wrestling / News

Live Reports of Jake Roberts and DDP at Portland Film Festival

September 3, 2015 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas

Credit: Jim Comeau & PWInsider

Last night, Jake Roberts and Dallas Page were in town (with Chael Sonnen and director Steven Yu) to present “The Resurrection of Jake The Snake Roberts” as part of the Portland Film Festival, followed by a quick Q&A.

For those who grew up watching Jake on TV, the movie obviously sells itself, but you don’t need to be a wrestling fan to find the appeal of his story. It’s not a movie about a wrestler who happens to have an addiction; it’s about an addict who happens to be a wrestler.The movie itself is at times brutal and unflinching, but in the end it’s very uplifting and inspirational, and I’d highly recommend it.

As for Jake and DDP appearing: before the movie, they were brought on-stage, and Jake was very clearly moved by the audience’s reception. The Mission Theater holds about 200 people, I think, and the amount of love and support that everyone showed the moment he stepped on stage was palpable.

After the film, he and DDP took a few questions that ranged from the silly to the serious. I don’t see a reason to recap his answer to his approach to cutting promos or which was his favorite, but he did speak from the heart about how half the people in any given crowd have a friend in need and how easy it is to turn your back when you don’t know how to help. He turned to DDP and explained that, if not for DDP, he wouldn’t be where he was today, and that if you have a chance to support someone who really needs it, it can change that person’s life. I’m paraphrasing, of course – he said it a lot more powerfully, personally, and profoundly than I could. But man, did it resonate, and does he ever still have the power to control a crowd with just the low grumbling tone of his voice. When Jake speaks, everyone shuts up.

It must have been a very long day for both of them. DDP mentioned they’d both been up and around town (with radio interviews and such) since early that morning, but when I left a little after 10:30 p.m. they were still signing autographs and taking pictures with every single person who wanted to wait in line. They could not have been nicer, and I was thrilled to have had a chance to meet them in person. Jake looks fantastic and is moving around really, really well, despite knowing that more surgery is on the way sometime soon. I’ve loved the guy for 30+ years, and it was a privilege to be able to tell him that directly and in person.

As an aside, I struck up conversations (and overheard others) with a few people who absolutely raved about how transformative DDP Yoga has been for them. The message (yoga, physical activity, self-discipline) has been around forever; but the messenger can make all the difference in the world to some people. DDP is a saint – the coolest, most radiantly positive guy you could ever meet. In-ring accomplishments aside, the guy is a Hall of Famer at life itself. Classy, personable, and infinitely charismatic.

I can’t imagine what Jake must have gone through (and still go through on a daily basis), but the sad Jake Roberts stories that struck me a decade ago are being replaced with fantastic, infinitely happier new ones. Seeing what he’s been able to do accomplish in the past few years is a great reminder that anything and everything is possible, and that most of the daily “problems” most of us face are nothing. They’re annoyances at worst. Jake … he’s a conqueror and a legend, and as great a performer as he was in the ring, he’s an even better human being outside of it.

Anyway, I don’t know if any of this is “newsworthy” in the usual sense, but please encourage people to go check out the movie, to bring friends who might need a kick in the ass to change their lives, and to open their hearts to those around them who might need the support. The story Jake and DDP had to tell is proof positive that it can literally be the difference between life and death.