CM Punk

Jake Roberts isn't the same man today he once was. He's better. More importantly, he's happier.

"The Snake" rose through the pro-wrestling territories and became one of the WWF's biggest stars during the 1980s into the early '90s. Crowds roared when he attempted his patented DDT or pulled out one of his slithery pals to cover downed opponents.

His career began to fall apart as alcohol and drug addiction overtook his life, as chronicled in the documentary entitled The Resurrection of Jake the Snake. He also bared his soul for the world to see when discussing his father—Grizzly Smith, another former professional wrestler—and broken family as part of Vice's Dark Side of the Ring.

After getting sober, Roberts resuscitated his career. WWE inducted him as part of the company's 2014 Hall of Fame class. He then took the fledgling All Elite Wrestling by storm as the manager of Lance Archer. His promo toward Cody Rhodes during his debut is still one of the company's best in its short history.

Roberts remains All Elite and under contract, though he hasn't been part of creative recently due to a respiratory ailment. Doctors cleared him after five months of rehabilitation, and he can return to his role. Meanwhile, the wrestling icon started a solo podcast called The Snake Pit.

The rejuvenated 67-year-old sat down with Bleacher Report to discuss where his life currently stands, what he's seen in the AEW locker room, his reactions to some shocking moments this year and what comes next—for him and the professional wrestling industry.

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Bleacher Report: Thanks to The Resurrection of Jake the Snake and the Vice episode, you aired significant issues which aren't easy for anyone to discuss. How have your relationships with your family changed after addressing those pitfalls of the past?

Jake Roberts: "It's gotten better. My oldest daughter and I are now golden. I have another daughter who's golden. I have twin boys who are golden. But I do have four other children, who are…still holding their ground. I understand it. I'm not trying to shove anything down their throats.

"I'm guilty of everything I did and didn't do. It's more things that I didn't do, because I was never around them when I was messed up or drunk or anything like that. Thank you, Lord. It would have been horrible to have seen me like that. I'm grateful I wasn't around at that time, and it's all because of my wife at the time who made it happen. We divorced because she said she didn't want drugs and alcohol around the children.

"Just to show how powerful drugs and alcohol are, I chose drugs and alcohol over a family. How insane is that? I look back now and wonder, 'What in the hell were you thinking?' I wasn't thinking. Once that addiction has you, the only thing that matters is your drug. That's all."

B/R: Has there been anyone who reached out, told you how helpful your story has been to them and asked for help?

JR: "Literally hundreds of people.

"Currently, I have two or three people that I'm working with—one being Buff Bagwell. We're trying to get Buff on the straight and narrow. It's a process, and it's not easy. It takes time, especially for those who did it long-term. When you do something…religiously…24/7, then you stop, there's a little thing in your brain that goes crazy and says, 'Hey, where's the next drink at? Where's this?' It's a bad habit.

"I've been to jails and I've been to rehabs. I never met anybody at a jail or rehab who said, 'Gee, Jake, when I was growing up, my dream was to become a drug addict and alcoholic.' Nobody dreams of that. It's something that happens along the way. You take a left instead of a right, then you're right in the middle of it.

"Once the hook is set, you're in trouble.

"For me, it took a long time to reach the bottom, because I had money. But I finally got rid of all of it. I got rid of the car. I traded drugs for a car. I've done it all. It wasn't until I was at the very bottom, praying to die, cursing God because I wasn't dead and becoming a hermit more or less…I wouldn't go shopping until 2 or 3 a.m. because I didn't want people to see me. That's how bad I looked and how bad I felt.

"With me, I went to the top. There was nobody any better than me. They may have had belts and stuff, but that doesn't mean you're any better. I was the very best.

"To go from there—not to the bottom of the barrel, but under it—that's where I was at. The opportunity to come out of it, I'm forever grateful to Diamond Dallas Page for saving my life. He saved my life by giving me the opportunity to get sober."

B/R: After getting yourself right and doing everything you needed to do over an extended period of time, you finally returned to an on-screen role with AEW in 2020. What did that moment mean to you?

JR: "That was one of my golden moments. I'll never forget it.

"Having that opportunity in Salt Lake City was more than I ever dreamed of. When they asked me to come in, I thought it would be a one-day deal. After the Salt Lake City thing, they decided it was worth a couple of years.

"Redemption is what it was.

"To go back out on a major stage, be the focus of what's there and still being able to deliver, it was incredible. I know when I touched the ring I thought my hands were going to catch on fire. It was…hot. I just felt something coming through me.

"It was just an incredible feeling. I can't explain it, until you've had that moment."

B/R: You had stepped away for health reasons during the time of September's All Out pay-per-view, yet CM Punk's post-match press conference continues to dominate the discourse around professional wrestling. When you heard what he said, what was your first impression?

JR: "Disgust. The whole thing disgusted me. Other than that, my feelings…you don't want to hear what I think and I'm not going to tell you."

B/R: Well, you did spend time in the locker room with Matt and Nick Jackson (The Young Bucks), as well as Kenny Omega. All three were reportedly involved in a backstage altercation with Punk after his comments to attending media. What are AEW's executive vice presidents like behind the scenes that could lead to such an incident?

JR: "I don't think they did. I think it's all on [Punk]. That's my own personal thought."

B/R: From a personal standpoint, what has the backstage reaction been like since joining AEW?

JR: "Y'know, the one thing I'm not real happy with is that the younger talent—I don't know if they're intimidated by me or what—don't come to me and ask for advice. They don't come to me and ask for help. A few have. If the shoe were on the other foot, I'd be right up in the middle of it. That's what I'm there for. I'm there to help them. That's my job. And I can help them so much."

B/R: It's not just about wrestling, though. You have other experiences in an industry notoriously hard on its workers. Has there been any progress on that front?

JR: "I have been able to help a couple of fellows dealing with addiction and alcohol. … I can honestly say that I saved one guy's marriage. We got him on the straight-and-narrow. I just talked to him again the other night and he told me, 'Life's better than it's ever been before.' That's the same way I feel.

"My life today is 10 times…100 times…better than it was at my peak, because I'm enjoying it. I'm not carrying around a lot of garbage and guilt and shame. Man, you start carrying all that stuff around and it gets heavy. It's always knocking…hitting you in the head. Slapping you, telling you that you're not worth it.

"You are worth it."

B/R: Is there a legitimate problem with the younger generation not taking advice from longtime veterans of what to do in the ring, in general?

JR: "I think it is. It's a double-edged sword. The business today isn't what it was 20 years ago. It's different. These kids are under a tremendous amount of pressure to perform. They go out and take risks that are (shakes head in disbelief) insane. Tossing their bodies around and flying. But they're missing so much when it comes to character. Who are you? You can put 10 of them into a room, and all 10 will do the same thing. They need to work on character. They need to work on timing. They need to learn how to connect with the fans. I don't know if they'll ever get that opportunity.

"There are a few who take it: Mox [Jon Moxley], Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho and several others. They know what to do out there. Yet there are so many who aren't getting it."

B/R: From a creative standpoint, were you happy with Archer's direction after introducing both of you as a tandem?

JR: "Gosh, no. Why would I be? Not for me, for Lance. Lance is an incredible athlete. He's a monster, for Christ's sake. He's 285 pounds and doing flips and all sorts of stuff that he doesn't need to be doing. But he's so hungry to get that spot up above.

"For whatever reason, it's not happening. It's back to the old thing, you're not the chosen one. In WWE, if you weren't Hulk Hogan, you weren't Hulk Hogan. That was it. That's where he finds himself. He's not the guy.

"Whether that changes or not, I don't know. Is it right or wrong? It's hard for me to say it's wrong, because if I was in their shoes, I'd want to do what I had in mind.

"Myself, I'd make him a champion. He's a killer."

B/R: When you do return to your onscreen persona, is the plan to work with Archer again or move in another direction?

JR: "It's with him or not. I won't go anywhere else. I love Lance. He's a great man. He's a solid guy. I wish to hell he'd been around when I was wrestling. Maybe he could have helped me. Maybe he could have forced me not to go down the roads I went. I have that kind of respect for him. You have to respect somebody before you follow them. I respect him."

B/R: Your final line to Rhodes was, "A wise man once told me to never turn your back on somebody you respect or you're afraid of." You then turned your back on him and walked to the backstage. Obviously, you don't feel that way personally about him. How much did he help in bringing you into the company?

JR: "It was huge. He's very tight with [Diamond Dallas Page].

"At the time, AEW wanted people to make a splash to get some attention. Who better than me? Nobody, not any more than me. Sting? Sure. I like to think the impact I had coming back for them was just as good as Sting."

B/R: Brodie Lee seemed to be another massive influence in the AEW locker room. His sudden and unfortunate passing two years ago rocked the industry. How big of a presence was he backstage?

JR: "Brodie was a great influence. He was one of those guys still young enough to be associated with the younger group and they looked up to him.

"It's a shame what happened. Nobody saw that coming. I commend AEW for what they're doing for his family. They'll never have to worry because Tony Khan is a man of his word. He's golden. He's such a good guy, man.

"I just hope these bad moments don't sour him. They certainly could. He might eventually get tired of having s--t thrown into his face. He just pushes it off, but I don't know how long he can do that. I pray that it's never an issue.

"As he gets more salt under his feet and gets focused…he has so many things going on. It's not just AEW. He's got ROH, the NFL…I don't know how in the hell he does it. To me, it would be impossible. I wouldn't even attempt it."

B/R: On the opposite side of the spectrum, you worked with Vince McMahon for a very long time. When he resigned as chairman, CEO and head of creative for WWE, what was your first thought and how big was it for professional wrestling?

JR: [immediately claps] "If it was real. Do you think he stepped away? You don't think he has anything to do with their product? He's the f--king boss."

B/R: What are your initial impressions of HHH leading WWE creative?

JR: "They're doing good. I think HHH is righting the ship. It's going to take time for people to forget what Vince did. Dirt finally washes off or fades away. Wrestling fans are very forgiving. Thank God. But I think HHH is doing a phenomenal job right now."

B/R: Let's shift to the in-ring product. As the master and creator of the DDT, how does the move's continued evolution, with all of its variations and usage, make you feel?

JR: "It's great. People often ask how I feel about it being used as a high spot. Go ahead, it just makes me look stronger. People now say, 'Damn, that's a DDT. But when Jake Roberts did that, you didn't get up.'

"You're right. You didn't get up because you couldn't."

B/R: Finally, you get one young wrestler to take this industry to the next level, who is it?

JR: "Hangman [Adam Page]. He's rock solid. He's got a good look to him. Handsome guy. I think he can do it. Hell, Hook could do it. So could Sammy Guevara. Sammy could be a big player, if he doesn't get busted up. Unfortunately, I feel he'll be busted up.

"That's what I hate for these guys. Here I am at 67 years old. It's been 30 years since I've been in the ring wrestling. Yet I still make a lot of money doing signings. That's because I got over. Everybody knew my name."

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Brent Sobleski covers the NFL and professional wrestling for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

CM Punk wrestling again is a topic...again, after the apparent fallout with AEW and what it could mean for the pro wrestling landscape.

But for all the possibilities and fantasy booking, there's only one name who made sense before his big return from a seven-year hiatus and that one name remains as the only one able to justify a re-return.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

Don't scoff. This is a dream feud that fans wanted to see for a decade or more but it never came to fruition despite the occasional wink or nod toward one.

Austin himself, regardless of age, just had a fun two-night performance at last year's WrestleMania in that feud with Kevin Owens. He can clearly still cut a promo, have a good feud and go in the ring and there's more room than ever over two-night events to make it work.

Wildy enough, the hangup in such an idea isn't the 57-year-old Austin, but the divisive Punk.

Punk's superb comeback and year or so of great showings screeched to a halt with the combo of an injury and the fallout with AEW that has him missing from the company and his future a question mark.

By the time Punk heals, perhaps time itself mends any wounds with stars within AEW and the promotion itself and all involved can turn it into a feud. But at this point, MJF getting more cheers than Punk in Chicago and some of the crowd reactions since then would seem to make his return to feud with the likes of Matt and Nick Jackson, plus others, too risky.

For Punk, there might be more in it to give WWE another look. For WWE, it's a no-brainer. It's abundantly clear he still moves the needle in a way 99 percent of pro wrestlers can't, so bringing him on in a part-time capacity for major feuds (or in this case a very specific one-off or series with one guy) would make perfect sense.

Punk might still have his issues with WWE and vice versa, but the company has always been willing to mend fences for the sake of the business. While the two didn't seem to mesh well, both Punk and Triple H could probably reach some sort of agreement—especially if the carrot dangling from the stick is a historic feud with Austin.

Think about how fun the build to one of the most-requested feuds ever would be. Austin would have plenty of ammo on Punk given his now two splits with companies, never mind the low-hanging fruit of poking fun at his non-wrestling stumbles in the MMA world, if not otherwise.

And Punk? Any shots fired at the "smaller" promotion AEW is a big win for WWE, never mind his blurring the lines by potentially taking shots at WWE and those within, too. Or, bonus points if he comes back some sort of heel-corporate character, letting Austin play an even bigger babyface. Never mind, of course, accusing Austin of being a sellout at his age and the standard-fare promo stuff.

General dislike for Punk probably goes away fast once that static hits again in either promotion (time heals all, too). And if it's in WWE, a much broader audience probably isn't even as tuned in to what went down in AEW. But WWE could really lean into that heel idea if it happens because it's straight-up impossible to name two guys on the opposite ends of the love-hate spectrum right now in a way that bleeds through to real life.

At this point, anything but Austin feels almost too risky for another Punk return. Sure, he could have some internet-savvy promos with "Hangman" Adam Page, Kenny Omega or someone similar, but is it really worth the roll of the dice? Same story in WWE, where the list of viable feuds just keeps shrinking.

Punk-Austin, at least, would keep both guys away from titles but still give WWE something capable of headlining one of the two nights of WrestleMania. Keep in mind we're not talking WrestleMania 39 in California, which seemingly belongs to The Rock, never mind Punk's current injury comeback schedule. This is more about 40 in Philadelphia.

WWE loves its spectacle at Mania and there are few bigger things on the road to Mania possible than the glass breaking to interrupt Punk or the static to interrupt Austin, signifying two similar legends from different eras who never linked up, finally doing so.

Time's almost out on a Punk-Austin dance, so everything else can wait. If Punk comes back to wrestling one more time, Austin would seemingly be right there and available to give fans the dream feud.

CM Punk is reportedly making progress in working his way back from an injury suffered during his match against Jon Moxley at AEW All Out in September.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Shivangini Rawat of Ringside News), Punk's rehab from a torn triceps is "going really well."

Since making his AEW debut in August 2021, Punk has dealt with some significant injuries, including a foot ailment suffered around the time of him beating "Hangman" Adam Page at Double or Nothing in May to become AEW world champion for the first time.

Shortly after his win, it was announced that Punk would have to take time off because of the injury, which led to Moxley becoming the interim AEW world champion.

Punk lost a unification bout to Moxley in his return match on the Aug. 24 episode of Dynamite, but just a couple of weeks later at All Out, Punk beat Mox to become a two-time champion.

The 44-year-old veteran reportedly tore his triceps during that match, which led to the title being vacated and Moxley winning a tournament to become the first three-time AEW world champion.

Punk has not commented publicly about the reported triceps injury, but he did take to his Instagram Stories this week to provide an update on his foot.

Per Rawat, Punk wrote: "First time doing road work since the broken foot. For anyone out there going through it: the light at the end of the tunnel is you."

When Punk made his AEW debut in August 2021, it marked his return to pro wrestling after more than seven years away.

Now, his future in AEW and pro wrestling as a whole is in question, but current indications are that he is trending in the right direction from a health perspective and will be ready in the not-too-distant future should a wrestling opportunity present itself.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: profanity).

As the investigation from the backstage incident at AEW All Out appears to be completed, one of the company's former stars addressed speculation that he may have had issues with most of the participants involved in that incident.

In a recent post on social media (h/t Sunil Joseph of Ringside News), Cody Rhodes said he didn't leave AEW because of any issues with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.

Rhodes wrote he is "forever bonded to those men over what we created, and I remain very proud of it" speaking of the three members of the Elite.

The American Nightmare also noted he didn't leave AEW because of CM Punk nor did he have any issues with him.

"We got along," Rhodes said of Punk. "Not money, not booking, just a personal issue and my wanting to go for the big one."

Rhodes' departure from AEW to return to WWE earlier this year was a shocking turn of events. He was one of the key figures in the formation of AEW, along with Omega and the Bucks. All four men were on-screen performers and executive vice presidents for the company.

Amid speculation earlier this year about his reasoning for leaving AEW, Rhodes tweeted it had nothing to do with any animosity toward anyone backstage:

Full stop: the money and creative story that misguided brudda put out there has already been rebuffed by all parties

I’m proud of my peers/kids there and my accomplishments as competitor/EVP

It was just personal and it was just time to go for the big one https://t.co/qio42gF00y

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) May 26, 2022

Punk's future with AEW looks to be very much uncertain in the wake of a backstage fight involving Omega, the Bucks and Ace Steel following All Out on Sept. 4. Steel was released from the promotion earlier this month.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Joseph Currier of Sports Illustrated) recently reported AEW was negotiating a buyout of Punk's contract, but there is a holdup over the length of the non-compete.

According to a separate report from Meltzer (h/t Currier), AEW's third-party investigation into the brawl wrapped up last week, and Omega and the Young Bucks were backstage at Dynamite on Wednesday.

Rhodes' departure from AEW to return to WWE earlier this year was a shocking turn of events. He was one of the key figures in the formation of AEW, along with Omega and the Bucks. All four men were on-screen performers and executive vice presidents for the company.

In his first match back with WWE, Rhodes defeated Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38. He is currently out of action recovering from a torn pectoral muscle suffered prior to his Hell in a Cell match with Rollins on June 5.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

WWE needs to bring back CM Punk.

It's an idea uttered by fans for nearly a decade now. But this time it has quite a different ring and air of importance to it in the wake of his presumed exit from All Elite Wrestling.

Punk potentially leaving AEW would seem to signal he's done with pro wrestling as a whole—for good this time—given what fans have long understood about his history with WWE and, primarily, a man by the name of Triple H.

However, pro wrestling is a game...one that The Game knows how to play.

It's not an aw-shucks coincidence that there are already rumblings of this sort of thing happening. According to Fightful Select (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Punk would have never returned under Vince McMahon, but the new head of WWE Creative might be slightly more open to the idea.

And WrestleVotes told Louis Dangoor of Give Me Sport that Triple H has been slowly shifting his stance on the idea.

And the question is simple: Why wouldn't he be?

Sure, Wade Keller said on a recent PW Torch VIP Audio show (h/t Ortman) that at least one person near Triple H would never sign off on a Punk return.

But a Punk return would be one of the most stunning moments in modern pro wrestling history. Fans would be hard-pressed to name a scenario that would keep them more gripped and unblinking toward WWE programming and social media accounts than the return of the 44-year-old to the company he battled in a lawsuit after a messy exit—after a seven-year hiatus saw him return to the direct competition, only to often put down WWE.

Furthermore, this is pro wrestling and it's often just straight-up bizarre. The general distaste between Punk and Triple H has always been palpable, so it's only right it's The Game's grip on WWE Creative that gets Punk back.

If McMahon can mend fences with Macho Man, Ultimate Warrior and others, Triple H can do it with Punk for the sake of business and the sport as a whole—just as he helped bridge the gap between Vince and Bruno Sammartino.

Maybe the head of creative doesn't feel so inclined to put bad blood aside like his predecessor has for the sake of the company. But Punk would be the ultimate, unbeatable signal that this new era truly is willing to do whatever the fans most desire.

Punk returning because he "didn't get to finish on his own terms" in either company while taking potshots at WWE's direct competition is a win-win for all. Heck, having him come back as a jaded heel aligned with Triple H as a Corporate Punk for a huge star-making moment for a babyface would be sheer genius (We need an "I'm back in a bad place with bad fans but making boatloads of cash" promo, right?).

Regardless, detractors will point to this being just another aged legend showing up and taking the shine from younger stars. But it's a silly point with Punk given the way he put the likes of Eddie Kingston over in AEW. He'd presumably work an even looser part-timer schedule more akin to Brock Lesnar, too. If he's not in the main event scene, he's boosting up an already improving midcard scene as a new era continues.

Maybe the biggest talking point about Punk in WWE besides the messy exit is the current messy exit from AEW. But the details remain so clouded, unclear and will never be revealed to the point it's hardly worth discussing.

If Triple H believes the WWE ecosystem can prevent such a thing (and it surely can), fans already know the circumstances around Punk's first exit have helped the company modernize greatly in terms of Superstar health and other factors.

And frankly, all of this discussion goes out the window if Punk's static hits during WrestleMania season and the like soon. He's dealing with a lengthy injury, but getting his return on the books and letting a slow-burn of a feud build up will only benefit everyone.

WWE will always get more eyeballs from rolling out the likes of Logan Paul. But it can also appease a big portion of its hardcore fanbase in modern times with a smartly handled Punk return and saga—while letting the company get a one-up in the industry on its biggest competition, possibly making it look bad in the process.

By now, nothing is unbelievable. Punk returning to WWE after all this time and all this...stuff...would almost only be fitting.

And for a guy who would surely like a different swansong in a sport he's passionate about and a company that has forgiven more for less, getting back together only makes sense.

There's still a storybook ending for all involved there, and a once-thought-impossible opportunity sits available and almost painfully obvious.