If it's true that everybody loves a good comeback story, well have I got one for you!
Professional wrestling fans are some of the most passionate and persistent fans on the face of this planet. We find ourselves emotionally invested in not only the storylines but more often than not, we connect with a character and become die hard fanatics for that individual. For me, that person was Jake "The Snake" Roberts.
As a child, I became a fan in the 80's, during what some call the Golden Era. During this time, Hulkamania ran wild, the steel cage was blue and the line between good and bad was very clear. It was a groundbreaking, revolutionary time in the industry's history and needless to say, it was a great time to be a fan.
Like almost everyone at that time, I was a huge fan of Hulk Hogan, but I was also a bug fan of Jake Roberts. I was amazed by his ability to captivate entire audiences of tens of thousands of fans using nothing more than a subtle tone and well thought out words. One of my favorite quotes is an excerpt from one of his many memorable promos, where he said, "If a man has enough power, he can speak softly and everyone will listen." When it came to Jake and his epic promos, you can certainly believe that everyone listened.
Another one of my favorites was Scott Hall. When it came to Scott, I was always impressed by his ability to make an entire fanbase loathe him one moment and love him the next. As Razor Ramon, he was the bad boy everyone wanted to be, but as an Outsider, he was exactly what everyone wants to stay away from. Regardless of the era, be it AWA, WWF, WCW or whichever, Scott Hall was always performing at the absolute highest levels and his results proved it. As an original member of the nWo, Scott was a trailblazing trendsetter who was years ahead of his time. He was also an intricate part of WCW's massive success during the Monday Night Wars.
Eventually, the sun would set on the storied careers of both Jake and Scott. While they loved performing for the fans, no one can escape or get around Father Time. During their careers, they worked hard, but it became painfully obvious that they played hard as well. Drugs, alcohol, and women became their kryptonite. Life on the road can become a fast world of broken dreams and foggy memories and for these two, they had become so deeply ingrained into the lifestyle, they just had a hard time living life without these wicked vices.
It's not hard to imagine what addiction alcoholism can do to a family. For Jake and Scott, their addictions had become the focal point in their lives a day everything else was just white noise, an annoying substance in the background, simply begging them to escape their demise. Unfortunately, these two men were stubborn and hard headed as could be. Sure, they loved their families, but there comes a point in an addicts life that the stranglehold of addiction becomes more powerful than ones desire to be there for their loved ones. As a former addict myself, I can attest to this very fact. While it's not a part of my life I'm proud of, it is a part of my life that I am proud I was able to overcome.
Imagine being in the shoes of two of professional wrestling's most iconic figures of all time. You're beyond your prime, retired from the big stage and now, the indie companies are second guessing whether or not they should book you for a show at a local recreation center. Not to mention that at this point in your life, you've run completely through every penny you ever made, so something as simple as paying the bills has become a task all in itself. I can only imagine the feeling of helplessness this must be. To say it has to be a humbling experience is an understatement of gigantic proportions.
Somewhere along the lines, both Scott and Jake developed a rift in their relationship with Vince McMahon and the WWE. Things were very pleasant at one point and it had seemed as if the ship had sailed when it came to possibly repairing any sort of common ground they had with the company. To be frank, Vince couldn't trust either of the two. Both men had spent WWE's money on rehab, multiple times, yet they always went back to their old drunken ways.
Fast forward to the year 2012. Jake Roberts was living on borrowed time. The man was an obese shell of what he once was and had completely destroyed his life. Not only that, Jake had also isolated himself from his children and everyone else who meant anything to him. Essentially, Jake had finally hit his rock bottom. That's where Diamond Dallas Page comes in. Throughout the years, DDP looked up to Jake as a mentor in the business and always felt he owed Jake something. Well, the time had finally come that Dallas could indeed pay Jake back, and then some.
You have to understand that at this point, Jake had tried everything and for him, nothing seemed to work. Everywhere he turned, he ran into a brick wall in one corner and relapse in the other. In order for Jake to get clean, it would take something different and different is exactly what DDP had to offer.
Page had been running a highly successful program called DDP Yoga. Through his program, he was witnessing life after life, being transformed, just by sticking to the program within DDP Yoga. So, what did we have to lose? Page was ready to offer this program to Jake and maybe, just maybe, this would finally be what the doctor ordered and maybe there was a way to bring life back into the Snake.
Of course, there was hesitation on Jakes part. Nothing else worked, what made him honestly believe this would do the trick? Thankfully, Jake took Dallas up on his offer for help and before you knew it, Jake was living with Page and working out, using the DDP Yoga program, every single day. Sure, there were setbacks, but Jake never quit. He wanted his life back and at last, he was willing to do whatever it took to do so.
As we all now know, Jake stuck with the program and not only got back into shape, but he was able to get clean and sober, something he had never been able to say as an adult. Then one day, a phone call came in from Sean Waltman(X-Pac). He was worried about Scott Hall and wanted to know of Dallas would at least reach out to him. Of course, he would. Dallas placed a call to an obviously intoxicated Scott Hall and at some point during that conversation, Page and Jake were able to get through to Scott and convince him to get on a plane and come to Atlanta, so he could stay with Jake and Dallas and hopefully, start the program as well.
Just like with Jake, there were massive setbacks with Hall. It was difficult not only for Scott but for Dallas too. Scott simply didn't believe in himself enough to believe that he could get clean and that he could have his life back. However, with great patience and time, Scott eventually came around and began working the DDP Yoga program.
We all know how this story would end. Jake and Scott got their lives back and while doing so, they regained the trust of their loved ones and gained a new family in the process.
To top this story off, both were able to mend their relationship with WWE and Vince. On January 6, 2014, at the end of the Old School edition of Monday Night Raw, Jake The Snake Roberts finally made his way back down a WWE isle. During this highly emotional moment, Jake got in the ring and laid a python across the face of an unconscious Dean Ambrose to end the show. It was a fitting tribute to a man who lost it all but gained it back through hard work and persistent determination.
On April 5, 2014, Scott Hall and Jake Roberts took their rightful place in WWE's Hall of Fame. Two men who had destroyed everything they ever worked so hard to get, including their families and loved ones, but right at rock bottom, they both found the strength to pull themselves out of the fire.
Jake Roberts and Scott Hall could've easily just been another sad, tragic statistic. We could've seen a tribute before an episode of Raw, where both men had passed away at the hands of drugs and alcohol. Thankfully, they had a friend who was willing to say yes, when everyone else was forced to say no. Diamond Dallas Page did the impossible, he revived two of the most destroyed men in wrestling's history and gave them a solid ground to not only take control back over their lives but to become a part of the lives of those who cares most for them.
This is the story of how professional wrestling brought three men together, created a bond that would stand the test of time and how one of them would have the courage to reach down and pick the other two up, at a time when they had given up on themselves. This is a tale of redemption like no other.
We all got to watch as Jake and Scott were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Now it's time that Diamond Dallas Page gets a well-deserved nod into that same storied fraternity. If for nothing else, at least for his efforts in breathing life back into the bodies of two of pro wrestling's greatest villains of all time.
Thank you, DDP.
