“I was Rowdy before Rowdy was cool”

Rowdy Roddy Piper. What a heartbreaking loss this is for not just wrestling but the world. I find myself having trouble coming up with words that do justice to the kind of man and wrestler Roddy Piper was. It takes a special person to be able to make people hate you, yet also love you just as much at the same time. Piper came on the scene as villain that could rile up the most stoic of people and make them pay to see him get his ass kicked. I think one of the things that may have endeared him to the masses is that even if he got his ass kicked he would dish it out just as much if not more. There is something you can respect about a guy that fights for his life regardless of what side of the tracks he is on. And when Roddy got on the right side of the tracks, there was no going back. The fans had chosen Piper to give their love to and that bond would only get stronger, it will last forever.

Born on the unforgiving prairies of Saskatchewan, Roddy had a hell of a tough upbringing that he rarely gave anyone a glimpse into. It must have been bad as he left home around 12 and started his journey on his own, the streets would be his companion. The tough road he was walking led him straight into the wild world of professional wrestling. As a skinny Canadian Scot you would have thought it was suicide to get into wrestling but Roddy Piper had Giant sized toughness that would carry him through his career and life. However he took hellacious beatings before he would become accepted into wrestling as a serious competitor. That’s how it was in those days, beat the piss out of you daily and if you came back enough times showing improvement, you had proved your worth. Those lessons would help shape the man and character we knew as Rowdy Roddy Piper.

He spent the early part of his career building his heel persona before becoming a fan-favourite while working for the NWA, GCW, Mid-Atlantic having classic matches with Ric Flair, Sgt Slaughter and a particularly brutal Dog Collar match with Greg Valentine. The brutality in that match was so severe Piper busted his eardrum and permanently lost hearing in his left ear. He solidified his growing reputation before finally making the jump to the bigtime with the WWF. Vince McMahon saw the money in this Rowdy Scot and immediately worked to make him the most hated man in wrestling. Little did he know just how much of an impact the Rowdy one would have.

In order to make the kind of impact he wanted, Hot Rod needed a microphone. Put a mic in his hand and nobody could touch him, he knew it but he needed an opportunity to prove it. And once Vince gave it to him, he blew up the world. Piper’s Pit, 2 words that guarantee entertainment and controversy. Go watch the Pit episode with Frank Williams from Columbus, Ohio, one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. You will be blown away at how he talks to Andre the Giant of all people. Of course the legendary Pit with Superfly Jimmy Snuka and the coconut smash heard round the world. And where else could the mega feud of Hogan vs Andre be cultivated but a stage like Piper’s Pit. But let’s fast forward a couple years and talk about the man that helped get Hogan to the mountaintop.

The star of the greatest Hero in wrestling history, Hulk Hogan, was ready to shine bright but every great Hero needs a great villain to balance things out and Rowdy Roddy Piper was more than ready to answer the call. With his major league charisma and ability to get the crowd into a frenzy with the microphone, he was the perfect foil for Hogan’s larger than life persona. Piper was real, you believed every word and never knew if he would keep his cool or lose it. You couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t jump the barricade and teach you a lesson if you were giving him shit. And he was one of those guys that seemed so dangerous when he lost his cool, he didn’t need a massive muscular physique or to stand taller than others, he was real and that was more than enough. So when Piper and Hogan started their feud, it got the world talking. But that was nothing compared to what was coming.

Their feud led to a big match on MTV called the War to Settle the Score which would help kick start the biggest boom period in wrestling history, Rock n Wrestling. The Score would not be Settled in this War, not because the match ended in DQ but b/c after the match Cyndi Lauper, who was a guest that night, entered the ring to help her friend Hulk Hogan when Piper kicked her. This was during a time when Cyndi Lauper was at her peak and was America’s sweetheart, everyone loved her so if Piper was hated before he was public enemy number 1 now. And he wouldn’t have had it any other way. He lived to get that kind of reaction out of the fans, it meant they cared. There were other villains Hogan could have worked with and made lots of money but there was only 1 guy that could help him set the world on fire like they did. And make no mistake about it, Piper made it fun to hate him. It was fun to hear him rile up a crowd with his words, it was fun to watch him lie and cheat his way through matches. That’s why people loved him so much despite hating his guts, real people are good people so there were no reservations about giving your energy to Rowdy Roddy Piper, either way he wouldn’t let you down.

Hogan vs Piper was hot hot hot coming out of the War and after what he did to Cyndi and Capt. Lou, the fans were dying to see him get what he had coming. And that led us into the most important event in wrestling history, WrestleMania 1. If this event isn’t a success, Vince loses everything and were probably not watching wrestling today, at least not in its current state. But Piper had worked the fans into a frenzy and Hogan was ready to weave Hulkamania into the fabric of Americana, the stars had aligned and wrestling would never be the same. But this would not be your run of the mill blow off singles match, Vince wanted something more to solidify WrestleMania as more than a wrestling show. So he brought in Mr. T, 1 of the hottest stars in the world at the time to work alongside Hogan in a tag match vs Piper and great heel in his own right Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff. This created a real life serious conflict between Piper and Mr. T. These were the days when you didn’t let outsiders just come into the business and perform, especially Hollywood actors and given what Piper had gone through to be accepted into the business, he did not take kindly to Mr.T’s inclusion. Not at all. Several times cooler heads had to come in and settle things down between them, as I said Piper was real in front of and behind the curtain so you had to take him 100% serious. Despite the hot water, WrestleMania went on as planned, they had a good entertaining main event and the show was a smashing success allowing WrestleMania and WWF to become a Global phenomenon. The Rock n Wrestling boom stayed white hot for years to come and Hogan became the global superstar and hero he was destined to be, no small thanks to the most hated man in wrestling.

He stayed a heel for a while after that having a Boxing match with Mr. T at WrestleMania 2. Mr. T had become famous in part to his role as dangerous boxer Clubber Lang in Rocky 3 so the general consensus was Mr. T would whoop the fake wrestler. Except that Piper was a trained boxer even winning the Golden Gloves in his youth while Mr. T could only box when a director was saying cut and action. Piper toyed with the idea of completely wiping the floor with T but decided it would not be a good thing and went along with the plan. He pulled his punches and slowed down as T struggled with his energy becoming gassed very early into the bout. Mr. T got the win via DQ when Piper lost composure and started getting Rowdy. Heading into WrestleMania 3 he would be ready to wind down his career as a fan favourite feuding with Adrian Adonis. In a classic Roddy Piper moment, they had carts to take the wrestlers down the long aisle but Piper was having none of it and ran to the ring in front of 93,000 screaming fans. The smile when he gets in the ring and extends his arms might be my favourite Piper memory, that smile was so genuine, he finally got to hear just how much the fans loved him and he loved us back.

Thankfully that wasn’t the last we saw of the Rowdy one. He went to Hollywood and acted in 1 of the most highly regarded sci-fi films of all time, They Live. It even inspired a classic line still used by people today,’ I am here to chew bubble-gum and kick ass, and I’m all out of bubble-gum.’ He was also in another cult classic ‘Hell comes to Frogtown’ that one is tougher to find so def watch it if you get the opportunity. He returned to the WWF to put Morton Downey Jr in his place at WM 5, had a forgettable match with Bad News Brown at WM 6 but it did give us the great moment of Roddy painting his body half black for the match. Only Hot Rod. At the 1992 Royal Rumble he won his first and only Intercontinental Title from the Mountie. Later that night during the actual Royal Rumble, with Ric Flair waiting alone in the ring, Roddy Piper entered and blew the roof off the place! One of my top 3 Roddy Piper moments. He carried the IC Title with pride and prestige into WrestleMania 8 for a showdown with real life close friend Bret “Hitman” Hart. Bret would be the first to tell you how much Roddy did for him and his career. Giving him key advice that would allow him to get to the mountaintop. Too many guys let jealousy and insecurity take over and wouldn’t help out others. But Roddy was different, he was a good man and confident in himself and his abilities, he didn’t need to protect himself in that way. Plus he loved the business and wanted it to be the best it could be and that meant helping special talents get to the top. This match would go down as 1 of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history and maybe Piper’s greatest match. It meant a lot to me as a kid considering Bret and Roddy were 2 of my favourites, especially the end when Piper handed the belt to a bloody Bret after the match. It is also significant since it was the first pinfall loss Piper had taken on WWF TV and one of only about 5 ever. He was notorious for refusing to be pinned by Hogan or pretty much anyone. I think it had something to do with his rough entry into life and the business, once he had control he absolutely would not allow himself to be put in a position to be taken advantage of. In wrestling, every pinfall loss you take gives some of your characters energy to that opponent. And when you had to go through the kind of hell Roddy Piper did to build it, it’s no wonder he operated the way he did. It may have cost him a legacy of titles but as evidenced by the love and reputation he has, his legacy did just fine. He could build himself up to the highest level without titles, that’s as real as it gets.

After WrestleMania 8 his in-ring career would pretty much come to an end but before it did he would have a short run in WCW. This time however him and Hogan would be in opposite roles, Hogan the hated heel and Piper the heroic babyface. Just like Piper had helped Hogan become a hero, he helped solidify him as a villain in WCW. They had a hot feud and in hindsight it was probably a mistake not to give him the World Title at Starrcade 1996 but it is what it is. He would surprise us in the WWF from time to time as the special guest ref or new commissioner. During his run as commissioner he would cross paths with Goldust leading to the memorable Hollywood Backlot Brawl. Didn’t seem like much on a paper but it was a brutal, fun match that most people remember very fondly to this day. During the Hogan vs Vince match at WrestleMania 19, Piper returned in classic Hot Rod fashion letting both Hogan and McMahon taste the steel pipe he came with. I loved that, can’t have a Hogan vs Vince match without Roddy factoring in somewhere. That would have been a great Network show, Road Trippin with Vince, Hogan and Piper hahah

But throughout his amazing career there was one constant with Hot Rod; his family. Roddy Piper was a family man first and foremost, he loved his wife Kitty and their children more than anything in life or wrestling. And he proved it by being a devoted Husband and Father, always making sure they had his time and affection. Piper could have easily let the pleasures of the road and wrestling life separate him from his family but he didn’t allow it. When he talked about his family, you could hear in his voice and see in his eyes how much he meant every word he spoke about them. I send my strongest prayers of love and peace out to his family, I can only imagine how much hurt this has caused for them.

One of things that really made Piper stand out from his peers was his relationship with the fans. He never put the fans down or treated us with disrespect. Too many wrestlers look down on the fans and use terms like “mark” with disgust and disrespect. They see the fans as dollar signs or people to take advantage of. But not Piper, he loved the fans an appreciated the fact that they gave their time, money and energy to the wrestling business and the people making a living in it. It’s bad enough to deal with everything non fans throw at you but it’s even worse when the guys you’re supporting are throwing the same or worse. Fans need wrestlers and wrestlers need fans, more so than other sports because of the fact it is pre-determined. That’s why I will not back down on my stance that fans are just as much a part of the business, especially today. When the show ends, the fans are on the frontlines with the job of defending the integrity of wrestling against all its attackers. Piper recognized that without asses in the seats, it doesn’t matter how great you are. He knew how much we loved seeing him so you could always count on a Hot Rod appearance at special shows and of course WrestleMania. Roddy Piper gave wrestling credibility and he knew it so he stuck around. Of course it was his livelihood and he loved it but still, he didn’t have to put himself out there as much and he didn’t have to be so accessible. Sitting here now, I definitely took for granted all the appearances, Twitter posts, podcasts, etc…Because I’m having a hard time accepting that we will never see him again in this lifetime. We will never hear the bagpipes and see that amazing smile that could light up the biggest arena, coming down the aisle. We will never hear those little things that only Piper could pull off during a promo. People outside wrestling probably find it weird that fans react so strongly when wrestlers pass away but unless you’ve been a fan you just can’t understand. The suspension of disbelief is the key, it’s such a fragile, special thing that it cultivates a unique bond between the performers and the fans. These larger than life heroes aren’t in comics or movies, they can be seen, felt, touched, etc… It plays out in front of your very eyes, it might be pre-determined but when the lights are on, it’s real. Guys like Piper are evidence of that.

61 years old. Not even close to long enough. I can’t really say 100% why Piper’s death is affecting me like it is but this one has hit me pretty hard. I don’t know I just never imagined a world without Rowdy Roddy Piper. I guess I assumed we would have him for a long time, he just didn’t seem like a guy that would die young. Roddy Piper was so real you almost thought death would pass him by but this happening reminds us it is coming for us all. And like Roddy Piper you gotta live every day to its fullest and kick as much ass as you can. I figured they would be wheeling him out in a Hot Rod style wheelchair long before he ever left this earth. He was a great ambassador for wrestling, nobody would disrespect it or the guys in it while he was still breathing. Considering the never-ending battles wrestling faces, that is a devastating loss. In a pre-determined sport, Real is the most important quality and Roddy Piper was as real as it gets. When you find a performer that is real, you latch on to them and form a bond that will last forever. All of that and more is for sure why this is affecting me so much but more simply, I’m just gonna really miss him.

I never knew Roddy Piper personally but I sure loved him. I loved what he did for Hogan and Hulkamania. I loved what he did for the wrestling business. I loved how high he set the bar with his awesome promos. I loved watching him perform. I loved to hate him. I loved how he made his family #1 setting a great example for the world. Bottom line, I loved Rowdy Roddy Piper for everything he was and wasn’t and I really hope he had some idea of how we all felt about him. God I just can’t believe he’s gone.

I know that somewhere, somehow we will see him again but I was really hoping he would stick around longer in this life. But he gave us more than a lifetime worth of memories and energy, can’t ask for any more than that. The Legacy of Rowdy Roddy Piper to me will be one word: real. In and out of the ring, whether the lights were on or off, Roddy Piper was real. Without Piper and that realness, wrestling would not be what it is today. Even though he was long past his prime, this is a massive loss to wrestling. We have lost a guy that transcended the business and had worldwide respect from people of all creed and colours all over the globe. People that weren’t wrestling fans, knew of and resected Roddy Piper. When Roddy Piper talked about wrestling, nobody was putting it down or disrespecting it. We lost one of our greatest Generals.

I guess it’s time to wrap this up. I didn’t want to have to write something like this and I sure don’t want to end it and have to say goodbye but you can’t hide, you gotta face the real, that’s how you find it in yourself. There will never be another Rowdy Roddy Piper that is for sure but hopefully every wrestler and fan, present and future takes a lesson from Roddy Piper and finds the realness in themselves. Your real will not be Roddy Piper’s real but trust me, people are looking for the real and when they see yours, they will connect with you. It’s kind of funny that the thing I’ll remember most about the greatest heel in wrestling history is his smile. It was genuine and real, everything Roddy himself was.

Thank you for Hot Rod, the memories and energy can never be replaced. Thank you for WrestleMania, without your efforts it wouldn’t be what it is. Thank you for passing the torch to Bret, he was Roddy Piper real and he wouldn’t have been the hero he became without you. Thank you for treating the fans with so much respect, it really means a lot and I will never forget it. Thank you for always defending the wrestling business and standing up for what is right. Thank you for being Rowdy.

With tears in my eyes and hurt in my heart I say, Goodbye Rowdy Roddy Piper. I love you and will miss you brother. In closing, I think JBL said it best on Raw last night, I hope Heaven doesn’t run out of bubble-gum.

One day we all will wake up and no Goodbyes will follow

We will see each other again when today becomes tomorrow