#4 – The Snake Comes Homes
I'm a sucker for redemption stories. In the world of wrestling, perhaps no redemption story has been more powerful, or more rewarding as a fan than the life of Jake Roberts.
Some of my earliest memories include nightmares of the cold-hearted villian with the giant snake. The first wrestling VHS I ever watched – and I wish I could remember the event, or even the promotion – featured Jake, and he's a big part of the reason I'm a fan today. He understood the psychological aspect of the business better than anyone in his time. If there was ever a "cerebral assassin" in WWE, it was Jake Roberts.
I'm a little ashamed to say I was one of the fans that gave up on Jake. He was in the news so often for one thing or another, constantly letting down fans, showing up drunk or worse – not to speak ill of a great legend, but that's the truth. Wrestling can be a nasty business, and he – along with Scott Hall – seemed to be among the previous stars that were too far gone to come back to the light.
In this case, I loved being proven wrong. Jake not only cleaned up his act, but he was able to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and make one last appearance at WrestleMania. Beyond that, his induction speech was one of the most moving, passionate, and deeply personal speeches I've ever heard. It still gives me chills having watched it three or four times.
The Snake is a legend – one of the best ever – and I'm glad to have seen the day where his legacy could be celebrated the way it deserved to be.
