10 Things You Notice Rewatching Beyond The Mat

5. Just How Far Jake Roberts Has Come

Vince McMahon Beyond The Mat
AEW

Beyond the Mat is a phenomenal watch for any and all wrestling fans, but that's not to say it's not a times a hugely uncomfortable watch.

Seeing Mick Foley's wife and children sobbing at ringside as Mick gets his head caved in by a steel chair-wielding Rock is tough. Seeing Terry Funk and his broken body trying to get out of bed is tough. Knowing what would ultimately happen to Droz once filming stopped is tough. But arguably the toughest parts of Beyond the Mat to watch are the sections centred on Jake 'The Snake' Roberts.

It goes without saying that Roberts is in a bad place here, with him going from small independent show to small independent show, usually with a supply of drugs being part of his deal with each promoter. Not only are those moments clearly tough to watch - with this all-time legend forever beaten down by his own personal demons - but it's likewise tough to see Roberts trying to reignite the long-damaged relationship with his daughter Brandy.

Here we have a Jake Roberts who is hurting, who is laid bare, and who is seemingly on a path of self-destruction which can only end in one tragic one.

With Jake these days a regular part of AEW programming, it's brilliant to see how far Roberts has come since Beyond the Mat and how he has managed to get his life back on track in a positive and healthy manner.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.