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Roberts puts on drunken display at independent show

Posted: Sep 21st 2008 By: mikeiles

Jake "The Snake" Roberts, who earlier this year thanked Vince McMahon for saving his life, publicly self-destructed last weekend at an independent wrestling show in Ohio.

Disturbing footage surfaced last week on a number of online sites showing a rambling, incoherent Roberts implode in front of an audience that had come out, in large part, to see a former WWE legend.

What they saw instead was something entirely different.

The TMZ celebrity gossip site reported that the troubled wrestler, who has been plagued over the years by drug and alcohol abuse, was found passed out backstage moments before he was scheduled to perform. Roberts allegedly became agitated when woken up and asked for an eight ball. Nearly two dozen empty small bottles of vodka reportedly were found next to his gear.

Roberts, 53, cut a profanity-laced promo before stumbling through a match in which he was clearly unable to perform and didn't sell a series of punches from opponent J.T. Lightning. The frustrated wrestler called for a quick finish due to Roberts' inebriated state, grabbed a mic after the match and cut a profanity-laced promo of his own on Roberts.

Things only got worse when the overweight, out-of-shape Roberts exposed himself to the booing crowd, which included a number of children, and later reportedly broke his hand punching a wall backstage before running into the street crying. An ambulance and police were called to the scene, but Roberts, who refused medical treatment, was not arrested.

Roberts later claimed the incident was due to a drink being spiked the day of the match, although Jerry Mires, who works for the promotion as J-Rocc, said Roberts "drank himself stupid."

Roberts, known for bringing large snakes to the ring, was one of wrestling's biggest stars during the late '80s, but has been on a downward spiral for the past two decades, largely due to drug abuse. Last weekend was far from the wrestler's first embarrassing public appearance.

Roberts also made headlines during the 1999 Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view when he showed up intoxicated and performed lewd acts in the ring.

Roberts was placed in a 14-week voluntary rehab program late last year. He credited the program, and WWE owner McMahon, with saving his life.

Tags: Jake Roberts, WWE