Hello everyone, I’m sure you have all heard the sad news that ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper has unfortunately passed away at the age of 61 due to a cardiac arrest on Friday. Piper was a WWE Hall of Famer, Class of 2005. He headlined the first ever WrestleMania and was a former Intercontinental Champion.
We at SLTD Wrestling are deeply saddened by the passing of ‘The Hot Rod’ and have all come together to share our thoughts Roddy. Peace & Love go out to his family and friends.
Karl Farrell (Fazza At Play)
What did the Rowdy one mean to me? Well in all honesty, I didn’t watch him much as I came into the scene in the late nineties. But what I do know about him is that he changed the game. His attitude and heel like ability shone through the ages. To the point that other wrestlers based their characters on him. He was truly one of the greatest performers in the ring and was in the business before his talents could be truly appreciated. Imagine Piper in his prime in the ring now? He’d be unbelievable. This year we’ve lost some of the greatest names, and I’m sorry to see him go. Thanks for everything Piper. You’ll be missed. Rest in Peace.
Alex Hazlewood (Sparky’s Plug)
Roddy piper was and will always be one of my favorites of all time. The first proper anti hero of WWE. Even playing the bad guy people loved him. I’ll forever remember the boxing match with Mr. T at Mania 2 with a smile. Deciding to power-slam T to the ground because he had enough, ha ha! When the bag pipes started and he came through the curtain he had the crowd in his hand. His promos were second to none and his slightly erratic behavior has been an inspiration to others (lookin’ at you Dean Ambrose). A bonafide legend, deserved Hall Of Famer and a hero to us who weren’t Hulkamaniacs! Gone but certainly never to be forgotten.
Dan O’Shaughnessy (Twitter Manager)
So as the news breaks of Roddy Piper’s passing, I sit here looking back over his career, just to grasp how much of an influence this guy was in the business that I love!! The main thing that comes to me was his eccentric promos, he had so much passion and so much energy it was infectious! And for that I thank you Roddy!! May you Rest in Peace now! Prayers are with your family.
Ciaran Legend (Write Legend Write)
There are many imitators but there could only be one ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper. ‘Hot Rod’ himself helped change the course of history by headlining the very first WrestleMania alongside Hulk Hogan, and the following year famously lost to Mr.T in a boxing match at Wrestlemania 2. Others hogged the limelight and took the credit but one cannot deny the impact Piper had in his near 40 year career.
It wasn’t until Piper’s return to WWE in 2003 that I started to see what made him such a fascinating character, I have found memories of his verbal duels with Chris Jericho during his second stint with the company. Even though he had passed his prime Roddy could still verbally go toe to toe with anyone on the roster, even if his wrestling skills had diminished he could still cut down all who dared challenge him. He was the original rebel, if you didn’t like him so what? Piper didn’t care and in doing so earned the adulation of the fans.
‘Hot Rods’ antics have inspired many superstars past and present, CM Punk & Chris Jericho are two wrestlers who have said how much Piper influenced an aspect of their career, plus without ‘Piper’s Pit’ you would have never had the ‘Highlight Reel’, The ‘Peep Show’ or ‘Miz TV’ you surely wouldn’t have personalities like CM Punk, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, the type of personalities that push boundaries and incite fans.
Dan Barker (The Verbal Brainbuster)
Rowdy Roddy Piper was always the man that brought a pinch of personal salt with anything he did as a performer. On the microphone Roddy Piper kept your eyes glued to the screen, brought out a genuine energy into a promo and had literally a taste of poison with every emotionally charged wow ever delivered.
What I mean by poison? That warm buzzing sensation that struck your heart when you heard him call out rivals for a scrap. I won’t lie to claim that he was amongst my all time favorites, but I will strongly argue the point that was lost a legend in the business who I believe there’s still no comparative to this day.
Superstars may believe they’re controversial, anyone who’s attempted to stir up things in the WWE most often pales in comparison with not just what Roddy Piper did back in the day but how well he carried himself.
Rowdy Roddy Piper taught me as a youngster that strength isn’t found in the muscles, it’s found in spirit. If the WWE Championship was determined by strength of spirit, then Piper would have pretty much owned the championship for as long as he wanted it.
Adam O’Brien (Under The Spotlight)
Roddy Piper is easily one of the greatest characters in the industry we know and love. I instantly think of the 1984 ‘Piper’s Pit’ segment with Jimmy Snuka and a coconut to the head, when thinking about some of the greatest heel performances of all time. That’s one of those moments that sum up an entire era to me. While you had the likes of Hogan and André during that time, guys like Roddy Piper and Randy Savage were the personalities that kept the fans watching and took WWE to new heights.
I was born long after Piper’s prime, but the man’s performances are timeless. Don’t get me wrong, I love the contemporary WWE product, but some of the Superstars of today would pale in comparison to Piper’s promos from way back when. He’s easily one of the best talkers that the business has ever produced, and truly deserves his spot in the WWE Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in 2005.
It aches my heart to know that two of the wrestling’s very best in terms of cutting promos and evoking emotion in the fans have left us in a matter of weeks. Hearing the news of Piper’s passing hit me very hard yet again, and all I can do is send my thoughts to his family, friends, and fellow fans who attempt to cope during this terrible period.
Thank you for everything, Roddy. Rest in peace.
Tybo Ledson (Tybo Talks)
I think I am still in shock after hearing about Piper last night, I think I was more shocked because I was only writing about him the day before. Piper’s passing is devastatingly close to the passing of Dusty.
Roddy Piper is one of those few wrestlers who transcend time, like his promos, and his matches would still stand up in today’s environment and would still be amazing. I have said this a lot but the success of ‘Piper’s Pit’ is undoubtedly the reason who we have had so many knock-offs over the years, ‘Cutting Edge’, ‘MizTV’, ‘Peeps Show’, I could go on. Piper was the perfect villain to anyone he faced because he understood his character, he was great in the ring and knew how to work the crowd.
I know he wasn’t wrestling anymore, and wasn’t really in the WWE when he passed but its a huge shame that the knowledge Piper had will no longer be passed onto younger talent. Another true legend has gone. RIP Hot Rod.
We encourage everyone to comment with their favourite moments involving ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper down in the comments section below, and to let us know what ‘Hot Rod’ meant to you not only as an on-screen personality, but as a human being. Yet another legend taken from us way too soon.
Thank you, Roddy Piper.
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