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Retired. 2011. Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as " Rowdy " Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for his work with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between ...
- 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
- 1969
- 230 lb (104 kg)
- 4, including Teal Piper
- Who Was Roddy Piper?
- Early Years
- Early Pro Wrestling Career
- 'Piper's Pit' and MTV
- Wrestlemania
- Later Career and Hall of Fame
- Film and TV Appearances
- Personal Life
- Death and Legacy
Homeless during his teenage years in Canada, Roddy Piper found a lifeline in pro wrestling with help from a bagpipes gimmick. After honing his heel role in Los Angeles, "Rowdy" Roddy emerged as one of WWE's most notorious villains in the 1980s, his boisterous attitude fueling a series of feuds and his long-running role as host of Piper's Pit. His c...
Piper was born Roderick George Toombs on April 17, 1954, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The son of a police officer who worked for the railroad, Piper endured a peripatetic childhood that carried him to homes in unfamiliar places, including a Native American reservation, and often forced him to use his fists against hostile locals. Piper found...
The 15-year-old was living in a youth hostel when a priest named Father O'Malley told him he could earn $25 for competing in a professional wrestling match. Piper leapt at the chance and, thanks to the bagpipes he carted along as a gimmick, was announced as "Roddy the Piper." The fresh-faced wrestler bounced around North America's various pro circu...
Lured to World Wrestling Entertainment (then known as the World Wrestling Federation) in 1984, Piper fueled the sport's transformation from a niche curiosity into a mainstream attraction. With his gift for gab – and collection of ideas and catchphrases gathered on legal notepads – he became the host of Piper's Pit, a talk show featuring interviews ...
Building on the narrative of the Piper-Hogan/Mr. T feud, WWE launched WrestleMania, the first of what became an annual flagship event, to PPV audiences in spring 1985. Piper and Mr. T were again among the main attractions of the following year's WrestleMania 2, their boxing match ending in Piper's disqualification for body-slamming his opponent. In...
Following a sabbatical, Piper returned to WWE in 1996 as interim president and again figured into a central storyline, culminating with his "Backyard Brawl" beating and disrobing of Goldust at WrestleMania XXII. But the fissures with the organization were beginning to show, along with the toll taken from years of physical punishment in the ring. Se...
His innate entertainment abilities translating to an array of screen credits, Piper notably starred in John Carpenter's cult sci-fi favorite They Live (1988) as John Nada, a vigilante who takes on society's brain-controlling aliens. He later joined several WWE colleagues in the reality show Legends' House,and found a new format for his storytelling...
Piper had four children with his wife, Kitty, who have spoken of the difficulty of the husband and father being on the road for most months of the year. Additionally, Piper's convincing performance as a grade-A jerk led to multiple attempts on his life. Two of the Hall of Famer's children, Colt and Teal, have followed their father's footsteps into ...
Piper died on July 31, 2015, of a heart attack. Piper is remembered as one of the great villains in WWE history, as well as one of the seminal figures of the golden age of the 1980s. His influence has been felt by wrestlers of subsequent generations like Ronda Rousey, the former MMA champ who adopted the "Rowdy" moniker for her WWE debut in 2018.
Jul 31, 2015 · By Andrew Blankstein and Phil Helsel. The professional wrestling legend known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper has died at his Hollywood, California, home, officials and World Wrestling Entertainment said ...
Roddy Piper: Bio Although a beloved member of the WWE Hall of Fame, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper began his WWE career as one of the most hated villains ever to step between the ropes. After making his bones in the NWA during the late '70s, the Hot Rod came to WWE in 1984, where he quickly rose to astronomical heights.
Jul 31, 2015 · Former professional wrestler and actor Roddy Piper died on July 31, his agent Jay Schachter told CNN. Piper was 61. Courtesy WWE. Lynn Anderson, whose version of the song " (I Never Promised You A ...
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Aug 1, 2015 · The former professional wrestler 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, known for wearing a kilt in the ring, has died aged 61. Piper, born Roderick Toombs in Saskatchewan, Canada, was one of the main stars of the ...
Jul 31, 2015 · Bryan Bedder, Getty Images. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, the wrestling star and pop culture icon, died Friday of cardiac arrest. He was 61. Born Roderick George Toombs, he made his wrestling debut in ...
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