Variety reports that WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper died on Friday of a heart attack in his home in Hollywood. He was 61.
Known as the Hot Rod for his fiery Scottish temper, Piper who was born Roderick Toombs started wrestling in the National Wrestling Alliance in the 1970s and mostly wrestled in the Mid-Atlantic region, defeating “Nature Boy” Ric Flair for the United States Heavyweight Championship. In the 1980s he later joined the World Wrestling Federation and became the host of his own interview segment called Piper’s Pit. Piper was one of the most hated wrestlers in the WWE, feuding with wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka,, and celebrities like Cyndi Lauper and Mr. T. Piper wrestled at the main event at the first WrestleMania in a tag team match with “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff against Hogan & Mr. T. In WrestleMania 2, he took on Mr. T in a boxing match where he lost to the former A-Team star by disqualification. He later turned face and feuded with Adrian Adonis which lead to a retirement match at WrestleMania 3 where he beat Adonis.
Piper returned to the WWE in the 90s where he won the Intercontinental Championship over The Mountie. He also wrestled in WCW continuing his feud with Hulk Hogan. Piper continued with WWE and in 2005, he became a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.
During his time off the ring, Piper starred in such cult classics like Hell Comes to Frogtown, and the John Carpenter film They Live. The film was best known for an extended fight scene between him and co-star Keith David over a pair of sunglasses. Piper also made guest appearances on shows like The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, Zorro, The Man Show, The Outer Limits, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Piper’s voice acting credits include playing Bolphunga the Unrelenting, a space-age bounty hunter who was looking for Mogo in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. He also was the voice of himself in the video game Saints Row IV in a parody of They Live which reunited him with his co-star Keith David.
Piper is survived by his wife, four children, and grandchild.
(Rowdy Roddy Piper photo by Andre Csillag/REX Shutterstock (499171bf)
‘ROWDY’ RODDY PIPER IN LONDON, BRITAIN – DEC 1992
VARIOUS)
