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It is with an incredibly heavy heart that we have to report that 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper has died.
Piper, real name Roderick Toombs, died at home. It is not known how he died, but early reports suggest he had a cardiac arrest while he slept. Some websites are already claiming that he died due to cancer, but this cannot be confirmed. Piper revealed that he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2006. He later claimed that he had been given the all-clear last November. Piper was only 61.
Despite his gimmick of being Scottish, Piper was actually born in Canada. He ran away from home as a teenager and would never see his parents again. While growing up in a YMCA, he was encouraged to get into wrestling as an easy way to make money. He made his debut against Larry 'The Ax' Hennig, the father of 'Mr. Perfect' Curt Hennig, and the grandfather of current WWE Superstar Curtis Axel. The 16-year-old was genuinely knocked out within 10 seconds.
Piper got his scotsman gimmick based on his ability to play the bag pipes. He used the talent to antagonise fans, and when the ring announcer saw him with the instrument, he mistaking announced him as Roddy the Piper. This origin story was repeated in the 2001 movie 'Spider-Man' explaining how the hero got his "The Amazing Spider-Man" moniker. After offending fans in Mexico, he apologised by offering to play their national anthem on the bag pipes. But in a traditional Piper swerve, he played 'La Cucaracha' instead.
His controversial style carried on into WWE right from his debut. He opened with a Piper's Pit segment in which he beat up his interviewee. The Piper's Pit segment would then become synonymous with shocking moments. Possibly the most memorable was when he struck Jimmy Snuka with a coconut, and Snuka fell through the set. Snuka chased after Piper and wound up running face first into a door.
Piper famously main-evented the very first WrestleMania. It was mainly his hard work that made the promotion a success, working alongside actor Mr. T and singer Cyndi Lauper. He would team with 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff to fight Mr. T and Hulk Hogan in a tag team match refereed by boxer Muhammad Ali. Piper would then face Mr. T in a boxing match a year later. He completed his trifecta of unforgettable WM moments by beating 'Adorable' Adrian Adonis in a match that saw Adonis lose his hair, and Brutus Beefcake adopt his "The Barber" persona.
Piper would later win the Intercontinental Championship, using it to elevate new talent. Many of his peers argue that he made the IC title more important than the WWF Heavyweight Championship at the time. They claim that Piper was so good as a heel that he didn't need a major championship to be the biggest draw. Although, Piper admitted that never holding a major title was his one regret.
Piper always used his speaking ability to either put over younger talent or to put someone in their place. His attitude resulted in a very rocky relationship with Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon and Steve Austin. In fact, he recently quit a project for the WWE Network after the negative backlash caused by his comments about Austin. He would be fired from WWE multiple times after several arguments with McMahon. However, the person he criticised most was actually his closest friend, Roddy Piper. Piper served as the best man for one of Flair's weddings, and Flair inducted Piper into the HoF in 2005.
Piper will be greatly missed. The news is especially shocking due to the very recent death of "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes.
Piper, real name Roderick Toombs, died at home. It is not known how he died, but early reports suggest he had a cardiac arrest while he slept. Some websites are already claiming that he died due to cancer, but this cannot be confirmed. Piper revealed that he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2006. He later claimed that he had been given the all-clear last November. Piper was only 61.
Despite his gimmick of being Scottish, Piper was actually born in Canada. He ran away from home as a teenager and would never see his parents again. While growing up in a YMCA, he was encouraged to get into wrestling as an easy way to make money. He made his debut against Larry 'The Ax' Hennig, the father of 'Mr. Perfect' Curt Hennig, and the grandfather of current WWE Superstar Curtis Axel. The 16-year-old was genuinely knocked out within 10 seconds.
Piper got his scotsman gimmick based on his ability to play the bag pipes. He used the talent to antagonise fans, and when the ring announcer saw him with the instrument, he mistaking announced him as Roddy the Piper. This origin story was repeated in the 2001 movie 'Spider-Man' explaining how the hero got his "The Amazing Spider-Man" moniker. After offending fans in Mexico, he apologised by offering to play their national anthem on the bag pipes. But in a traditional Piper swerve, he played 'La Cucaracha' instead.
His controversial style carried on into WWE right from his debut. He opened with a Piper's Pit segment in which he beat up his interviewee. The Piper's Pit segment would then become synonymous with shocking moments. Possibly the most memorable was when he struck Jimmy Snuka with a coconut, and Snuka fell through the set. Snuka chased after Piper and wound up running face first into a door.
Piper famously main-evented the very first WrestleMania. It was mainly his hard work that made the promotion a success, working alongside actor Mr. T and singer Cyndi Lauper. He would team with 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff to fight Mr. T and Hulk Hogan in a tag team match refereed by boxer Muhammad Ali. Piper would then face Mr. T in a boxing match a year later. He completed his trifecta of unforgettable WM moments by beating 'Adorable' Adrian Adonis in a match that saw Adonis lose his hair, and Brutus Beefcake adopt his "The Barber" persona.
Piper would later win the Intercontinental Championship, using it to elevate new talent. Many of his peers argue that he made the IC title more important than the WWF Heavyweight Championship at the time. They claim that Piper was so good as a heel that he didn't need a major championship to be the biggest draw. Although, Piper admitted that never holding a major title was his one regret.
Piper always used his speaking ability to either put over younger talent or to put someone in their place. His attitude resulted in a very rocky relationship with Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon and Steve Austin. In fact, he recently quit a project for the WWE Network after the negative backlash caused by his comments about Austin. He would be fired from WWE multiple times after several arguments with McMahon. However, the person he criticised most was actually his closest friend, Roddy Piper. Piper served as the best man for one of Flair's weddings, and Flair inducted Piper into the HoF in 2005.
Piper will be greatly missed. The news is especially shocking due to the very recent death of "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes.
