Roddy Piper

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Template:Infobox Wrestler

Roderick George Toombs (born on April 17, 1954 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), best known by his ring name of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian professional wrestler of Scottish descent. He was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. His alter ego hails from Glasgow, Scotland, which included wearing a kilt and walking to the ring to bagpipe music. The Scottish surname Piper refers to one who plays the bagpipes. He earned the nickname "Rowdy" by displaying his trademark "Scottish" rage, spontaneity and quick wit, and is also called "Hot Rod".

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Career

After being expelled from junior high and having a falling out with his father, Toombs hit the road and stayed in youth hostels in wherever he could find them. By the age of 15, he started to become a pro wrestler and had his first ever match, with Larry Hennig. He lost the match in ten seconds.

Piper entered the WWF in 1984 as a manager, but soon started wrestling full-time. Later that year, he was given his own interview segment called "Piper's Pit," in which he talked to other superstars, and which would frequently end in a fight between Piper and his guest.

The "Piper's Pit" segments were very popular and helped create the feuds Piper would have with other wrestlers. He even went as far as insulting superstars, such as, André the Giant, Mr. T, and preliminary wrestler Frank Williams (wrestler).

In one Piper's Pit infamous interview with "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, Piper started insulting Snuka's heritage by bringing out pineapples, bananas, and dropping coconuts onto the table. Snuka took offense to this, and Piper then attacked Snuka by hitting him over the head with a coconut, then shoved a banana in his face. He followed up by whipping Snuka with his belt. Piper then left before Snuka could fight back. This incident led to a long feud between the two.

Another feud, this time between Piper and Hulk Hogan erupted soon after, and became what was at the time the highest-profile feud in wrestling history, thanks to the involvement of pop singer Cyndi Lauper.

In 1985, MTV broadcast "The War To Settle The Score", featuring a main-event matchup between Piper and Hogan. This event set up the very first WrestleMania, which featured a match between Piper and Paul Orndorff versus Hogan and Mr. T. Piper would face Mr. T in a boxing match at WrestleMania 2 in 1986.

Following a leave of absence from the WWF, Piper returned to find his "Piper's Pit" segment replaced by "The Flower Shop", a segment hosted by effiminate wrestler Adrian Adonis. Piper (by now a face) stormed the set of Adonis' show, and destroyed it. This led to their Hair v Hair match at WrestleMania III, which was billed as Piper's retirement match. Piper won, with assistance from Brutus Beefcake.

Piper would return to the WWF with a live "Piper's Pit" at WrestleMania V. He also wrestled part-time, while serving as an on-air host and commentator.

At the 1992 Royal Rumble, Piper defeated the Mountie for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, but lost it soon after to Bret Hart at WrestleMania VIII. Disappearing from the WWF, he soon re-emerged at WrestleMania X as guest referee for the WWF championship match between Yokozuna and Bret Hart. Notable during the course of the match, was commentator Jerry Lawler, remarking that he hated Piper. Lawler would continue to taunt Piper on his King's Court segment on Monday Night RAW, eventually culminating with Lawler bringing out a skinny teenager in a Piper T-shirt and kilt and forcing him to kiss his feet. Enraged, Piper agreed to wrestle Lawler at the King of the Ring. Piper emerged victorious.

Leaving the WWF again, he soon returned at WrestleMania XI, once again in a referee capacity, for the submissions-only match between Bret Hart and Bob Backlund. The appearance would turn out to be one-time-only deal.

In 1996, Piper was named as interim WWF President, following Vader's malicious assault of Gorilla Monsoon, following the Royal Rumble. As president, Piper had become the object of affections of Goldust. Enraged, Piper claimed he would "make a man" out of Goldust, and would do so at WrestleMania XII, in a "Hollywood Backlot Brawl." While the contest began in an alleyway behind the Arrowhead Pond, Goldust would jump into his gold cadillac and run Piper over, ultimately escaping (allegedly) onto the highways of Anaheim. Piper pursued in his white Ford Bronco, which when viewed from aerial footage, looked amazing similar to the O.J. Simpson "slow-speed" chase from two years prior. (The WWF had attempted to be humourous and recycle the footage with Vince McMahon quipping on commentary, "This footage looks awfully familiar.") The two would eventually return to WrestleMania XII, where Piper disrobed Goldust, effectively ending the confrontation. With Gorilla Monsoon back in control of the WWF by the end of WrestleMania XII, Piper would once again leave the Federation.

Later in 1996, Piper joined WCW. He appeared at Halloween Havoc to "break Hogan's monotony." In his first appearance, Piper famously asked Hogan, "Do you think they would've loved you so much if they hadn't hated me?

Piper's WCW tenure is best remembered for his long-running feud with Hogan, at the time a heel, over which of them was wrestling's true icon. Piper and Hogan wrestled in a non-title match as the main event of 1996's Starrcade, WCW's biggest pay-per-view event of the year. Piper defeated Hogan with a sleeper hold. Piper was featured prominently in WCW, and later received a title shot against Hogan, but he never held the WCW Championship.

In the fall of 2000, WCW terminated Piper's contract.

In November 2002, Piper's autobiography, In the Pit with Piper: Roddy Gets Rowdy, was released. At WrestleMania XIX in Seattle, WA, Piper ran in during the Hulk Hogan-Vince McMahon bloodbath, and turned heel again by attacking Hogan with a steel pipe. He brought back "Piper's Pit" on the April 10, 2003 edition of SmackDown!, and after alligning with Sean O'Haire, Piper smashed a coconut over the head of Rikishi, a realtive of Snuka - At the Backlash PPV that month, Rikishi returned the favor. Around the same time on RAW, Chris Jericho started "The Highlight Reel" a show similar to "Piper's Pit." In June 2003, WWE officially released Piper from his contract, after a controversial interview with HBO in which Piper discussed the darker side of the wrestling business.

In 2004 Piper appeared for the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, hosting several "In the Pit with Piper" interview segments. He interviewed former rival Jimmy Snuka at the company's first three-hour pay-per-vew, Victory Road, where he dared Snuka to get revenge by hitting him with a coconut. Instead, TNA wrestler Kid Kash eventually used the coconut on Sonjay Dutt. Piper also served as one of their NWA Championship Committee members, culminating in refereeing a match at their Final Resolution pay-per-view event.

On February 21, 2005, it was announced that Roddy Piper was to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the night before WrestleMania 21, along with "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, Jimmy Hart, and Hulk Hogan.

Piper held an edition of "Piper's Pit" at Wrestlemania 21 where he interviewed Stone Cold Steve Austin. The interview was interrupted by Carlito Caribbean Cool, who was promptly beaten up by both Piper and Stone Cold.

In April 2005, Piper co-presented "Celebrity Wrestling" in the United Kingdom on ITV. This Saturday evening reality show saw celebrities learn wrestling and compete in challenge matches. After a few weeks the programme was to be cancelled, due to a huge drop in TV ratings but instead was moved to Sunday mornings to finish its final episodes.

Piper continues to make periodic appearances on WWE TV, occasionally wrestling but usually hosting Piper's Pit segments.

He is currently married with four children.

On April 4, 2006 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Piper was issued an award by the Mayor, Sam Katz.

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In wrestling

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Finishing and signature moves

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Managed previously

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Previous managers


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Quotes

  • "Just when they think they got the answers, I change the questions."
  • "Real men wear kilts."
  • "You don't throw rocks at a man with a machine gun!"
  • "I am your reality check!"
  • "Ric Flair, the Slim Whitman of Pro-Wrestling."
  • "I'm the reason Hulk Hogan lost his hair!"
  • "Russia gives us Nikolai Volkoff, and we give them MTV and 2 Live Crew. Fair trade, huh?"
  • "Nature Boy, what's that? Do you run around the forest like Euell Gibbons, eating bark or something?"
  • "Jerry Lawler walks in here with his crown - DA DA DUM - Imperial Margerine - and talks about what he's going to do to me. Lawler, if you think you're going to beat me, if you think you can do ANYTHING to me, than you really are the king. King of FOOLS, jack!!"
  • "Rowdy Roddy cut his locks; but don't worry woman, he's still a fox."
  • "I'm so quick, I could spit in the wind, duck, and let it hit the old lady behind me."
  • "I don't need to know how tough I am to know how tough I am."
  • "Ric Flair, you once called me a woman. Well how does it feel to get beat by a woman?"
  • "I walk so fast, I talk so fast, I could turn the light off and be in bed before the room's dark!"
  • "Your stupidity is something you're born with."
  • "The boss is back."
  • "My name is Rowdy Roddy Piper and you ain't seen nothin' yet!"
  • "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum."
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Piper's Pit

Piper's Pit was an interview segment featuring Rowdy Roddy Piper which was mainstay on WWE (then WWF) television from 1984 to 1987, although Piper also hosted similar segments while wrestling for other promotions.

Piper's Pit returned during Piper's short return to the WWE in 2003, and also in 2005 at Wrestlemania 21 and in a 2006 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown!, interviewing John Layfield and The Boogeyman.

In the Pit with Piper was introduced to TNA Wrestling after leaving the WWE.

Several memorable Pit moments:

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Movies

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Championships and accomplishments

Image:IC Piper.jpg

  • Other Titles
  • Manitoba Amateur Wrestling Championship (167lb)
  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 17 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
  • Piper has won several PWI Awards over the years. He won Most Inspirational in 1982, Most Hated Wrestler in 1984 and 1985, and Most Popular Wrestler in 1986. He was also involved in the Match of the Year in 1985 (Piper & Paul Orndorff vs. Hulk Hogan & Mr. T).

Template:Start box |- | width="30%" align="center" | Preceded by:
The Mountie | width="40%" align="center" | WWE Intercontinental Champions | width="30%" align="center" | Succeeded by:
Bret Hart Template:End box

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External links

fi:Roddy Piper

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