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Jake 'The Snake' and other wrestlers show up for a good cause

Hundreds of spectators crowded into the gymnasium of Theriault Catholic Secondary School this past weekend for another successful Maximum Professional Wrestling event.

Hundreds of spectators crowded into the gymnasium of Theriault Catholic Secondary School this past weekend for another successful Maximum Professional Wrestling event.

The events, running Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, not only brought fun and excitement to Timmins, they also helped support a few good causes.

A portion of the proceeds from the Saturday show went to support both Theriault Lutte, the amateur wrestling team from Theriault Catholic Secondary School as well as to the local Crime Stoppers program, while the Sunday show was in support of Kamiskotia Snow Resort.

For wrestling fans, there were a number of familiar faces in the ring but the highlight of the night was an appearance by WWE superstar and hall of famer, Jake “The Snake” Roberts.

Roberts, along with a number of wrestlers made themselves available for photo opportunities and signed merchandise for the crowd during the shows.

In addition to the open access and interaction with the fans, Jake “The Snake” entered the ring, not to wrestle but to tell of another fight that had taken over his life.

The semi-retired Roberts told of his days as a larger than life personality in professional wrestling and described how his battle with addiction was harder than any match he’d been in.

“It’s not worth it," he cautioned the crowd, “before you take that step into addiction, think about what you might lose.”

Roberts told of his long road to recovery and the help he received from a friend and fellow wrestler, Diamond Dallas Page, known to wrestling fans around the world as “DDP”.

“Diamond Dallas Page saved my life,” said Roberts, “He reached out to me when no one else would. He put a hand out and said ‘Let me help you, Brother’, and he did help me.”

Jake the Snake then called upon the fans to rise up to the challenge as DDP did for him.

“Do like Diamond Dallas,” he said, “Don’t be afraid to reach out and help someone. We’ve all got someone we know who’s heading for trouble.”

Jake “The Snake” injected his call to action with a dose of reality regarding the pitfalls of helping a person who is battling addiction.

“If you’re going to help a drunk or a junkie,” says Roberts, “You’ve got to realize that they will lie to you, they will steal from you and they will do whatever it takes to get what they need.”

“Know that upfront, but please don’t give up,” he continued, “If Diamond Dallas Page had given up, I wouldn’t be here tonight. Just reach out and help someone. That’s all I’m saying.”

As if on cue, cheers from the crowd grew into a chant of “Jake The Snake, Jake The Snake…”, showing that no matter what battle you fight, whether it be in the ring or in the bottle, time and the dedication of  a strong support system can help overcome any adversity.

(PHOTO: In support of D.A.R.E., Professional Wrestling Hall of Famer, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, warns the crowd about the pitfalls of addiction and tells of his personal triumph with his own addiction battles. Dave Kramer for TimminsToday)