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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 1984 and 2000.
- 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
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
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.
Learn about the life and achievements of 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, a legendary pro wrestler and actor who rose to fame in the 1980s as a villain in WWE. Find out how he became a star of Piper's Pit, They Live and WrestleMania, and how he died in 2015.
Jul 31, 2015 · The professional wrestling legend known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper has died at his Hollywood, California, home, officials and World Wrestling Entertainment said. He was 61.
Roddy Piper was a Canadian-born actor and professional wrestler who starred in films like They Live and Hell Comes to Frogtown. He was also known for his feud with Hulk Hogan in the WWF and his commentary style in the ring.
- January 1, 1
- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- January 1, 1
- Hollywood, California, USA
Jul 31, 2015 · Former professional wrestler and actor Roddy Piper died on July 31, his agent Jay Schachter told CNN. Piper was 61.
Aug 1, 2015 · By DAN GELSTON. Updated 8:00 AM PDT, August 1, 2015. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, the kilt wearing trash-talker who headlined the first WrestleMania and later found movie stardom, died Friday. He was 61. The WWE confirmed the death. The wrestling organization provided no additional details. Piper, born Roderick Toombs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is ...
Learn about the life and career of Roddy Piper, one of the most controversial and entertaining Superstars in WWE history. From his early days in NWA to his Hall of Fame induction, see his signature moves, matches, interviews and more.
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