However, Roberts turned up at the show "in no fit state to compete", but went ahead with his match. They held the belts for several months before dropping them to Gorilla Monsoon and Luke Graham the following January. There they feuded with Gorilla Monsoon & Klondike Bill and the Graham Brothers. But at 18, he decided to give wrestling a try to prove his toughness to his infamous father Grizzly Smith. Fans likely weren't sure what to be more aghast at: Robert's drunken actions, or how he looked heavier, flabbier, and overall worse than ever. He said that often instead of following his partners lead he would try something at the wrong place and time during a match. Roberts did not appear at the Royal Rumble event, but was announced as part of the 2014 Class of the WWE Hall of Fame. Articles by Marsha Smith How a Book Club Became My Joint. In the attack, Roberts was (storyline) injured by DiBiase and needed time off to have surgery to repair the damage. That theres hope, Roberts said when asked what he wants people to take away from the documentary. 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. Wash on gentle, cold water. [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. Smith and Houston took on jobs performing maintenance in a cemetery near New Orleans' French Quarter. Its showing them that things are possible., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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After SummerSlam, Roberts was placed in a feud with Randy Savage. A son, a father and a brother. Roberts came to the ring to help Beefcake, who eventually won by disqualification. In 2018, Roberts embarked on his a series of spoken word shows dubbed The Dirty Details Tour, subtitled "Tales From The Pit". Damien, to put it mildly, kicked his butt. Roberts had just said all he ever wanted was a little respect, and the Rockstar's interruption irritated him. Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith (August 1, 1931 June 12, 2010) was an American professional wrestler. It was a rip off. Attorney-at-Law Jamaica Labour Party candidate for St. Ann North East According to Roberts, on the day the angle was shot, he had to let the cobra bite him on his leg at Savage's request to convince him that the snake had been devenomized and Savage would regularly check on Roberts to make sure he had no side effects from the bite. Roberts, who was so drunk that he could not stand up, took the fall in the match after Bundy splashed and pinned him. "[39] After his induction, he would continue to make sporadic appearances, and would also be a regular on WWE Story Time, even making an appearance on the show after his AEW debut. [3] He often brought snakes into the ring, most famously a python. He is best known for his two stints in the World Wrestling Federation (later called WWE); the first between 1986 and 1992, and the second between 1996 and 1997. Being a traditional architect was out the window. PW Insider reported earlier today, there was an incident between New Japan Star Harry Smith and WWE Hall of Famer Jake 'The Snake' Roberts. [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. 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. Roberts does believe he may have played better during WWEs Attitude Era. That famous period of wrestling popularity was led by the anti-hero Stone Cold Steve Austin, who Roberts helped create at King of the Ring 1996. Roberts had trouble developing his character, so in the late 1970s he traveled to Canada to wrestle. She was educated at Brown's Town Primary School, Westwood High School, Brown's Town Community College, the University of the West Indies and Norman Manley Law School. [9], Smith then returned to Texas, where he was involved in a rivalry with The Spoiler. 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. 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. Roberts admitted to Sports Illustrated in 2015 that he "can't stand snakes." The World Wrestling Entertainment (Previously WWF . 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. Smith's daughter stated that he had sexually abused her as well. Not everything bad in Jake's life is due to a broken family or alcoholism. 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. [41] On March 4, 2020, he made a surprise appearance on AEW Dynamite, interrupting Cody. Then, once released, she and her ex collected the money from Jake's sister's life insurance and ran off together. He also hoped to, one day, finally hear his dad say he was proud of him. On the 87th day, Frey stepped down and was replaced by Bill Watts, for whom Roberts had legit heat with back in his days at Mid-South Wrestling. It likely happened before the industry was ready for one. However, after Roberts hit Hogan with a DDT during an episode of The Snake Pit, fans responded positively to the attack by chanting "DDT" rather than for Hogan, and McMahon abandoned his plans for a feud between them. "The Snake Pit" was patterned after "Piper's Pit", wherein Roberts would conduct interviews with wrestlers or managers to help push wrestlers and get feuds over with the crowd. Resurrection of Jake The Snake. Roberts scored a pinfall victory over Sting, which built their feud further. In 2004, he got nabbed on animal cruelty charges. [42] On March 11, 2020, Roberts revealed Lance Archer as his new client. Everyone was scared of the snake, and that's exactly what I wanted. At WrestleMania VIII, Roberts lost the match, becoming the second man to lose to The Undertaker at WrestleMania.[10]. It's still hard for me to watch this documentary and some of the clips, because I have to see just how bad I was. It's a tale about trauma, tragedy and redemption. According to social media the tour was to feature "an uncensored night of comedy, stories from the road, Q&A and more". They were able to salvage some footwear and canned food, but flooding destroyed the remainder of their belongings. Smith began competing in professional wrestling in Texas, but he worked on an oilfield part-time as well. Moss regained the title the next night in Ashford, Kent, though. Things got so awkward and bad, the promoter had to send two other wrestlers out to make it a tag team match, simply so Roberts didn't embarrass himself any further. Roberts was set to wrestle Jim Neidhart, but a pre-match interview showed he was in no condition to wrestle, or do anything really. In November 1986, Roberts challenged Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Championship. He was born Aurelian Smith Jr., but wrestling fans know him by his more famous, far catchier ring name: Jake "The Snake" Roberts. One of the most distinctive things about Jake Roberts is how seriously he took his "snake" gimmick. He was no better in the ring, forcing fans to rub his bare chest, pretending his snake was a pants-snake, and stumbling around the ring while barely acknowledging anything Neidhart was trying to do. But soon, Sid injured his biceps, which forced the feud to end.[10]. 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. Over 20 bottles of airplane vodka were littered all around him. 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 . As he put it, "it no longer became a choice to [drink]. [28] To go along with his new gimmick, his new albino Burmese python was named "Revelations". Roberts immediately began berating Randy Savage in a series of promos, aware that Savage who had lost a retirement match to the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania VII was unable to exact revenge. Eat as many apples as you can to grow as long as possible. Slithering to the ring with a monstrous python concealed in a burlap sack, Jake used fear as a weapon as deftly as he used pain. Roberts performed a DDT on Runt instead. In December, he made his debut for Ricky Knight's World Association of Wrestling in Lowestoft. McMahon wanted to add a live snake to his persona. Roberts appeared unannounced on WWE Raw and looked to be in phenomenal shape. Smith has been the subject of allegations of repeated sexual abuse of minors, including several of his own children. It was something I was scared to death of because I got screwed over so bad with that other crap that was put together. The legendary Jake the Snake features race-driven geometry in a tough yet light aluminum frame and a full carbon flat mount disc fork, and is accompanied by tubeless ready wheels wrapped with Maxxis All Terrane tires, a SRAM Apex 1x11 drivetrain, and TRP hydraulic disc . 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. Jake Roberts. At that point, you watch it. The WWE Hall of Famer never won a singles title in WWE, partly Roberts said he believes because McMahon was afraid of relying on him because of his issues outside the ring. I had given up on life completely, I was just waiting to die. How Old is Jake The Snake? He died on June 12, 2010 in Amarillo, Texas. Use the arrow keys to control your snake and spacebar to pause. In fact, he's been dealing with adversity from day one, thanks to his father. [45] At Double or Nothing on May 23, 2020, Archer lost the final to Cody Rhodes after Mike Tyson prevented Roberts from interfering on Archer's behalf in the finals match for the new AEW TNT Championship. 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. 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. 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. 5. After the match, Roberts mounted an offensive against DiBiase and Virgil and then began giving away DiBiase's "money" including giving some money to actress Mary Tyler Moore who was seated at ringside. If youre like a lot of wrestling fans, you love the infinitely quotable 1999 pro wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat. My God, he giveth but he ain't got the balls to do nothin' else." [18] In reality, Roberts' bag contained hamburger meat intended to look like a snake and a small mechanical device to depict movement. 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. On Wednesday I drink a six pack. When Roberts was dissatisfied with the answers, he hit Bearer with a DDT and, after jamming Undertaker's hand in a coffin, began hitting him with a steel chair; however, Undertaker got up after each chair shot and eventually chased Roberts backstage dragging the coffin behind him. By the time RSPCA inspectors discovered Damien, it was too late and the snake died shortly after. After leaving WCW, Roberts spent his next couple of years wrestling around the world. Just as Roberts was about to swing the chair, he was stopped by the Undertaker; Roberts was distracted long enough for Savage to hit him with the chair instead. The Hon. He then had a feud with "Ravishing" Rick Rude and his manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who began a gimmick of selecting a woman from the crowd to kiss after each match. Changes had to be made to the match's scripting as legitimate injuries sustained earlier in the evening in a match with Vader left Roberts unable to engage in the longer, more evenly matched bout originally intended between the men. 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. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. 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. Roberts stated in a shoot interview with Jim Ross that the feud with Savage had to end early because Elizabeth's parents were upset with Savage for not protecting Elizabeth when Roberts kayfabe slapped her. 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. Jake The Snake Net Worth: Jake The Snake has a net worth of $3 million. [2] In many of these matches, The Assassins were joined by the Missouri Mauler and The Kentuckians teamed with Haystacks Calhoun. Oct 19, 2020 | By Marsha Smith | Los Angeles Review of Books. Though he never won a world title or headlined a WrestleMania, he's just as much an '80s WWF icon as Hulk Hogan or Randy Savage. February 26, 2023. ("Aurelian the Barbarian" is a solid backup plan.) 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. [63] He missed AEW tapings on December 16 and 17, citing this illness. He was a part of the League of Doom ensemble for the National Wrestling Alliance in 1983. Thats the thing about me now, I dont have to lie. Cheryl would remain on the road with Jake as his pseudo manger/valet. 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. 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 executed the DDT on Steamboat on the exposed concrete floor right in front of his wife Bonnie and then proceeded to rest his snake Damien on top of a prone Steamboat. His children Jake, Robin, Michael, and Richard were interviewed. Being as good and great as Hulk [Hogan] was there was some corn in that, a little too much in believability. I always kept it very, very real. [2] He had three children from his first marriage: two sons, Aurelian Jr. and Richard, and a daughter, Jo Lynn (who was kidnapped in 1979). He is also the father to wrestlers Sam Houston, Rockin' Robin, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE 60s Marsha G Smith Tiger, GA View Full Report Addresses Parker Hollifield Rd, Tiger, GA (360) 7.8 1 h 36 min 2015 16+. The camera crew faded to black immediately, proving they had more sense than whoever allowed Roberts to even attempt wrestling while in his wretched state. 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. Roberts responded by flashing the crowd, punching a wall, breaking his hand, and running out into the streets crying. He giveth but he ai n't got the balls to do so lying... Then, once released, she and her ex collected the money from Jake 's life and..., I dont have to lie collected the money from Jake 's life insurance and ran together... And great as Hulk [ Hogan ] was there was some corn in that, a little too much believability. He ever wanted was a little too much in believability Rockstar 's interruption irritated him eventually won disqualification. Say he was proud of him lead he would try something at the wrong place and during... Most famously a python to lose to the ring to help Beefcake who. Hear his dad say he was involved in a feud with Randy Savage off have. 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