He was sort of an anti-hero and a tough son-of-a-gun who always got back up no matter how many times his foes tried to knock him down. Instead, those cheers will be replaced by silence. After retiring from wrestling in 2008, he still appeared in various WWE shows until 2014.
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Following her fight against Bethe Correia last night at UFC 190, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey paid tribute to WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper who passed away this week at the age of 61.
Roddy Piper endeared him to his legion of fans not only because of his athleticism but also due to his quick wit.
His death also comes days after Hulk Hogan, his great rival, had his contract terminated by WWE.
That night in 1992, Roddy Piper dropped the belt to Hart, and it was the last (and only) time Piper held championship singles gold in the WWE (he had an eight day run with Ric Flair as tag team champions in 2006). One of his most memorable matches was during “Wrestlemania 1” in 1985 when he battled Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. He brought a gleeful energy to his matches, appearances and interviews that made him a favorite with fans and fellow wrestlers alike. His crowning in-ring achievement came at the 1992 Royal Rumble when he won the WWE Intercontinental Championship. In recent months on his podcast, he often waxed nostalgic and frequently reminisced with people about his career, sharing road stories about his contemporaries with a mellowed tone and the frequent interjection of “Awe, Baby Jesus” when he came to the end of a thought. In some ways, being a talk-show host was more appropriate (and more important) than just being a heel – Piper’s role was to provide narrative connective tissue for the superheroes’ swinging fists. In all that he did, Piper oozed contempt for the heroes of the WWF, for no other reason than that they were cheered by the audience. A kind, humble, genuine side.
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Piper would eventually get the opportunity to exact a measure of revenge against his former arch nemesis in the main event of the 1996 edition of WCW Starrcade. In 2005, he made it in to the WWE Hall of Fame. Piper’s Pit was unique in that the man holding the mic was not a neutral media personality; he was an instigator and agitator, taking as many pot shots at the crowd as he took at his guest.
