You know what makes a great hero, a better villain.
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper made his mark all over the country outside of Southern California, he was a mainstay in Portland, The Mid-Atlantic, and was one of the top stars of the World Wrestling Federation. It was the rivalry between Hulk Hogan and Piper that ushered in the Rock N Roll Wrestling era of the 80s that launched Vince’s vision into a national brand and paved the way for the grand daddy of ’em all, Wrestlemania. It is with great sadness to read that TMZ is reporting that Roddy Piper has passed away at age 61.
Long before Wrestlemania or dog collar matches with Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Piper was a mainstay right here in Southern California at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, part of the LeBelle’s NWA. The rivalry that Piper and fellow SoCal Wrestling Hall of Famer Chavo Guerrero and the Guerrero family were the things of legend. Piper’s feud with the Guerrero family is still fondly remembered by many wrestling fans of that era. Piper wasn’t afraid to push the buttons of everyone in the crowd. The “Hot Rod” was as ferocious on the microphone as he was in the ring and the feud with Chavo Sr. nearly reignited the area.
Roddy Piper was voted into the Southern California Hall of Fame in 2001. Piper also appeared recently as part of the Championship Wrestling from Hollywood’s Red Carpet Rumble event.
Roddy Piper was one of my favorite wrestlers as a kid. I had the honor of meeting with Roddy Piper on a few occasions and he was always friendly and supportive of SCU. As a HOFer and a voter in the HOF I was always one of the first to get his ballots in. A very sad day for wrestling, he was a true legend.