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Wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts Keeps It Real

Posted: Jan 30th 2010 By: CMBurnham

Wrestling legend Jake "The Snake" Roberts will appear at tonight's Vengeance Live on I-95 at the County Line Saloon in Melbourne.

An iconic figure in wrestling, Roberts made his professional debut in 1975. Born Aurelian Smith Jr. in 1955, he was the subject of an unflattering 1999 documentary, "Beyond the Mat," which chronicled his troubled life, continual bouts with alcohol and drug addictions, and his strained family relationships.

The son of former wrestler Grizzly Smith, Roberts would bring his pet snake, a python named Damien, ringside and place him on his opponents' chests after finishing them off.

Known as one of the industry's top heels (a wrestling term for "bad guy"), Roberts is a regular on the independent wrestling circuit and occasionally appears on national television shows.

I spoke with Roberts about his troubled past, his regrets and his take on today's wrestling. So let's Shake, Rattle & Know: Jake "The Snake" Roberts.

SRK: Your business has lost so many wrestlers during the past few years. What kind of toll does that take on you emotionally?

Roberts: It's very upsetting to lose friends and you wonder why. You start to question "Why am I still here," and you start to question God and his plan. We just lost Steve Williams ("Dr. Death"), and he was such a great athlete and man. We sure have lost a lot. I have a lot of thoughts on why we keep losing guys, but I'll keep those to myself. I feel for their families now. We dream all our lives and then have those dreams stripped away. We work hard, sacrifice a lot, and some guys just give up on living.

SRK: A lot of wrestlers these days are doing the DDT, the move you made famous, and giving it their own fancy name. How does that make you feel?

Roberts: I love it. I think it's funny. These guys are such idiots and don't even do it properly. They do it just for a pop out of the audience and not as a finisher. When Jake "The Snake" Roberts did it, you didn't get up afterward. These guys aren't beating anyone with it, and they think it cheapens the move, but it doesn't. I hope they keep doing it, because it makes people remember me and that I did it right.

SRK: Back in your day, wrestling had more genuine characters like George "The Animal" Steele, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and yourself. How different do you find mainstream wrestling today?

Roberts: It's very cookie cutter these days. They try to produce guys too fast, and wrestlers don't take the time to learn the art of wrestling. It's nothing more than a product for TV now. It's funny because there are not a half-dozen guys wrestling today that would have cut it back in the '70s and '80s.

SRK: What do you think is your key to longevity?

Roberts: I just always try to do things and people right. I never cheapened what I did, and I didn't waste myself in the ring.

SRK: Of all the friends you have made in this business, are there any guys you are still close to today?

Roberts: That's tough. Not really. With my background, I try to put up walls to avoid getting hurt by anyone again. Those walls are hard to tear down, and I don't want to ever be hurt.

Tags: Jake Roberts, Grizzly Smith, Steve Williams, Roddy Piper