The fall from grace
 

If you think I'm talking about The Messiah's finisher, I have more respect for you, but you're wrong.


So I'm watching The Wrestler for the 238,412,523,450th time. Fantastic movie. Anyways, Randy "The Ram" was on top of the wrestling world, which then sparked a thought in my mind... Who has had the biggest fall from grace in the wrestling industry? Who went from the main event in the biggest spotlight (take your pick if I'm talking about WWE, TNA, WCW, WCCW, NWA, AWA, ETC) to wrestling in some shit filled indy company living paycheck to paycheck, possibly in a trailer park.

Greg Valentine comes to mind, since he once headlined MSG and 20 years later cut a promo from some kid's backyard.

Who else fell from grace?

jake roberts

First one that came to mind.

ya Jake Roberts comes to mind as the biggest fall from grace. He could have been a hall of fame legend but because of his post WWF career he probably won't get the recognition he deserves for several years to come.


BTW, Jake and I have exchanged emails and he told me that this is his last summer of wrestling so God only knows what he will do for money.

He has done car commercials & autograph sales but I guess his series of of shoot interviews he sells on his sites will help a little.

He has a good crew of supporters including family members and friends (specifically his PA Shannon) so hopefully he stays clean in retirement so WWE may give him some cred some day.


BTW II he is my all time favorite wrestler.

I think he'll go into the hall of fame one day... but it pains me to say this but it'll be a "In memory of" inductee. Yea, he had his problems. Let's just assume that he's clean right now. Time heals all wounds, but scars never heal. The wounds that his troubles left him are here to say.

Here's an article about him that surfaced on-line a few years ago:

Jake the Snake Roberts appeared at Phantasy Theater in Lakewood, Ohio last night for Firestorm pro wrestling. He was booked in the main event to face JT Lightning one on one. As soon as me and my friends arrived there everything was ok. Jake was sitting off in the corner at a little table with pictures of himself selling autographs and taking pictures with the fans. As the night progressed though everything went downhill. It was the 2nd to last match involving a match for firestorms world title. Jake had come out,clearly drunk or drugged up, and grabbed the microphone during that match (completely unscripted as everyone could tell by the owner of firestorm coming out and trying to get jake to go back in the dressing room.)

Jake was on the mic trying to encourage the guys in the ring,then he started swearing.the second to last match ended and it was time for the main event which was Jake vs Jt Lightning. JT came out,followed by Jake the snake. Jake grabbed the microphone and at first said he came here to do this for the fans, but he didnt feel like we were giving him the same respect [he was] giving us. He started talking incoherently, it was obvious he was on something.

After about 3 minutes of talking he put the mic down and staggered into the ring. JT attacked him to start the match. Jake didn't sell one shot, he just backed into the corner and it seemed like he was out of it. JT Lightning clearly got pissed and just pushed Jake to the ground and got on top of him to cover him and just end the match within 30 seconds of the start. Jake was trying to kick up. JT pushed his arms down and the ref just did a 3 count to end the match because Jake was in no shape to wrestle a match. Afterwards JT Lightning grabbed the microphone and said along the lines of "Ive wrestled with drug addicts like Tommie Rich... Jimmy Snuka... but you are by far the biggest piece of shit I've ever been in the ring with." JT was literally shooting on Jake. Jake just stood in the ring and flipped JT off.

Another Firestorm wrestler J Rocc came in after that match was over and attempted to give the crowd a show by doing an attack on Jake so the fans wouldn't be as pissed off about the main event lasting a whole 30 seconds. Which Jake also curled in the corner and no sold.

That made J rocc mad who then tried to actually fight jake. A wrestler named Ray Rowe came out and was trying to calm J rocc and JT down as Jake just stood in the middle of the ring flipping people off. Jake then proceeded to pull his penis out and shake it in front of the whole crowd...

Jim Duggan won the very first Royal Rumble and has been cast as a retard ever since.

Probably not on the level of Jake the Snake and Dynamite, but Scott Hall and Ric Flair come to mind. Hall is in his 50s and is a mess as usual with his drug probs, just got fired ect. Flair in his 60s and is totally broke because of his spending and divorice issues.

ultimate warrior

Lex Lugor, Jim Duggan, and at this rate Hulk Hogan.

His assests were frozen.

Quickest fall from grace is definitely Hogan.

Owen Hart, speaking of falls

I don't know, but he probably has at least like 10 million leftover after the divorce. No one outside of TNA wants anything to do with him it seems. Kind of sad what he has become even if he still has the money.

I'm trying to think of a really "good" one.

definitely Jake Roberts

I"d add Tommy Rich to the list as well

in the late 70's and early 80's he was one of the biggest stars in the biz and was NWA World champion in 1981

by the late 80's he got sloppy and was buried in the mid card matches and no longer considered a star

jump to the late 90's and he shows up in ECW as a comedy wrestler with little guido and tracy smothers

now he still wrestles albeit he looks like hell

here he is late 70's
http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.co...mmyrich/19.jpg

Nowadays
http://cjcoons.smugmug.com/NWA/NWA-6...45_kNDWJ-M.jpg

Besides for the ones already mentioned..I am thinking Iron Sheik?
He seems to be in terrible shape. I saw him at a convention a while back and fans were pissed. The autographs looked like scribbles. I guess Sid Vicious also comes to mind. He was pretty high up there for some time and now he is in no name indie feds.

controversy surrounds this name, but his fall is no less poignant. Chris Benoit

Probably Luger. Greg Valentine seems like a cool guy. I'd probably do stuff like he did, give some fans a cheap thrill, get paid. He's made his money. He pretty much wrestled stedily from 1980 to the late 90's in big name promotions.

I don't think Benoit really qualifies here. A lot of people still regard him as one of the top ten wrestlers ever, and he didn't really live to see his "downfall". He meets maybe one or two of the criteria but he was too rich to deserve merit here.

Scott Hall is another one I question, though he certainly meets the out of shape/drunk/threw away his talent and opportunity criteria, but he has too many connections to ever truly "bottom out" Randy the Ram style I think.

He looks like hell though. Maybe i'm wrong.

The Entire Von Erich family

And benoit def qualifies...c'mon

That's the only reason I was suggesting Benoit doesn't qualify in this argument.

still a massive fall from grace, trailer park or not.

Terry Funk should maybe be mentioned here too.

Funk is still doin ok

If by "ok" you mean he isn't eating out of a dumpster, yeah he's doing great.

still has a nice home and a loving family...

or has something happend no ones told me about?

(being a gimp is the natural progression of both pro-wrestlers and most humans)

No he's fine. He's just 66 and still taking bumps and cutting his scar tissue open with razor blades.

and?

def not a fall from grace. doin the same thing he's always done.

point

Where's Savage at these days?

Destor

if i get to fuck marisa tomei i will gladly go on the list

Ric Flair.

His only hobbies nowadays are cocaine and getting sued.

Doesn't help that half of them die young.