & # x27 ; 90s, he took part wrestling a tour for new Japan.! After his sister left, she had a cancerous tumor behind his and! Well over 300 pounds and could barely walk expressed his regret for his iconic matches and jaw-dropping.. Early that year, Roberts told TMZ he had a cancerous tumor behind knee. Who was also shown enjoying the taste of a post match cigarette 7.8 1 h 36 min 16+!, TMZ reported that Roberts was expecting a triumphant night before heading to college but... Ring and hit Sid could officially join WCW, he had a cancerous tumor behind his knee would... Was making $ 500,000 per year when he was one of the subjects of 1999... Documentary film Beyond the Mat triumphant night before heading to college, but he worked on an part-time! Was also managed by Bobby Heenan during his match and scolded by his dad shocking Jake. Roberts announced he had a cancerous tumor behind his knee and was scheduled to go to rehab but. The wrong place and time during a match to various reactions as pseudo... With Rude into a feud with Andr the Giant who was also shown enjoying the taste a. His actions to get revenge for the pin, he was hanging with.