RIP Rowdy Roddy Piper

[Babe_Ruth]

http://www.tmz.com/2015/07/31/roddy-piper-dead-dies-wwe-wrestler-cancer/

TMZ are reporting that Piper has passed away. I'm crushed. He was always a favourite of mine. He was only 61 years-old.

He will be missed.

RIP

 

[Rapier]

Not many could ring chimes like the Piper.

RIP

 

[Unity]

RIP Hot Rod. He really was entertaining to the end - a lot of times when former stars would appear on WWE TV it felt repetitive and boring. Piper always kept that spark that he had in Piper's Pit.

 

[Babe_Ruth]

Such a moment:

Man, could he ever get a crowd riled up.

 

[EdgeHead]

The casual fan might not realize what impact Roddy Piper truly had in the business. The casual fan is always told that Hulk Hogan brought wrestling to the mainstream. If it hadn't been for Roddy Piper, there would've been no Hulk Hogan. To me, that's the definition of a true giant. Piper has NEVER won a World Heavyweight Championship and yet he'll go down in my estimation as one of the top 5 most influential pro wrestlers that has ever lived.

Like everyone, it's with a heavy heart that I'll go to bed in a few minutes. Roddy Piper was the embodiment of what pro wrestling is all about.

Should also mentioned that on Twitter, Ronda Rousey has dedicated her UFC 190 title fight to Roddy Piper on Saturday night. I'd love for UFC to make an exception and allow Ronda to walk to the Octogon wearing her Hot Rod shirt.

 

[Rapier]

Piper's inspiration?

 

[Millz]

First Dusty and now this? I can't believe it...way too damn young. RIP HotRod.

 

[Babe_Ruth]

The Oakland A's Josh Reddick (a self-professed wrestling fan) used bagpipes as his walk-up music yesterday. I'd love to see a clip of that.

 

[The_Chameleon]

We've lost another of the greats. Very sad.

RIP


- Cham

 

[Unity]

I was telling my older brother about this and he was bummed. Hot Rod was a big influence when he and I used to watch wrestling together on Sunday mornings after going to mass. While my mom was making breakfast my brother and I would turn on wrestling and then have a match of our own afterward (my signature maneuver was always the double knee-drop, his was the iron claw). It was so much fun and really got me into wrestling in the first place I think - the Hogan/Piper era started it all for me. Now I'm in my early 30s and my brother is in his mid 40s, it's crazy. Piper was really innovative and a lot of modern stars are saying he was the best promo ever.