• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

WWE Never Say Never: Jake 'The Snake' Roberts Should Go Far in Royal Rumble

Posted: Nov 16th 2013 By: mikeiles

Wrestling great Jake "The Snake" Roberts could easily be dismissed as a wrestling tragedy, which is basically a Greek tragedy with rehab.

Beyond the Mat all but exposed the living legend as an iconic wrestling star in a cry for help. Roberts' descent into the dark depths of life after pro wrestling has since become textbook.

Since the controversial documentary aired, Roberts has been in and out of rehab, relapse and small-time wrestling promotions. Over time, his every public appearance was one step further from his in-ring legacy and one step closer to the grave.

But thanks to Diamond Dallas Page, pro wrestling's Tony Robbins, Roberts appears to have been saved from himself.

Page's Accountability Crib, a safe haven for wrestlers notorious for their failed attempts at adjusting to life outside the WWE spotlight, was recently featured on Real Sports.

And although Roberts has admittedly relapsed since moving in with Page, the long-term effects of Roberts' stay with the former WCW star have been positive.

In addition to his valiant effort to stay clean, Roberts has received national attention for plans to appear in the Royal Rumble.

Nothing has been confirmed by the WWE, and for now, this can be considered as no more than a pipe dream.

WWE has been dedicated to marketing its brand as a family-friendly product, and chances are the promotion wants no part of Roberts' messy post-wrestling track record.

Several gossip websites, most notably TMZ, have covered Roberts' aspirations to appear in the illustrious 30-man Battle Royal that once welcomed him annually as a regular.

Roberts' national platform has already given his potential comeback a backdrop that could pique the interest of those who serially browse TMZ only to deny doing so.

A would-be appearance would certainly be picked up by the popular website, which would only help WWE's bottom line. A strong showing in that match would be even better.

Royal Rumble often serves as a study in WWE's roster depth. In years where the majority of up-and-coming WWE Superstars have been poorly booked, the promotion tends to reach out to surprise entrants to counter its lack of incumbent star power.

This is one of those years.

Most babyfaces have been made to look like fools during The Authority storyline. This has created a void in the 2014 Royal Rumble that cannot be filled by damaged talent, but rather nostalgia, which has proven to be omnipotent in WWE.

Jake Roberts overachieving in the 2014 Royal Rumble would be the feel-good moment of the year one month into the WWE calendar. Stars of his stature simply do not run out of comeback opportunities.