POP! WWE – Jake the Snake

My wife and I watched The Resurrection of Jake the Snake on Netflix the other night. Those of you who’ve seen it know it makes for some rough viewing. If you haven’t though, I thoroughly recommend giving it a watch. You don’t have to be particularly interested in wrestling or anything; it’s just a well-made sports documentary which (fortunately) has a happy ending.

I wasn’t much of a fan previously, but this was more to do with timing. Jake the Snake was a huge presence in the WWF during the 80s and 90s, but he left the company in 1997. I didn’t really start watching until 1999, so my first experience of him came in Mick Foley’s first book Have a Nice Day, which tells a few interesting stories about his gimmick. 

Never having been a huge fan of snakes, I didn’t think a lot about him in the intervening years. But I’ve had a renewed interest in wrestling over the last few months, and so I’ve been digging back through some of the history of WWF/WWE. Then the POP got released, and a friend mentioned the documentary was on Netflix…well, I’m definitely a fan now. Better late to the party than never.  

I’ve been watching a few clips online, and the man had HUGE charisma and stage presence. Not to mention that he popularised the DDT, a manoeuvre that’s so ubiquitous in wrestling these days it’s often taken for granted. It’s easy to say these things in hindsight, but his is a name that really should be thrown around in the same way as Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior or Andre the Giant. Undertaker is a frightening, because but Jake the Snake gives off this terrifying serial killer vibe that really helped sell his character.   

Sadly, a few different issues derailed him over the years – company politics, drug issues and drinking. The usual stuff that causes a lot of wrestlers problems, but on a much grander scale. Fortunately, he managed to get his life under control a few years ago with the help of Diamond Dallas Page, and at time of writing he seems to be doing quite well. 

The POP is an excellent sculpt, complete with a giant signature snake draped around his shoulders.  His hair is a little thicker than it was in real life, but that’s just the way the format works. The only real downside is that he can’t turn his head too far, due to the mullet. Paint is really good too! The snakeskin pattern on his boots is well-replicated, as is the Medusa-esque portrait on his right thigh. Granted, these are tampos, but the regular paint lines are pretty clean as well. He’s one of the best I’ve bought in ages.  

There’s also a Chase version of Jake; the sculpt is the same, but the tights are blue instead of green, and the snake is a slightly different colour too. This is a good Chase. It’s fun but not essential to consider your collection complete, which is a marked contrast to this upcoming Chase*. Whichever version you get, Jake the Snake is an excellent POP. He’s essential for any wrestling fan – and maybe even if you’re not, but you enjoyed the documentary and want to make sure he gets a few royalties to better look after himself.

*I’ve sunk a lot of money in Funko products over the last 5 years, but sometimes I feel like they actively hate their fans.