Jake Roberts' Return Is Chance for WWE to Tell a Great Story of Redemption

Jake Roberts returned to WWE on Monday's Raw, a bright spot in a saga that has been weighed down by tragedy.

Seeing a man who had become the poster child for the dark side of the wrestling business shake free of his demons and come back to the stage where he once flourished was a moving image. WWE has a chance to continue this tale and give Roberts a moment reminiscent of Rocky.

This is a case where real life is more compelling than fiction.

Roman Reigns had just pinned CM Punk. He and the rest of The Shield then pounced on Punk in what morphed into a brawl also involving The New Age Outlaws. Roberts' music hit and the crowd in Baltimore, Md., fell stunned.

It was the first time fans had seen Roberts in a WWE ring in nearly a decade.

The time in between had been too often filled with heartache and embarrassment, addiction and darkness. Rather than fall victim to his weaknesses, Roberts found a path lined with hope. With help from Diamond Dallas Page, Roberts has trimmed down, brightened his outlook and now made it back to the place where he once plied his trade.

Strangely enough, his return was in the same city that he made his memorable debut in WCW.

After helping fight The Shield off and plopping a yellow python onto Dean Ambrose's face, Roberts celebrated in the ring as Monday's Raw went off the air. The glowing grin that he wore during that entire segment stayed on his face when Renee Young interviewed him for WWE.com.

"The Snake" seemed as shocked by everything that happened as the fans in attendance. Roberts told Young, "My God, am I alive right now."

With as tumultuous as his post-WWE life has been, just being alive is a victory in and of itself.

Roberts was the tragic centerpiece of the 1999 documentary Beyond the Mat. In it, cameras showed him out of shape, intoxicated, smoking crack in a hotel room.

He was too often the subject of tales of drunkenness and earned headlines for his self-destructive behavior. In a 2008 article, TMZ reported that Roberts was too messed up to wrestle, that he exposed his penis to the crowd and "ran into the street crying."

It was hard to imagine then that Roberts would be anything more than a punchline and a sad story.

A call from former WCW champ Page helped to halt his descent. Page had discovered the mental and physical healing powers of yoga. HBO: Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel profiled his effect on Roberts and Scott Hall's lives.

The video, which is explicit and NSFW at times, shows Roberts talking about his worst days. He said he wanted to punch himself. He was tearful, afraid and shockingly open.

The journey that the HBO piece showcased was not one without stumbling. Page, at one point, berated a drunken Roberts, who was walking around an airport without shoes on.

That's not the Roberts fans saw enter the ring in Baltimore on Monday's Raw. This was a slimmer, cleaner version of himself. He was beaming as he slipped between the ropes and emptied his famous snake-filled bag on live TV.

Dennis Haskins (aka Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell) summed up the moment perfectly.

WWE can call it a day there and file that cameo under emotional returns. There is, though, a bigger, unforgettable story available to the company.

Roberts has long been petitioning to be a part of the Royal Rumble, per WrestleZone.com. There is no better stage for this drama to continue.

Put Roberts in that 30-man match and have him last an impressive amount of time. He need not win it to provide theater that will live on in pro wrestling history forever. 

Play up Roberts' real-life struggles, his slide downward and his recent climb back to a healthier, safer state.

Watching him then survive in that match against younger, bigger men for a significant chunk of time would be the kind of action that wets eyes and fills throats with lumps. It's near impossible not to root for a man who has climbed out of that kind of hole he has.

WWE.com

When someone finally does toss him over the top rope, he can wave to the crowd, choked up and proud.

No surprise return from a name from the past or clashing of rivals in the Rumble could match the emotional power of that moment. This story of redemption, of a man returning to glory, is something out of a screenwriter's mind. It's not something WWE has to create either; it's simply there for the taking.

Roberts certainly believes that his appearance on Old School Raw isn't the climax of his story.

Let's hope he's right. Roberts' recovery can be punctuated with a standout performance at the Rumble, a match that wouldn't require as much physically as a one-on-one bout.

Any victories he earns in that match would be symbolic of what he's accomplished recently, art imitating life in the most dramatic of ways. His is a story that must have its next chapter be in the ring, at the Rumble, in front of fans who have followed the highs and lows of his odyssey thus far.