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"Rowdy" Roddy Piper Dead At 61

70K views 567 replies 394 participants last post by  Chris Beneit 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Whaaaaat ?!

Wrestling legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper has died at the age of 61 ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Piper -- born Roderick George Toombs -- died from cardiac arrest in his sleep at his home in Hollywood on Thursday night. He was discovered on Friday.

Piper was a wrestling icon -- one of the biggest stars in the WWE back in the '80s, and even wrestled in "Wrestlemania I" back in 1985 ... squaring off against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T.

Roddy's rep tells us, "I am devastated at this news. Rod was a good friend as well as a client and one of the most generous, sincere and authentic people I have ever known. This is a true loss to us all."

Piper had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2006, but last November he said he was cancer free. A family source tells us he was "cancer free" at the time of his death.

A family member tells us, "Our family is saddened by the sudden passing of our father and beloved husband, Roderick Toombs aka Rowdy Roddy Piper."

Roddy was admitted into the WWE Hall of Fame back in 2005 and was one of the top 50 villains in the history of the WWE.

Piper had a long relationship with WWE -- last wrestling back in 2008 ... but appeared on various WWE shows up until 2014.

Roddy is survived by his wife Kitty and their 4 kids -- including 3 daughters and son Colton who's pursuing a career in professional wrestling.

The death is especially shocking considering we just spoke to him on Friday and asked his opinion about the Hulk Hogan scandal.

http://www.tmz.com/2015/07/31/roddy-piper-dead-dies-wwe-wrestler-cancer/
http://www.tmz.com/2015/07/31/roddy-piper-dead-dies-wwe-wrestler-cancer/
 
#116 ·
Re: TMZ Reporting "Rowdy" Roddy Piper Dead At 61


Rest In Peace, Roddy Piper. Thank you for the memories as a child. I loved watching you face Hogan, Bret and other all time greats. I enjoyed your segments. You are still in my top 10 favorite Heel Wrestlers of all time. I always got up in my seat anytime I heard your music hit the square circle. I still have your action figures, music on my game systems, and T-Shirts. You mad a big impact in my life. My condolences to your family. I love you Roddy Piper. :(
 
#433 · (Edited)
This is going to be a long post so bear with me. I'm heartbroken right now since I was supposed to meet him again next weekend.

You do not throw rocks at a man with a machine gun!
Sooner or later, everybody pays the Piper!
Just when they think they got the answers, I change the questions!
I came here to chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubble gum.
I was rowdy before rowdy was cool!
No retreat! No surrender!
Quotes to live by. I didn't know Roddy Piper personally, but I felt like I did ever since I first saw him at Wrestlemania III jogging down the long aisle. I grew up watching the guy. He was a spitfire, just so full of energy, you couldn't help, but be enthralled by Hot Rod. As a heel, you wanted to see him get his ass kicked and as a babyface, you wanted to see him kick ass.


He truly was larger than life and if it wasn't for him and Hogan, the WWE wouldn't be where it is now. The charismatic patriot against the Scotsman with attitude. Like Batman and Joker, its like these two were destined to battle forever. It was the feud of its time that led the way to Wrestlemania.



He had a way with words on the mic and that got him to become IMO the greatest trash talker in pro wrestling history. The Piper's Pit segments were always entertaining and even if the matches weren't great, he had you excited for his upcoming battles against Hogan, Valentine, Savage, Rude, Hart, Lawler, Goldust, Flair, and Duncan MacLeod. He made you believe kayfabe!



For so many years, I wanted to meet this man then I finally got my chance in 2011 following the CAC awards. And he blew me away during our encounter. Keep in mind, it took me 22 years to have this opportunity and he treated me like an old friend he hadn't seen in years! I couldn't believe how kind this wrestling legend was!


After some small talk where he told me his favorite match was against Adonis at Wrestlemania III, I asked for a picture with him also asking him not to apply full force since I heard horror stories of him making fans pass out. He was snug anyway. I should've known better, but it was totally worth it as it would be for any fan of his.



It was a great honor that night in Las Vegas, but fast forward to last year in San Diego.

After Tommy Dreamer's House Of Hardcore show ended, Piper came out to do Piper's Pit (we gave him a loud "Thank you, Piper!" chant that he was touched by) with his guests: Zeus, Matt Striker, Terry Funk, and Don Frye in front of a bunch of fans for an hour, which sounded like a great idea, but then the fans went into business for themselves. The first couple of chants were funny, but after that, they just hijacked the show. I felt bad for Piper. He could barely get a sentence out due to some of the fans being attention seeking assh*les! He signed my copy of his book after his Podcast recording was over.

The following morning, Roddy Piper was at the VIP breakfast, the final event for the 3 day convention, and he remembered me when I brought up the submission pose we did at CAC a few years ago.He then gave me a hug. We talked about the Piper's Pit broadcast from last night and he wasn't happy with it because of the rude fans and was thinking about not using it, but I told him to keep it since he had a great line-up of guests (thankfully, he heeded my advice and uploaded it a few months later after some excellent editing skills).


His limo then arrived and he had to go, but I had one final request on behalf of all his fans out there: to pose with the missing crown jewel of his career. "Yeah! Let's do it.", he said enthusiastically. It was the highlight of my trip!




And that my friends was my final memory of him. After getting in The Grim Reaper's face yesterday, he said to him
My name's Roddy Piper and you ain't seen nothing yet!





- Vic
 
#477 · (Edited)
Okay, had a day to digest this and have stopped crying. I can now articulate just how much this man meant to me.

My dad used to be a promoter when he lived in the states before he moved here to work on the oil riggs, so he had loads of tapes, and even though we didn't have much tv, I had all the tapes to watch. Piper was my favourite, he reminded me of my dad, an american with some scottish flair (i now know in adulthood that he's canadian before someone burns me lol). He was so galas and funny, and so different from my other favourites like Dusty Rhodes. When his music hit and I was watching the videos on the shitty tv it would sometimes skip but it didn't stop me from doing a wee highland fling every time. He was billed from Glasgow, Scotland so I thought he was actually from here lol.

My dad would be away on the oil rigs and my sister had moved into her friends house, I didn't have any friends, my mother was out a lot and it was just me in that cold wee flat with Roddy Piper and the other guys, Piper is the one I remember most. They were my friends, they were my family. It's seems sad to even think about how I grew up sometimes but I always had the escapism and the joy of watching Piper et al fighting away.

It was always a goal of mine to meet him, and also Dusty, one day and tell him how he made a lonely little girl feel like she wasn't so lonely any more. How they made the darkness not seem so dark. Thank you for being my comfort, thank you for being my company, thank you for giving me joy in my childhood.
 
#294 ·
Another thing I want to add what Piper did, the event/agent were charging for signed autographs per signature (as they do) ... and I only took a couple of photo's of myself and Piper from when I was little to show him, and he was like 'D'ya want me to sign them' .. and I was like 'I don't mind' ... as I hadn't paid for that ... and he was like 'Aah come here' ... and signed them, knowing that but he didn't care and if anyone had have said anything (which they wouldn't) ... he'd have told them where to go.

That's another thing that's come to mind .... this is truly the kind of guy that he was ... honestly, the dude is such a legend and he always will be!
 
#309 ·
Following on from this story .... we were joking about the size of his hand next to my head on the photo from when I was little, I mentioned it to him about it and he was laughing, then he was like 'Aaah' and showing his daughter the picture and saying the same thing to her what I'd said to him about his hand and laughing ... then hugged me ... again ... yeah, guy was awesome!!!

It's mad, cause although I've always been pretty damn upset when certain wrestlers pass (IE Savage), I'm actually filling up a little here in regards to Piper .... not that that's a bad thing ... but dude was awesome!

Oh yeah and he loved Rick ... him and Rick were close friends and always had kind words to say about him .... honestly, Rick and Piper were there that day and I saw them together ... Piper was just an all round lovely guy ... out spoken but heart of gold ... which you could tell from a mile off and he always carried himself with real dignity, standing up for his beliefs and fighting for people, such as his fans ... even if they felt down, he'd be there ... quite a unique person really.
 
#226 ·
It's so fucking sad that the three guys (Macho Man, Warrior and Piper) who really captured my attention and made me a fanatic for life are now gone. Damn, this really is a heartbreaking industry to be a fan of when you give it some thought.
 
#222 ·
Here's another one of my mates meeting Roddy Piper, this was outside of WrestleCon. Piper had just charged people inside for signatures and pictures, yet he spoke to my mate and took a picture for free outside after working. How many other people would give away their work for free, especially after a long day in work?

 
#406 ·
Another great wrestler passes before his time. :(

RIP, Rowdy one. Hope there is a Piper's Pit for you to host beyond the gates.
 
#101 ·
Re: TMZ Reporting "Rowdy" Roddy Piper Dead At 61

Hulk Hogan -- Roddy Was My Best Friend ... I'll Miss Him



Hulk Hogan tells TMZ Sports ... he's devastated over the news of his friend Roddy Piper -- saying, "I will forever miss him."
"He was my best friend. He is a legend."
Hogan adds, "God's gain is our loss. May his family in this time of need, find peace. Much love forever, HH."
Hogan and Piper were the two of the biggest stars in wrestling back in the '80s -- and famously did battle at Wrestlemania I in 1985.
But outside the ring, they were tight -- and remained friends for decades.
The Iron Sheik has also issued a statement ... saying, "Roddy Piper. I love you forever. God bless you bubba."


Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/07/31/hulk-hogan-roddy-piper-was-my-best-friend-ill-miss-him/#ixzz3hVja2Ix3
 
#138 ·
Re: TMZ Reporting "Rowdy" Roddy Piper Dead At 61

The last public thing he did was come to Hulk's defence.

He was a conflicted but marvellous man - and a legend of this business that I will forever miss.

Behind every great face, there has to be an equally great heel - there were few greater than Roddy.

Farewell Hot Rod.
 
#188 ·
Re: TMZ Reporting "Rowdy" Roddy Piper Dead At 61

I just watched an interview he did with TMZ last Friday. He was talking about Hulk Hogan and now days later, he's dead. Life is fragile. You never know when it's your time.



I hope he was in a good place at the time of his death and that issue/podcast thing with Steve Austin had been resolved.
That's the scary thing, highly depressing when you really think about it.
 
#174 ·
Re: TMZ Reporting "Rowdy" Roddy Piper Dead At 61

a great performer but was also great in one of my favorite movies



truly a sad day
 
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