that made him a star, and was joining a new promotion in Atlanta called, "WCW". WWE's Vince McMahon was puzzled by Roberts' regular routine of phoning in "too sick to work" and Ted Turner luckily for Roberts' sake, was there to pick up the pieces. Jake was a headliner in the WWE, but found WCW would throw his name into obscurity. I atteneded a wrestling event in Indiana one night and stayed behind hours later with a small group waiting by the back door to see the wrestlers headed to their cars. I was still big on Jake from seeing his matches on Saturday mornings years previous. He walked out the door that night a little uncertain as to where either he or his career, or both may be headed but he still found time to stop and sign autographs and pose for pictures. I knew the stuff was rehearsed but enjoyed it anyway. Besides, these guys were dedicated to their jobs and really did take a beating in the ring. Jake got through saying his "hellos" and cigarette in one hand, beer in the other, got into the backseat of a parked car and sped off. That was the first time and last time I met the guy however, I can't help but feel sorry for the guy as he is today, the butt of jokes and current star of YouTube and TMZ videos not for being a wrestling survivor from the 1980's, but as a disturbed drunk in the middle of a wrestling ring at some Memphis area high school. So the story goes.
Jake wasn't missing shows because of being too sick. He was missing them because he was too drunk, as simple as that. Fast forward ahead fifteen years to today and you'll see Jake at the end of his rope and maybe the end of his life. He's been getting followed by cameras just waiting for him to slip up and do something as stupid as he's been doing the last several w
eeks, and that's showing up to his very own wrestling events drunk. His manager who has acknowledged jake's drinking troubles of the past, is once again making excuses for his relapses and even suggests that some"sicko's" are slipping pills into his "One bedtime drink". Have you seen him lately? He's bloated with a big belly and still walking around with his trademark burlap bag that was the home of his boa constrictor, Damien. Only thing now is, a few weeks ago after passing out during a wrestling match and peeing himself causing the ref to call the match, organizers who gathered Jake's belongings were stunned when the bag he was hanging on to was rattling however, there was no snake inside, just about 100 little bottles of liquor that you normally find on an airplane. Jake was up to his old tricks again. When he discovered he was captured on tape that evening before falling asleep, he argued with others about what he was seeing himself do in the ring. Staggering, slurring, shouting obscenities and yelling at the crowd. He insisted that wasn't him and he was never there. Perhaps a camera trick? Nope. It was a blackout. After sweating it out the next morning, Jake still didn't remember w
hat happened and wasn't going to apologize either. For What? After all, in the 2000 documentary Beyond The Mat , Jake was drunk through his whole segment and was in the process of reconciling with his grown daughter who cut him off from her life. She didn't buy his story either. This all leads up to why his name is coming up again. It's a film just completed called, The Wrestler. It stars Mickey Rourke in the title spot and has strong similarities to Robert's own life which he currently is shrugging off. When the movie opens in theaters at Christmas, let's see how Jake will feel about it then. In the meantime, he's not sorry for anything he's said or done and doesn't need help either, and that's too bad!
eeks, and that's showing up to his very own wrestling events drunk. His manager who has acknowledged jake's drinking troubles of the past, is once again making excuses for his relapses and even suggests that some"sicko's" are slipping pills into his "One bedtime drink". Have you seen him lately? He's bloated with a big belly and still walking around with his trademark burlap bag that was the home of his boa constrictor, Damien. Only thing now is, a few weeks ago after passing out during a wrestling match and peeing himself causing the ref to call the match, organizers who gathered Jake's belongings were stunned when the bag he was hanging on to was rattling however, there was no snake inside, just about 100 little bottles of liquor that you normally find on an airplane. Jake was up to his old tricks again. When he discovered he was captured on tape that evening before falling asleep, he argued with others about what he was seeing himself do in the ring. Staggering, slurring, shouting obscenities and yelling at the crowd. He insisted that wasn't him and he was never there. Perhaps a camera trick? Nope. It was a blackout. After sweating it out the next morning, Jake still didn't remember w
hat happened and wasn't going to apologize either. For What? After all, in the 2000 documentary Beyond The Mat , Jake was drunk through his whole segment and was in the process of reconciling with his grown daughter who cut him off from her life. She didn't buy his story either. This all leads up to why his name is coming up again. It's a film just completed called, The Wrestler. It stars Mickey Rourke in the title spot and has strong similarities to Robert's own life which he currently is shrugging off. When the movie opens in theaters at Christmas, let's see how Jake will feel about it then. In the meantime, he's not sorry for anything he's said or done and doesn't need help either, and that's too bad!
