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Jake Roberts slithers into Central Ohio for 2 events

Posted: May 3rd 2007 By: CMBurnham

Jake "The Snake" Roberts, a former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar, is coming to the area this weekend for a pair of shows.

Friday night, he'll be part of a Big Time Wrestling show at the Muskingum County Fairgrounds on 1300 Pershing Road, leading a card that also includes the likes of former World Championship Wrestling standout Buff Bagwell and other notables such as Abdullah the Butcher, Fantastic Bobby Fulton and Shark Boy.

Saturday night, he'll headline the Ohio Championship Wrestling card at The Dome at Ridgewood Middle School in West Lafayette. Fulton is also scheduled to participate.

"It always helps us draw a bigger crowd, which is the reason we bring them in," said "Big Guns" Jeff Cannon, who runs OCW. "Our guys like to perform in front of that crows. Bringing in a star like Jake the Snake or Buff Bagwell or others we've had in the past five years gives us an opportunity to draw that crowd."

Bagwell wrestled at an OCW event over a year ago.

"Another thing from a business standpoint," Cannon said, "is when I was growing up, wanting to go to the wrestling shows, I liked it when they brought those big names to town. You could see them up close and shake their hand and it brought things to a more personal level. You got to know that person."

Seating could be limited for both shows as well.

Dave Yocum, treasurer of the Muskingum County Fair Board, said the Veterans Complex Building has a seating capacity of 1,000, including 500 VIP seats that Yocum expects to sell out.

"I've been working with a promoter from North Carolina ... He said we're way ahead of other venues in ticket sales in advance," Yocum said. "Usually what happens is the walk-up crowd sells out the venue."

Cannon said he usually runs shows at Hopewell School in Coshocton, but decided to move this event to Ridgewood Middle School in anticipation of a huge crowd that will be anxious to see Roberts.

Famous for using the DDT as his coup de grace, Roberts' nickname is from being thin and snake-like, then added to it by bringing a live snake to the ring. He brought the snake, Damien, to the ring during his first run in the WWE in 1986-1992.

Roberts returned to the WWE in 1996 with a religious-based persona, but that stint may best be known for losing to Stone Cold Steve Austin in the finals of the King of the Ring, which vaulted Austin to the top of the pro wrestling world