| Roddy Piper | |
|---|---|
 Piper in 2009 | |
| Birth name | Roderick George Toombs |
| Born | (1954-04-17)April 17, 1954 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Died | July 31, 2015(2015-07-31) (aged 61) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest caused byhypertension |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 4, includingTeal Piper |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Masked Canadian[1][2] Piper Machine ”Rowdy” Roddy Piper[3] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[3] |
| Billed weight | 230 lb (104 kg)[3] |
| Billed from | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Trained by | Gene LeBell Leo Garibaldi Tony Condello Joe Fiorino Stu Hart[4] |
| Debut | 1969[5] |
| Retired | 2011 |
Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy"Roddy Piper, was a Canadianprofessional wrestler and actor.
In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for his work with theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) andWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1984 and 2000. Although he was Canadian, Piper was billed as coming fromGlasgow and was known for his signaturekilt andbagpipe entrance music; this was because of his Scottish heritage.[3] Piper earned the nicknames "Rowdy" and "Hot Rod" by displaying his trademark "Scottish" short temper, spontaneity, and quick wit. According toThe Daily Telegraph, he is "considered by many to be the greatest 'heel' (or villain) wrestler ever".[6]
One of wrestling's most recognizable stars,[7] Piper headlined multiplepay-per-view events, including the WWF and WCW's respective premier annual events,WrestleMania andStarrcade. He accumulated 34 championships and hosted the popular WWF/WWE interview segment "Piper's Pit", which facilitated numerouskayfabe feuds. In 2005, Piper was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame byRic Flair, who dubbed him "the most gifted entertainer in the history of professional wrestling".[8]
Outside of wrestling, Piper acted in dozens of films and TV shows. Most notably, he took the lead role of John Nada in the 1988 cult classicThey Live[9] and a recurring role as deranged professional wrestler Da' Maniac on theFX comedy seriesIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Roderick George Toombs was born inSaskatoon, Saskatchewan, on April 17, 1954,[1][10] the son of Eileen (née Anderson), aScottish-Canadian and Stanley Baird Toombs, anAnglo-Canadian.[11] He was raised inWinnipeg, Manitoba, and attendedWindsor Park Collegiate. His father was an officer with the CN Rail Police (Canadian National Railway) while they lived inThe Pas, Manitoba. After being expelled from junior high for having aswitchblade in school[12] and falling out with his father, Toombs left home and stayed inyouth hostels.[10] Several professional wrestlers hired him to run errands as he picked up odd jobs at nearby gyms. As a young man, he became proficient in playing thebagpipes, though he repeatedly stated that he was unsure exactly where he picked them up.[13] His childhood (and lifelong) best friend was ex-NHL playerCam Connor.[14]
Piper was an amateur wrestler before he started to become a professional wrestler. He claimed to have won theGolden Gloves boxing championship, though their lists of champions do not include any of his names. He was awarded ablack belt inJudo fromGene LeBell.[13] He started wrestling under the care of promoterAl Tomko in Canada, his first match involving "midget wrestlers" in front of a lumberjack audience inChurchill, Manitoba.[13] He soon began earning money wrestling while still going to school. His first match in a famous organization was withLarry Hennig in theAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA).[13] Friends of his played the bagpipes during his entrance while he was handing out dandelions; meanwhile, the ring announcer had to announce something, but all he knew was that Piper's name was Roddy. Subsequently, after seeing the pipe band, he announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, here comes Roddy the piper." This gave birth to the name "Roddy Piper".[13] From 1973 to 1975, Piper was ajobber in the AWA,NWA Central States territory surrounding Kansas City, andEastern Sports Association in theMaritimes.[15] He also worked inTexas forPaul Boesch's NWAHouston Wrestling promotion,[15] and in Dallas forFritz Von Erich'sBig Time Rasslin.[10]
By late 1975 and early 1976, Piper was a top villain for Mike andGene LeBell'sNWA Hollywood Wrestling. In 1977–78, he also started to work for Roy Shire's NWA San Francisco Wrestling in addition to remaining with the Los Angeles office, where Piper developed his Rowdy character. During this time, he made continuous insults directed at the area's Mexican community; he later promised to make up for this by playing theMexican national anthem on his bagpipes only to anger the fans further by playing "La Cucaracha" instead, which in turn caused a riot.[16] Piper also managed astable of wrestlers inCalifornia.[17]
In the Los Angeles area, Piper feuded withChavo Guerrero Sr.,[18] and his fatherGory Guerrero. Piper and Chavo Guerrero faced each other in several matches for the Jules Strongbow Memorial Scientific Trophy. Piper also defeated Chavo for the Americas Heavyweight Title.[18] During the feud, Piper lost ahair match and had his head shaved.[19] Piper appeared in severalloser leave town matches and was forced to leave the territory.[19][20] He also appeared in the territory as The Masked Canadian. In his first televised match as The Masked Canadian, Piper teamed with Chavo in a match against Black Gordman and Goliath for the Americas Tag Team Championship. Piper and Guerrero lost the match and faced each other two days later, with Piper defeating Guerrero for the Americas Heavyweight Championship.[19] Piper wrestled as The Masked Canadian for several months until he was unmasked byHector Guerrero.[19]
By late 1978-early 1979, Piper left the California promotions for even more fame inDon Owen's Portland-basedPacific Northwest territory.[18] He teamed withKiller Tim Brooks andRick Martel to win theNWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship.[18] Piper also won theNWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship with victories over both LordJonathan Boyd and "Playboy"Buddy Rose.[18]
In the early 1980s, Piper ventured to theMid-Atlantic territory where he beatJack Brisco for the Mid-Atlantic title.[18] He also defeatedRic Flair for the US belt which turned into a feud.[18] From 1981 to 1982, Piper served as a commentator onGeorgia Championship Wrestling (GCW) and feuded with the likes ofBob Armstrong,Dick Slater, andTommy Rich. During the summer of 1982, Piper became a fan favorite after knocking outDon Muraco andOle Anderson to save broadcast partnerGordon Solie from Muraco, who had grown angry at Solie questioning his tactics. InWrestling to Rasslin, Gerald W. Morton and George M. O'Brien described the transformation: "the drama finally played itself out on television when one of his [Piper's] hired assassins, Don Muraco, suddenly attacked the commentator Gordon Solie. Seeing Solie hurt, Piper unleashed his Scottish fury on Muraco. In the week that followed, like Achilles avenging Patroklas, he slaughtered villain after villain.... In the arenas fans chanted his name throughout his matches."[21]
In 1982, Piper was fired because of showing up late for a match.[10] He went toPuerto Rico for a month and was booked byJim Barnett shortly thereafter. Piper returned to the Georgia area in the summer of 1983 to aid Tommy Rich during his rivalry with Buzz Sawyer. Eventually, Piper moved back toJim Crockett Promotions. As a fan favorite, Piper feuded withSgt. Slaughter, Ric Flair, andGreg Valentine. Piper's feud with Valentine culminated in adog collar match at the firstStarrcade.[18] Valentine broke Piper's lefteardrum during the match, causing Piper to permanently lose 50–75% percent of his hearing. This became known as "The Year of the Ear".[18][22][23]
Before entering theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) full-time in 1984, Piper wrestled five matches[24] with the WWF underVince McMahon Sr. in 1979 atMadison Square Garden. His first match in WWF he defeated jobberFrankie Williams on January 22.[25] Before one match,Freddie Blassie stuffed Piper's bagpipes with toilet paper, so they would not play in front of the Garden crowd.[26]
In 1983, WWF ownerVince McMahon contacted Piper, who insisted on serving out his contract with Jim Crockett before starting his WWF run in 1984. Piper debuted in the WWF as a manager, working with"Dr. D" David Schultz and"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, but eventually Piper's run as a manager quietly ended and he started wrestling full-time.[27] Focusing on one of his strengths as a wrestler, the microphone, he was given his own interview segment calledPiper's Pit onChampionship Wrestling andWrestling at the Chase in 1984, starting a run of the segment that ended in 1987. During onePiper's Pit, Piper insultedJimmy Snuka's Polynesian heritage and attacked Snuka by smashing him over the head with acoconut.[18][28] Piper also insultedBruno Sammartino during aPiper's Pit segment,[28] which led to a feud that ended in asteel cage match on February 8, 1986, at theBoston Garden which Piper lost.[29][30]
Piper's next major storyline was withHulk Hogan and also involved pop singerCyndi Lauper.[18] In 1985,MTV broadcastThe War to Settle the Score, which featured a main-event match between Piper and Hogan for the WWF championship. Hogan was accompanied to the ring by Lauper,Captain Lou Albano, andMr. T.[18] This event set up the firstWrestleMania, which pitted Paul Orndorff and his former manager Piper against Hogan and Mr. T.[18] Orndorff was pinned by Hogan when Piper's bodyguard"Cowboy" Bob Orton interfered and mistakenly struck Orndorff instead of Hogan. InBorn to Controversy, Piper recalled how during the match he had to keep Mr. T busy to cover Mr. T's lack of wrestling ability from being seen by the fans. From this situation, Piper and Mr. T's real-life relationship became hostile, leading to the inevitable conclusion that they be put into a feud with one another on-screen. Piper faced Mr. T in aboxing match atWrestleMania 2 in 1986, which Piper lost by disqualification after bodyslamming Mr. T.[2]
Following a leave of absence from the WWF, Piper returned as a face, during a TV taping ofChampionship Wrestling on August 23, 1986, againstA. J. Petrucci. As part of the storyline, the returning Piper was distressed to find hisPiper's Pit segment replaced byThe Flower Shop, a segment hosted byAdrian Adonis, who had also hired Piper's former bodyguard Orton.[18] Piper spent weeks crashing Adonis' show and trading insults, leading to a "showdown" between the two segments that ended with Piper being assaulted and humiliated by Adonis, Orton, andDon Muraco and the destruction of the original Piper's Pit set, resulting in Piper's face turn and the construction of a more permanent Piper's Pit set. In response, Piper stormed the set of Adonis' show and destroyed it with a baseball bat. This led to theirHair vs. Hair match atWrestleMania III, which was billed as Piper's retirement match from wrestling before he left to become an actor full-time.[18] Piper won the match.[18]
In early 1987, Piper's Pit also served as the backdrop forAndre the Giant's heel turn and challenging Piper's old foe,Hulk Hogan, for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania III, and Hogan ultimately accepting the challenge.
In 1989, Piper returned from a two-year hiatus. AlthoughWrestleMania V was billed as his return, he actually made his first appearance on March 19 in Denver, CO at a house show when he hosted a livePiper's Pit and interviewedBrother Love.[31] Two weeks later at WrestleMania V he did make his official return with another livePiper's Pit, where he hosed down a smokingMorton Downey Jr. with a fire extinguisher.[28] He made his return to the ring on May 12, substituting for Jake Roberts and pinningTed DiBiase on a house show in Los Angeles.[32] Piper would gain several more victories against DiBiase that month, and also againstRandy Savage in June.
After this, Piper co-hostedPrime Time Wrestling from July 17, 1989, to December 25, 1989, withGorilla Monsoon, feuding withBobby Heenan,"Ravishing" Rick Rude, andBrother Love, he would return to the show in 1991 as well.[18] Piper returned to the ring when he interfered in Rude'sIntercontinental Heavyweight Championship defense againstThe Ultimate Warrior atSummerSlam, costing Rude the title. The feud was heavily promoted on TV and Piper would face Rude in many matches throughout the house show tours, including steel cage and lumberjack matches. The feud was so prominent that aSurvivor Series match was built around it which saw both men captain a team and simultaneously be eliminated by countout during their brawl, though Rude's team would go onto win the match. The feud came to a head shortly thereafter onPrime Time Wrestling during an on-air bet between Heenan and Piper, which Piper won, resulting in Heenan having to dress as Santa Claus during the next episode ofPrime Time. The feud continued until March 1990 with Piper winning the majority of their matches throughout 89-90 including a win over Bobby Heenan.[33]He then feuded withBad News Brown who was upset at being eliminated by Piper at the 1990 Royal Rumble. Brown would go on to mock Piper for wearing a "skirt". AtWrestleMania VI in April 1990, Piper cut a promo towards his opponent Bad News Brown before the match with half his face and body painted black, and also wrestled Bad News while painted this way. Bad News would take this display ofblackface as being offensive behind the scenes.[28][34] Subsequently, the match would end in a Double Count Out, with the issue between the two never being resolved despite plans to the contrary. According to a behind the scenes interview, neither man was willing to lose to the other.[35]In 1991, he supportedVirgil in his feud against"The Million Dollar Man" (Ted DiBiase). Later in 1990 Piper was involved in amotorcycle accident,[36] but was still present at their matches atWrestleMania VII andSummerSlam. He renewed his feud withRic Flair and at the1992 Royal Rumble defeatedThe Mountie for his first, and only, Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship.[18] He lost it soon after toBret Hart atWrestleMania VIII.[37] Following his title loss to Hart, Piper made a handful of appearances at television tapings forWrestling Challenge andWWF Superstars. Four Piper's Pit segments were recorded - two withSteve Lombardi and two withShawn Michaels.[38] None aired, and Piper disappeared from the WWF. He made his return playing the bagpipes atSummerSlam.[39]
He reemerged once again in 1994 atWrestleMania X asguest referee for theWWF World Heavyweight Championship match between Bret Hart andYokozuna.[40] During the match, commentatorJerry "The King" Lawler remarked that he hated Piper and continued to taunt Piper on hisKing's Court segment onMonday Night Raw, eventually culminating with Lawler bringing out a young, skinny impersonator in a Piper T-shirt and kilt and forcing him to kiss his feet.[41] Enraged, Piper agreed to wrestle Lawler at theKing of the Ring, where Piper emerged victorious. Piper wrestled as a fan favorite, and adding to the face attitude by donating part of his purse from the fight with Lawler to a children's hospital in Ontario.[41] In spring 1994, Piper began hosting a regular weekly segment onAll-American Wrestling called "The Bottom Line" where he commented on various happenings in the WWF, as well as on his feud with Lawler.[42] Piper's segment aired regularly until the Summer of 1994, when Piper would disappear again.
Leaving the WWF again, he briefly returned in 1995 atWrestleMania XI, once again in a referee capacity, for the submission-only match between Hart andBob Backlund.[43] After this match Piper became the host for the replay editions of WWF pay-per-views for a brief period of time, commenting on the matches that had just happened, before disappearing again a few months later.
On the January 29, 1996, episode ofMonday Night RAW, Piper returned for another regular role: he was named as interim WWFPresident afterGorilla Monsoon had to take a leave of absence due to an attack byVader.[44] On February 24, at a house show atEast Rutherford, New Jersey, he made his first match appearance in almost two years. As a substitute for Razor Ramon, Piper defeatedThe 1-2-3 Kid after hitting him with a ring bell. He wrestled twice more against the Kid on house shows that month.[45]
As president, one of Piper's first acts was to reinstateThe Ultimate Warrior back into the WWF after a letter campaign written in by fans. Piper had become the object of affection forGoldust. Enraged, Piper claimed he would "make a man" out of Goldust atWrestleMania XII.[46] The match, dubbed a "Hollywood Backlot Brawl", began in a pre-taped segment, recorded in an alleyway, but Goldust jumped into his gold Cadillac and ran Piper over, ultimately escaping (allegedly) onto the highways ofAnaheim. Piper pursued in his whiteFord Bronco, the aerial footage shown was actually that of theO. J. Simpson "low-speed" chase from two years prior. This was made clear by Piper himself, who recalled the event on an episode ofPipers Pit the Podcast. The two eventually arrived at the arena, where Piper disrobed Goldust in the ring, effectively ending the confrontation. With Gorilla Monsoon back in control of the WWF by the end of the night, Piper once again left the company.[47] His final appearance came the September 6, 1996, edition ofMonday Night RAW, where footage was shown of him participating with other WWF wrestlers at the CNE "Experience" in Toronto.[45]
Piper joinedWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the fall of 1996. He made his surprise WCW debut as afan favorite at theHalloween Havoc pay-per-view in October to insult thenWo leader and theWorld Heavyweight ChampionHollywood Hogan.[48]On the November 18 episode ofNitro, Piper revealed thatEric Bischoff was a member of the nWo, which ended with the nWo members attacking him.[49] on the December 9 episode ofNitro, Piper told Flair that he didn't need the Four Horsemen's help in beating Hogan and he was going to do it on his own. Piper defeated Hogan with his signaturesleeper hold in the non-titlemain event of the company's flagship pay-per-viewStarrcade,[47] which earned him a title shot against Hogan for the World Heavyweight Championship atSuperBrawl VII, where Piper was defeated.[50] On the March 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, Piper and his family joined forces withRic Flair andThe Four Horsemen in their battle with the nWo.[51] AtUncensored, Piper competed in atriangle elimination match where he captained a team of HorsemenChris Benoit,Steve McMichael andJeff Jarrett against the nWo and WCW's team ofLex Luger,Steiner Brothers andThe Giant. His team lost the match.[52] On the March 31 episode ofNitro, Piper and Flair agreed to team up and stand side by side to fight. Piper moved on to feud with other members of nWo. AtSlamboree, Piper, Flair andKevin Greene defeated nWo membersScott Hall,Kevin Nash andSyxx in asix-man tag team match.[53] The following month, atThe Great American Bash pay-per-view, Piper and Flair unsuccessfully challengedThe Outsiders for theWorld Tag Team Championship.[54] on the June 23 episode of Nitro, Flair and the Four Horsemen turned on Piper and attacked him. This led to a match between Piper and Flair atBash at the Beach, which Piper won.[55]
Piper took a hiatus from television before making his return to WCW on the September 8 episode ofNitro, where he was appointed the new on-airCommissioner of WCW, which reduced his in-ring work.[56] He briefly resumed his feud with Hulk Hogan, beating him in asteel cage match atHalloween Havoc.[57] on the March 23, 1998, episode of Nitro, Piper and Randy Savage battled to a no contest. On the March 30 episode of Nitro, Piper defeated Hogan by disqualification. At the1998 Spring Stampede pay-per-view, Piper teamed withThe Giant in a loss to Hogan and Nash in aBaseball Bat on a Pole match.[58] AtSlamboree, Piper served as thespecial guest referee in a match between Randy Savage andBret Hart, which Hart won but the following night on Nitro, Piper changed his decision and declared Savage as the winner by disqualification.[59] AtThe Great American Bash, Piper and Savage lost to Hogan and Hart in atag team match by submission. After the match, Piper wrestled Savage in the next match, which Piper defeated Savage by submission.[60] On the September 7 episode ofNitro, Piper and Diamond Dallas Page defeated Sting and Lex Luger by disqualification. Piper teamed withDiamond Dallas Page andThe Warrior as Team WCW in aWarGames match atFall Brawl for an opportunity at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at the following month'sHalloween Havoc. Page won the match for his team.[61] On the September 14 episode ofNitro, Piper confronted Bret Hart.
On the February 8, 1999, episode ofNitro, Piper defeated Bret Hart to win his thirdUnited States Heavyweight Championship; the first two reigns being in JCP.[62] Piper held the title for only two weeks as he lost the title to Scott Hall atSuperBrawl IX.[63] AtSlamboree, Piper defeated Flair by disqualification after Eric Bischoff reversed Flair's pinfall win, disqualifying Flair for hitting Piper with a foreign object (which had been ignored by biased refereeCharles Robinson). 8 days later on the May 17 episode ofNitro, Piper called out Bischoff for what Bischoff did to him in 1996, before Bischoff apologised to him and WCW fans. Piper and Bischoff were interrupted by Randy Savage and hisTeam Madness, before Savage and Team Madness attacked him and Bischoff until Kevin Nash saved him and Bischoff. The following month later atThe Great American Bash, Flair defeated Piper by disqualification for control of WCW after interference fromBuff Bagwell. Upset with Bagwell getting him disqualified, Piper knocked Bagwell out and joined Flair as vice president, turning Piper heel for the first time in WCW. AtBash at the Beach, Piper competed against Bagwell in aboxing match withMills Lane asspecial guest referee which he lost. In late 1999, Piper returned to WCW programming as a face, in an angle withVince Russo, who was now portraying himself as the "Powers That Be" (an unseen power that was controlling WCW). AtStarrcade, Piper was the special referee in the WCW World Heavyweight Championship match featuringGoldberg and Hart. Forced by Russo, Pipercalled for the bell when Hart locked in the Sharpshooter on Goldberg, when it was apparent that Goldberg had not submitted.[64] The feud between Piper and the Powers That Be ended shortly after. Piper's last appearance in WCW was atSuperBrawl 2000 in February 2000 where he was a surprise referee in the WCW World Heavyweight Championship match betweenSid Vicious,Jeff Jarrett and Scott Hall. In July 2000, WCW terminated Piper's contract.[65]
Before going to the WWE in 2003, Piper served as the commissioner of theXcitement Wrestling Federation (XWF).[18][66] On November 5, 2002, Piper revealed in his autobiography,In the Pit with Piper: Roddy Gets Rowdy, that he was released rather than having left as had previously been thought.[67]
Piper returned to WWE on March 30, 2003, by conducting a surpriserun in during theHulk Hogan-Vince McMahon match atWrestleMania XIX inSeattle, Washington, where he attacked Hogan with a steel pipe to cement his heel status; Hogan nevertheless eventually won the match.[68][69] Piper went on to align withSean O'Haire; atBacklash in April,Rikishi hit Piper with Piper's own coconut, but this led to O'Haire defeating Rikishi.[70]
In May, as Hulk Hogan had been banned in storyline from television by Vince McMahon, Hogan returned under a mask as Mr. America, and continued his feud with Piper, O'Haire and McMahon, who tried to reveal Mr. America's true identity. This storyline also saw Piper tear off the fake leg of one-legged wrestlerZach Gowen, who was playing a Hogan fan. AtJudgment Day, Piper argued withChris Jericho ifPiper's Pit was better than Jericho's talk showThe Highlight Reel. Later at the event, Piper lost to Mr. America.[71]
Piper and O'Haire then moved on to challenge Tajiri and Eddie Guerrero for theWWE Tag Team Championship, but in June 2003, WWE fired Piper after a controversial interview withHBO'sReal Sports with Bryant Gumbel in which Piper discussed the darker side of the wrestling industry.[72] WWE cited that "Piper stated that he used drugs for many years while working in professional wrestling and that he does not like the person that he becomes when he actively performs as a professional wrestler", and dismissed Piper because of "inability to reach agreement on a contract and to assist Piper from engaging in any self-destructive behavior".[71][73] On his 2006 DVD, Piper claimed that HBO took parts of his interviews out of context to make wrestling look bad.[74]
Piper debuted forTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion on December 4, 2002, at an NWA-TNA pay-per-view and started a feud withVince Russo, cutting a promo where he blamed Russo for the death ofOwen Hart.[75] From September to December 2003, Piper gave video-tape messages and on the October 8, 2004, episode ofImpact!, Piper crashed the Impact Zone and announced his talk segmentIn the Pit with Piper. In November 2004 atVictory Road, he hostedIn the Pit with Piper and interviewed Jimmy Snuka, who refused to accede to Piper's demands of hitting Piper with a coconut.[76] On the December 24 episode ofImpact, Piper hosted anotherIn The Pit with Piper and interviewedHector Garza but was interrupted byScott Hall andKevin Nash. AtFinal Resolution in January 2005, Piper refereed a match betweenJeff Hardy and Scott Hall, helping Hardy win.[77] This was Piper's final appearance for TNA.
On February 21, 2005, it was announced that Piper was to be inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame.[78] Piper held an episode ofPiper's Pit atWrestleMania 21 where he interviewedStone Cold Steve Austin.[18] On the July 11, 2005, episode ofRaw, Piper received a superkick fromShawn Michaels, the guest forPiper's Pit.[78] In October and November 2005, Piper feuded with Cowboy Bob Orton and Randy Orton, after they attacked him during a session ofPiper's Pit with Mick Foley. While Piper defeated both Ortons in a handicap match and made Bob submit in a six-man tag match, the feud ended with Randy interfering in a singles match between Piper and Bob, disqualifying Bob, but beating down Piper.[78][79][80]
Piper returned toRaw on September 11, 2006, for a six-man tag team match win withThe Highlanders against theSpirit Squad. He also appeared on theRaw Family Reunion, along withMoney Inc. andArn Anderson to accompanyRic Flair ringside for a match againstMitch of the Spirit Squad. On November 5, Piper would gain what would be his final championship in WWE, winning theWorld Tag Team Championship with Flair from The Spirit Squad atCyber Sunday.[81] On the November 13, 2006, episode ofRaw, Piper and Flair lost the title toRated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton).[82]
In 2007, Piper appeared in February to announceDusty Rhodes for the WWE Hall of Fame, and also in June forVince McMahon Appreciation Night.[83] In 2008, Piper made a surprise appearance in theRoyal Rumble match by attacking Jimmy Snuka, but was eliminated byKane.[84] Piper then had a series of confrontations withSantino Marella in 2008, including onJimmy Kimmel Live!.[85][86] AtCyber Sunday (2008), Piper was one of three choices to be Santino Marella's opponent for the Intercontinental Championship, with The Honky Tonk Man being chosen. The match ended by disqualification and after the match Piper and Goldust made their way down to the ring confronting and attacking Marella.
On the February 16, 2009 episode ofRaw, afterChris Jericho insulted WWE legends, Piper interrupted him and was attacked by Jericho for it.[87] The feud culminated in Jericho defeating Piper, Jimmy Snuka and Ricky Steamboat atWrestleMania 25 in a handicap elimination match.[88] Piper later guest hostedRaw on November 16, 2009, atMadison Square Garden in New York City. Piper challenged Vince McMahon to a street fight later in the evening, but Randy Orton came out to fight in McMahon's place.Kofi Kingston came out to stop Randy's assault on Piper.[89]
He inductedWendi Richter into the 2010 WWE Hall of Fame on March 27, 2010.[90] He also appeared the next night onRaw as one of the Legend Lumberjacks in a match that involvedChristian andTed DiBiase.[91] Two months later, Piper hired DiBiase to capture guest hostQuinton Jackson so he could "gain revenge on BA", but was unsuccessful.[92]
AtWrestleMania XXVII on April 3, 2011, Piper made an appearance by hittingZack Ryder with a coconut while the latter was being interviewed.[93] On the June 13, 2011 episode ofRaw,The Miz and laterAlex Riley were guests onPiper's Pit; this led to Piper defeating Miz in a match (to win $5000) because of help from Riley, the guest referee; this was Piper's last documented WWE match.[94]John Cena was a guest forPiper's Pit on the November 28, 2011 episode ofRaw.[95]
On the April 10, 2012 episode ofSmackDown,Daniel Bryan andAJ Lee were guest ofPiper's Pit.[96] On the June 18 episode ofRaw, Piper reunited with Cyndi Lauper.[97] AtRaw 1000, Piper and various other veterans helpedLita defeatHeath Slater.[98] On the August 13, 2012, episode ofRaw, Chris Jericho was the guest forPiper's Pit, butDolph Ziggler and the Miz interrupted.[99]
On the January 6, 2014 episode ofRaw,The Shield were guests forPiper's Pit.[100] On the March 31, 2014 episode ofRaw, Piper hostedPiper's Pit with superstars who would compete in the André the Giant 31-man memorial battle royal, which ended in a brawl withBig Show clearing the ring and Piper raising his hand. AtWrestleMania XXX, the four men who wrestled in the main event of WrestleMania I—Piper, Paul Orndorff, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T—buried the hatchet in a backstage segment.[101] On the December 22, 2014 episode ofRaw,Rusev andLana were guests for the final edition ofPiper's Pit.[102] AtWrestleMania 31, Piper and other legends appeared in a backstage segment afterDaniel Bryan won the Intercontinental Championship.
In early July 2015, Ric Flair said Piper lost his WWE Legends contract with the company because of a public feud with Steve Austin,[103] which resulted in Piper leaving PodcastOne. Piper later apologized to Austin on July 13, only three weeks before his death.[104]
In February 2005 atWrestleReunion, Piper teamed withJimmy Valiant andJimmy Snuka againstColonel DeBeers,"Cowboy" Bob Orton, and"Playboy" Buddy Rose. On January 29, 2011, Piper made his debut forPro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) during theWrestleReunion 5 weekend, defeating nineteen other men, last eliminatingTerry Funk, to win the Legends Battle Royal.[105][106]
Piper's last documented match occurred on August 12, 2011, at the JCW Legends and Icons event. What was originally a match for Piper against Terry Funk was altered mid-match to a tag match between Piper and Cowboy Bob Orton against Funk and Mick Foley, which Piper's team won.[107]
In 2012, Piper, along with Don Coss,[108] createdPortland Wrestling Uncut, a revival of the originalPortland Wrestling, with new and old wrestlers combined.[109] Playing prominently in the show are Piper and Coss as announcers, The Grappler (Len Denton) as a manager,[110] guest appearances by the likes ofMatt Borne (among others), rewind segments that show partial matches from the original Portland Wrestling (owned by Don and Barry Owen),[111] and Piper's son, Colt Toombs.[110]
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In the 1980s, Piper also appeared in singerCyndi Lauper's music video for the song "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough".[112] Piper performed the song, "For Everybody", onThe Wrestling Album (Columbia Records, 1985), based on the Mike Angelo & the Idols song "Fuck Everybody", but without any of the profanity heard in the original. He also appeared as a guest VJ on MTV in 1988.[113] In 1992, he released a UK only single and music video for his song, "I'm Your Man".[113] The single came with the B-side, "Judy Come Back".[114]
Deadline Hollywood wrote, "During and after his wrestling days, Piper racked up dozens of film and TV credits, starring in numerous action B-movies and later doing voice work".[115] The most famous of Piper's acting exploits was in the 1988 science fiction filmThey Live, directed byJohn Carpenter,[116] which spawned the catchphrase Piper came up with—"I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubble gum."[117]—as well as the long fight scene over sunglasses againstKeith David which took three weeks to rehearse. The line and the fight scene have since been parodied inDuke Nukem,South Park andAdventure Time.[115][118][119]Entertainment Weekly wrote that Piper's role inThey Live made him a "cult icon" and "some kind of legend".[118]Rolling Stone wrote that Piper "had a memorable career as a cult actor", citingThey Live and the 1987 filmHell Comes to Frogtown.[28][118]
Piper was a guest on a 1985Saturday Night Live episode, tormenting hostsHulk Hogan andMr. T, and appeared as a special guest onMADtv along withBret Hart. In the early 1990s, Piper made guest-star appearances on two episodes ofThe New Zorro onThe Family Channel. Piper had a role in a fourth season episode of theSuperboy television series as an immortal Alchemist stealing the youth from his gym patrons. In 1991, Piper andJesse "The Body" Ventura starred inTag Team, a television film about two ex-professional wrestlers turned police officers.[28] Piper appeared as a wrestler loosely based on himself in an episode called "Crusader" fromWalker, Texas Ranger. Piper also appeared in an episode ofThe Outer Limits series.[120]
Piper was the host of ITV'sCelebrity Wrestling in the United Kingdom.[121] Piper appeared onRoboCop: The Series.[122]
Piper appeared inIt's Always Sunny In Philadelphia[28] as professional wrestler named "Da' Maniac" during season 5 and reprised this role in season 9. Although the character was a parody ofMickey Rourke's role inThe Wrestler, Piper had previously endorsedThe Wrestler and Rourke's performance during an appearance with Rourke onJimmy Kimmel Live.[123] He appeared as Mr. Thurgood in the low-budget filmThe Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens in 2008 and its sequelBilly Owens and the Secret of the Runes in 2010. On March 14, 2010, Piper appeared in "One Fall", an episode in CBS'sCold Case, playing a wrestler named Sweet Sil. In September 2010, Piper appeared in aFunnyorDie.com video, fighting against childhood obesity in a PSA parody. The clip included him using wrestling moves on children eating junk food and the parents who feed junk food to their kids.[124]
In 2012, Piper appeared on a Season 4 episode ofCelebrity Ghost Stories, in which he conveyed a story of being visited by the ghost ofAdrian Adonis. In May 2013, Piper appeared in "Barry's Angels"— episode 12 of thefourth season of theA&E reality show,Storage Wars —in which he appraised a set of Scottish kilts purchased by Barry Weiss. In June 2013, Piper appeared onCelebrity Wife Swap, where he swapped wives withRic Flair.[125]
Piper appeared as himself in the video gameSaints Row IV.[126] He also played himself as the protagonist in the 2013 filmPro Wrestlers vs. Zombies.[127] In April 2014, Piper appeared as a regular cast member on theWWE Network original reality showLegends' House. He also started a podcast;Piper's Pit with Roddy Piper, in association with PodcastOne.[128][129]
In 2006, Roddy Piper ventured into the realm of voice acting, providing the voice of himself in "Metal Militia"[130]—an episode ofCartoon Network's animated seriesRobot Chicken[131]—and the voice of The Pyro Messiah in theNight Traveler multimedia adventure series produced by Lunar Moth Entertainment.[132] He provided the voice ofBolphunga inGreen Lantern: Emerald Knights,[133] and the voice of Don John in theAdventure Time episode "The Red Throne".[134] He also voiced his own likeness in the 2013 video gameSaints Row IV.
Piper is one of several real people to be immortalized with a 3.75 in (9.5 cm)G.I. Joeaction figure of himself, as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, theIron Grenadier Trainer. The figure was released as an exclusive for the 2007 International G.I. Joe Convention from the Official G.I. Joe Collectors' Club. Piper appeared at the convention to sign autographs.[135]
Piper appears as a playable character in 14wrestling video games. He made his first appearance inWWF WrestleMania: Steel Cage Challenge. He later appeared inWCW/nWo Revenge,WCW/nWo Thunder,Legends of Wrestling II,WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain,Showdown: Legends of Wrestling,WWE Day of Reckoning,WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw,WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007,WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 andWWE All Stars as alegend. He also appeared inWWE 2K14 as a hidden character in theSuperstar Head Creation mode. He was later included inWWE 2K16 asDLC. He also appears inWWE 2K19 as DLC in the game'sRic Flair-themed "Wooooo!" Edition,[136] as well as inWWE 2K20,WWE 2K Battlegrounds,WWE 2K22,WWE 2K23,WWE 2K24, andWWE 2K25.
Outside of wrestling games, Piper voices a fictionalized version of himself in 2013'sSaints Row IV. In the story, Piper helps the player rescueKeith David from a simulation by recreating their fight scene fromThey Live, and can be recruited as an ally during missions.[137] Piper also made a cameo appearance inAbobo's Big Adventure.
Toombs was a Christian.[138] Toombs' last film that was released in his lifetime,The Masked Saint, was a Christian film. Toombs and his wife Kitty Jo Dittrich were married from 1982 until his death in 2015. They had four children.[139] His daughterTeal Piper made her professional wrestling debut forAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) in August 2019 at theAll Out pay-per-view.[140] Shortly after that announcement, it was revealed that she had signed a contract withWomen of Wrestling (WOW).[141]
On November 27, 2006, it was announced on WWE.com that Toombs hadHodgkin's lymphoma; he finished radiation therapy on January 15, 2007.[142] This was also confirmed on Toombs' official website, where he posted messages of thanks to all his fans and stated that, had the fans not chosen him asRic Flair's partner atCyber Sunday, he would not have been taken to the hospital and diagnosed as having his disease in time.[72]
In November 2008, a video spread around the internet showing Toombs smokingmarijuana and taking a hit from a bong in front of a cheering crowd at the annualGathering of the Juggalos, although he later acknowledged his use of medicinal marijuana "to alleviate the symptoms associated with cancer".[143] This was reiterated on a blog fromJim Ross.[144]
In his autobiography, Toombs claimed to be a cousin ofBret Hart, which would make him a relative of theHart wrestling family.[145] This fact was once used as a trivia question onRaw.[146][147][148][149][unreliable source] Hart also revealed that Toombs was the only wrestler to visit him in the hospital after hisstroke.[150]Bruce Hart has stated that they were second cousins.[151][152]
On July 24, 2015, Piper appeared as a guest onTheRich Eisen Show. He had trouble collecting his thoughts and staying focused, often rambling and not answering Eisen's questions.[153]
One week later on July 31, 2015, Piper died in his sleep at the age of 61 at his summer residence inLos Angeles, California.[154] His death certificate cites acardiopulmonary arrest caused byhypertension, listing apulmonary embolism as a contributing factor;TMZ reported this as aheart attack caused by the embolism.[155][156][157] Piper's long-time friendBruce Prichard revealed on his podcast that he received a voicemail from Piper the night of his death.
News of his death broke minutes before the Hall of Heroes dinner to cap off theMid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends FanFest inCharlotte, North Carolina, where about 600 current and former wrestling personalities and fans had gathered. He received aten-bell salute after the planned salute to fellow former professional wrestlerDusty Rhodes, who had died the previous month.[158] Another ten-bell salute was given at the beginning of the August 3, 2015, episode ofRaw.[159]
WWE CEOVince McMahon said, "Roddy Piper was one of the most entertaining, controversial and bombastic performers ever in WWE, beloved by millions of fans around the world. I extend my deepest condolences to his family."[156] Film directorJohn Carpenter said, "Devastated to hear the news of my friend Roddy Piper's passing today. He was a great wrestler, a masterful entertainer and a good friend."[156]
In anHBOReal Sports interview conducted by Piper in 2003, he had predicted that he was "not going to make 65" because of his poor health, and that he made his 2003 return to WWE because he could not access his pension fund until reaching the age of 65.[160]
Piper was cremated and his ashes interred at Crescent Grove Cemetery in Tigard, Oregon.
Piper is considered one of the greatest talkers andheels in wrestling history.Piper's Pit interview segments were considered innovative, especially in an atmosphere where only the people like theworld champion got to talk, and the wrestlers were the interviewees—never the interviewers. According toBobby "The Brain" Heenan, he could just leave Piper in a room and return twenty minutes later with Piper having done a class-A promo.[161] WWE named him the greatest villain in wrestling history.[162][163][164]
Dave Meltzer of theWrestling Observer Newsletter described Piper as "one of the key figures in the growth of WWF. In particular, he helped power the success of the first WrestleMania: the most important show in company history".[165]
Piper was one of the first wrestlers to have his entrance music played by a live band. At the War to Settle the Score in February 1985 before his WWF Title match withHulk Hogan atMadison Square Garden, Piper's theme was played by theNYPD Pipes and Drums out to the ring.
Mixed martial artistRonda Rousey was nicknamed "Rowdy" by her friends. She initially rejected using it professionally, feeling it might disrespect Piper. After being introduced to him throughGene LeBell, Piper gave her his approval to use the nickname. On the day of his death, she dedicated her next day'sUFC 190 title match withBethe Correia to him. After quickly winning it, she noted him first in her post-fight interview.[166][167] In 2018, when Rousey made her full-time WWE debut, she wore the jacket that Piper wore, which was given to her by his son.[168] She also used a move calledPiper's Pit, a reference to the talkshow he held during the WWF.
In April 2019, Piper was honored with a statue as part ofWrestleMania Axxess inBrooklyn, New York.[169]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | The One and Only | Joe 'Leatherneck Joe' Grady | Uncredited | |
| 1986 | Body Slam | Rick 'Quick Rick' Roberts | Supporting role | [170] |
| 1988 | Hell Comes to Frogtown | Sam Hell | Lead role | [170] |
| They Live | John Nada | Lead role | [170] | |
| 1989 | Buy & Cell | Cowboy | Supporting role | |
| 1991 | Tagteam | Rick McDonald | Lead role | |
| 1994 | Back in Action | Frank Rossi | Lead role | |
| Immortal Combat | John Keller | Lead Role | ||
| 1995 | No Contest | 'Ice' | Supporting role | [170] |
| Tough & Deadly | Elmo Freech | Lead role | ||
| Jungleground | Lt. Jacob Cornell | Lead role | [170] | |
| 1996 | Terminal Rush | Bartel | Lead role | [170] |
| Marked Man | Frank Gibson | Lead role | ||
| Sci-Fighters | Detective Cameron Grayson | Lead role | [170] | |
| 1997 | First Encounter | Lieutenant Ed Ganz | Lead role | |
| Dead Tides | Mick Leddy | Lead role | [170] | |
| The Bad Pack | Dash Simms | Lead role | ||
| 1998 | Hard Time | Randy | Supporting role | |
| Last to Surrender | Nick Ford | Lead role | ||
| 1999 | Legless Larry & the Lipstick Lady | Larry 'Legless Larry' | Lead role | |
| The Shepherd | Miles | Also known asCyber City | ||
| 2000 | Jack of Hearts | Detective Deeks | Supporting role | |
| 2005 | Three Wise Guys | Pastor Roberts | Supporting role | |
| Honor | LT Tyrell | 3rd lead | [170] | |
| 2006 | Domestic Import | Bill 'Bronco Bill' | Also known asNanny Insanity | [170] |
| Costa Chica: Confession of an Exorcist | Lucas McMurter | Also known asLegion: The Final Exorcism | [170] | |
| Shut Up and Shoot! | Yokum the Bartender | Supporting role | ||
| Night Traveler | The Pyro Messiah | Voice, supporting role | ||
| Blind Eye | Fred Mears | Lead role | [170] | |
| 2007 | Ghosts of Goldfield | Jackson Smith | [170] | |
| Super Sweet 16: The Movie | Mitch | |||
| 2008 | Legion: The Final Exorcism | Unknown | [170] | |
| 2009 | The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens | William Thurgood | Lead role | [170] |
| A Gothic Tale | Narrator | |||
| 2010 | The Portal | George 'Homeless George' | ||
| Lights Out | Detective Callahan | Lead role | ||
| Billy Owens and the Secret of the Runes | William Thurgood | [170] | ||
| Alien Opponent | Father Melluzzo | Lead role | ||
| 2011 | Clear Lake | Wayne | Lead role | |
| Pizza Man | Roderick | |||
| Fancypants | Smiley | Lead role | ||
| Green Lantern: Emerald Knights | Bolphunga | Voice, direct-to-video | [171] | |
| 2013 | Black Dynamite Teaches a Hard Way! | Himself | Guest role | |
| Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies | Himself | Lead role | [172][173] | |
| 2014 | Don't Look Back | Grandfather | Eddie Starks | [174][175] |
| 2015 | The Reconciler | Russ | [176] | |
| 2015 | Portal to Hell | Jack | Lead role | [177] |
| 2015 | The Masked Saint | Nicky Stone | ||
| 2016 | The Bet | Mr. Jablonski | Posthumous release | |
| 2016 | The Chair | Murphy | Posthumous release |
| Year2013 | Title celebrity wife swap | Role himself | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Highwayman | Preacher | Episode: "Pilot" | [178][179] |
| 1989 | The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! | Himself | Guest appearance | [180] |
| 1990 | The Love Boat: A Valentine Voyage | Maurice Steiger | Television film | [181] |
| 1992 | Silk Stalkings | Jimmy Snow | Episode: "Wild Card" | |
| 1993 | Highlander | Anthony Gallen, Immortal | Episode: "Epitaph for Tommy" | [182] |
| 1994 | RoboCop | Tex Jones/Faked Commander Cash | Episode: "Robocop vs. Commander Cash" | |
| 1996 | Joe Bob's MonsterVision Summer School | Himself | Episode: "They Live/Immortal Combat" | [[1]] |
| 1998 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Cody 'The Crusader' Conway | Episode: "Crusader" | |
| 1999 | The Outer Limits | Marlon | Episode: "Small Friends" | [183] |
| Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends | Himself | Episode: "Wrestling" | [170] | |
| Mentors | Daniel Boone | Episode: "The Rescue" | ||
| 2003 | The Man Show | Himself | Episode: Apologizing | |
| 2006 | Robot Chicken | Himself | Voice, episode: "Metal Militia" | |
| 2009–2013 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Da' Maniac | 2 episodes | [28][184][185] |
| 2010 | Cold Case | "Sweet" Sil Tavern | Episode: "One Fall" | [170] |
| 2011 | Fantasy Factory | Himself | Episode: "Kid Lightning" | [170] |
| 2012 | Breaking In | Mr. Weller | Episode: "The Contra Club" | [186] |
| 2013 | Storage Wars | Himself | Episode: "Barry's Angels" | [170] |
| 2014 | Adventure Time | Don John | Voice; episode: "The Red Throne" | [171] |
| 2014 | WWE Legends’ House | Himself | 10 episodes - Season 1 | |
| 2015 | Food Factory USA | Himself | Episode: "No Snout About It" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–2015 | Piper's Pit | Himself | Podcast, with PodcastOne from April 2014 to July 2015, two last episodes onSoundCloud[187] |
| 2015 | Table for 3 | Himself |
|
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Saints Row IV | Himself[171] |
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roddy Piper (hair) | Luke Williams (hair) | Portland, Oregon | Live Event | March 1, 1980 | |
| Roddy Piper (hair) | Adrian Adonis (hair) | Pontiac, Michigan | WrestleMania III | March 29, 1987 |
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
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