So I'm re-watching the Jake the Snake DVD (because sometimes the holiday season just isn't depressing enough as is) and there's a segment where the Brisco's hire Jake to book Georgia. How did this come about? Was Jake any good at it? Does anything stand out specifically? Was Jake really going to take over for Pat Patterson in the WWF?
Jake was apparently quite talented when he wasn't stoned out of his mind. In fact, when he made his comeback to the WWF in 1996, part of his deal was booking Shotgun Saturday Night, so yeah, they were definitely grooming him for bigger things there. I don't know any specifics of his time in Georgia as far as booking the shows because that was well before my time, but he was supposed to be pretty good.
I heard that Roberts was one of the guys that pushed for Austin to win the KOTR in '96 so he had an eye for talent at least.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't surprise me considering the thing his peers praise about him most was his mind for the business.
ReplyDeleteThere has definitely been alot of talk of his booking talents. I can remember Jim Ross mentioning them on a number of DVD's. The idea that he just couldn't "beat his demons", sticks in my head.
ReplyDeleteNever use apostrophes to make something plural--especially names.
ReplyDeleteBriscos.
On a more relevant note, it's a shame Jake blew all these opportunities because he kept succumbing to his vices. Pity.
ReplyDeleteEVERYONE in the rasslin' industry nowadays says that they "saw Austin coming" before he did.
ReplyDeleteIt's the new "I was the first guy to come out to music."
ReplyDeleteOr "I was gonna be booked in a main event feud with Hogan but got screwed by backstage politics."
ReplyDelete"Jake was apparently quite talented when he wasn't stoned out of his mind."
ReplyDeleteSo there was like a good half hour of him being talented?
Correcting someone's grammar on a mostly (wrestling) blog? That's pretty sad...
ReplyDeleteIf Jake didn't have demons I think things would have been a LOT better for him. The guy was incredibly over as a face or a heel and could make people care about his matches with one move. He could have easily been a top act through the 90's. Hell he was over 96 and he was in horrible shape.
ReplyDeleteHe'd either be in Bruce Pritchard's position in TNA, or a top agent or booker in WWE right now. Don't think he'd be head booker because you have Stephanie, HHH, and Dunn all sticking their noses in everything.
Didn't Jake book Scott Hall V Kevin Nash at Halloween Havoc '98??
ReplyDeleteI think Jake could of been a awesome booker as he understood crowd psychology almost better than anyone, if he could stay clean he would make a great agent and could offer a lot of advice to guys. I'm thinking guys with a more sinister edge - Christopher Daniels, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes - where did the dark characters go? Is there a jake Roberts/Kevin Sullivan type guy out there anymore? The last I can think of was Christopher Daniels' run with Sting.
ReplyDeleteI just rewatched Beyond the Mat (with the awesome PTB podcast in the background) and it's insanely depressing how fast Jake fell. He's at the King of the Ring in 96 helping make Austin and with in a year he's in High Auditoriums and smoke crack in the ramada inn.
"If Jake didn't have demons I think things would have been a LOT better for him."
ReplyDeleteYou think so? You don't think that his massive drug habit was a net plus? :)
He had to be on some good shit for that Warrior/Undertaker angle
ReplyDeleteOk, let me rephrase that. Jake would probably be a significant part of the wrestling landscape and not just another retired wrestler.
ReplyDeleteSee the thing is I actually WAS booked a main event feud with Hogan in 1986 but he politicked his way out of it by refusing to put over an 8 year old with no training. I never really got my heat back after that...
ReplyDeleteI understood. I was just being douchetastic... successfully so it would appear.
ReplyDeleteKnow what you mean about that over the top darkside evil type character. ROH has it with Jimmy Jacobs, but the last in WWE or TNA that I can think of was James Mitchell in TNA.
ReplyDeleteOh I knew. The smiley tipped me off. :D
ReplyDeleteWhich is why it was included... didn't want to become the new Dougie...
ReplyDeleteYeah James Mitchell is about the last and i didn't see enough of Jimmy Jacobs in ROH to know how evil he was. Didn't hang a a briscoe brother and do a promo as his blood dripped on to him? That's pretty twisted and evil.
ReplyDeleteYeah, he does this whole dark emo thing.
ReplyDeleteYou mean, "wrestling (mostly)", friendo. Yes, I am a dick.
ReplyDeleteBray Wyatt has a lot of potential, on NXT
ReplyDeleteEveryone would shit on that in the wwe.
ReplyDeletebut maybe without his personal "demons" (and more importantly: his personality leading to it) he might have not been that good.
ReplyDeleteI got screwed out of winning the world title in 1992.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel sad at all about education.
ReplyDeleteI don't think he's just "another retired wrestler," at all. I know many people who aren't rasslin' fans that remember him just as well as Savage, Hulk, Warrior, Piper, etc.
ReplyDeleteOh I see what you done there!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all it wasn't my letter so it wasn't my criticism to accept or reject.
ReplyDeleteSecond of all correcting a minor mistake isn't education, it is poor etiquette. You wouldn't correct someone who you were talking to "in real life" if they made an error in grammar, and if by chance you would then you have very poor manners.
Since you do not feel bad about education allow me to educate you on 2 social constructs you are clearly not familiar with.
Manners:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manners
Netiquette:
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/
Please accept my criticism, take the education, and improve yourself.
You're Welcome!
Even worse, I was supposed to go over in Rio de Janeiro for the IC title.
ReplyDelete