WWE TLC: Wrestling says goodbye to one of the greats – ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper

Barnaby Read 16:16 04/08/2015
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  • Piper is one of the most iconic wrestlers in history.

    The wrestling universe was in mourning last week as news filtered through of the death of one of its most iconic stars; ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper.

    Piper died in his sleep following a heart attack at the age of 61 in his home in California and ever since the WWE, and the wider community, has paid homage to the Canadian of Scottish descent.

    It is little wonder that Piper’s death hit so many, so hard.

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    Combining controversy, character and an in-ring skill rarely equalled before or since, Piper had a little bit of everything and endeared himself to WWE fans across four decades of his association with the company.

    For Piper’s millions of fans, it was love at first sight.

    From the moment he debuted in 1984 in his interview segment Piper’s Pit, ‘Hot Rod’ became the heel that everybody loved to hate. Feuds with Jimmy Snuka (whose wife also sadly announced on Monday night that he has been diagnosed with cancer), Mr. T (who he had a real-life feud with – more on that later) and Hulk Hogan followed, which culminated in a showdown with the latter two at the very first WrestleMania.

    Piper was less than a year into his run in the WWE and he had already etched his name in the company’s history books. It was something that he would continue to do over the course of his career as he pushed the expected boundaries of pro wrestling.

    Never shy of controversy, Piper was determined to push the limits whenever he entered the ring or was handed a microphone.

    When looking back on two of his most controversial moments in history, it is a sad reminder of the difficulties that face professional wrestlers, particularly those that broke out in the 1980s and ‘90s.

    Piper first drew heavy criticism for his WrestleMania VI promo ahead of meeting mixed-race opponent Bad News Brown as he appeared on screen with half of his face and body painted black.

    Nearly half of the competitors (14 of 36) from that WrestleMania VI card are now dead, with 13 of those (Dusty Rhodes aside) failing to make it past 64. It is an alarming statistic that further highlights the critical problems wrestlers faced during a time of steroid abuse and a lack of understanding about concussions.

    Fast forward to Piper’s 2003 comments on Real Sports with Bryant Gumble and you see a man describing a dislike for his own image on TV and, now prophetically, claiming that he would not reach 65 years of age. It makes for emotional viewing in light of this week’s tragic news of his passing but shows what made Piper such a popular wrestler: he was honest to a fault.

    At the time, Piper was released by the WWE for his revealing honesty about drugs in wrestling but he would end up returning to the company in 2005 when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

    These are the images that will remain in the memory. The former WWE tag-team and Intercontinental champion, dressed in a kilt with bagpipes in hand, will always be remembered as one of the most talented heels and most loved characters of a troubled generation of wrestlers.

    Tweets of the week – #RIPHotRod

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