RIP 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper

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


Haven't followed WWE for years....but I remember this guy from my childhood. Man first the news about Hulk Hogan and now this. Not a great time for fans of 80-90's pro wrestling.

 

For me, he was always "the man" - his strut down the ramp at WrestleMania I was one of the few occasions I looked at a wrestler and thought he was genuinely "cool".


A couple of personal stories: I'm not particularly one for trying to gain the attention of famous people on Twitter, but on the day I started university (and absolutely ****ting myself), I had tweeted a reply to something he had posted. A few hours later, I finally left home and got all dropped off at my halls, and just as I connected to the university internet up popped Hot Rod with a reply and a retweet which, I must admit, calmed by nerves quite some!


Then a year or so ago, he had tweeted about catching up with another wrestler from the golden age of the WWF for "a coke", to which I had oh-so-wittily retorted that "It sounds just like the eighties again". When my phone suddenly buzzed three times with lengthy responses from Roddy himself, I assumed he had taken some offence and was "putting me in my place", but no... He had gone on my profile, saw that I had described myself as "trying to be a writer" or something of that sort, and taken it upon himself to provide tips on overcoming writers block and how he gains inspiration - I always found that a really kind gesture from someone like him to some random guy...


So yeah, he was somewhat "eccentric", but he always came across as a genuinely good man who doted on his kids. There's not many of those in pro wrestling, especially of that era. This one might have shocked me more than any wrestling-related death since Benoit.

 

Oh. Wow.

Didn't he give a somewhat rambling, incoherent interview this past week about the Hogan situation? A warning sign, perhaps?

In any event... an icon of my youth. In the rock & wrestling era, Piper was just off the hook; he was a lot of fun to watch.

And, oh yes... They Live. The bubblegum line – classic!

 

What?! Damn, a childhood favorite and I loved him in THEM. RIP Rowdy Roddy!

 

No!!!!!

 

I too have not watched wrestling for years, back in the day RRP and Jimmy Snuka where the wrestlers I most enjoyed watching.

RIP RRP

 

RIP Roddy!

 

I went to a few wrestling matches in the 80s back in the WWF heyday. I know I saw Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan the same night, but I can't remember if they wrestled each other. Anyway, this is sad news and 61 is way too young. RIP Rowdy Roddy Piper.

 

Was never into the wresting stuff, though I remembered him from the 80's. But some years back, I discovered John Carpenter's "They Live" and thought Piper was great in that one.

Not that long ago, about seven months ago, he was appearing at a local toy show in San Jose, CA. I normally (as in never) do the autograph thing and stand in line, but since we were already going, we decided to bring the "They Live" Blu-ray and have him sign it. The thing is, we had seen people at this show before and there were rarely long lines, or much of any lines at all (watched the Gigi lady from Farscape eat cheese fries waiting for someone to come up and talk; and another time almost wanted to ask for Tony Dow's autograph just because he looked lonely and bored) . We showed up and there was a HUGE line for Roddy Piper, so much so that we decided to forego standing in line. I don't regret the decision, as I'm not into that sort of stuff much anyway, but it struck me that he had literally 20 times more fans than anyone I had ever seen at this show.

 

Never figured out how he was passed over for the Oscar for "They Live". RIP, big man.

 

Don't do cocaine kids- it will cost you sooner or later.

 

RIP, may his family and friends find strength and peace at this difficult time.

 

I think there have been many celebrities who have died in the past 10 years after doing lots of coke in the 1980s. Going drug-free would've bought them at least another 10-20 years.

 

He was great in "They Live" R.I.P...

 

I am 39, all of us in this age group were in the peak of 80s wrestling. Sad.

 

Don't forget Dusty Rhodes.

Man, back in the day 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper was so much fun to watch. Sad to see him go. RIP.

 

I am just sick..................

 

It's so sad!!!!

 

Man, Ultimate Warrior, Dusty Rhodes, and Rowdy Roddy Piper dead! Childhood heroes!

 

RIP Rowdy Roddy Piper. My 2 favorite wrestlers of the "80's.

Piper's Pit - Jimmy Snuka - 1984:

 

So sad. The Snuka incident is what hooked me to wrestling in the first place. Rod was always a fave. Always entertaining. Great in They Live too. RIP.

 

*%#@!

RIP Roddy. My favorite wrestler of all time.

 

Oh man. Sad news. One of my favorites of all time. They Live rules, too. RIP, brother.