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'Rowdy' Roddy Piper Dies at 61

by Dan Riffle
19 replies
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Rest in peace, Hot Rod. You came here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and you're all outta bubble gum.

‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper, Wrestling Legend, Dead at 61 (Report)



  • Profile picture of the author ThomM
    I just learned about it myself.
    Rowdy Roddy was the man. He was the main reason I watched wrestling for many years.
    His movies "They Live" and "Hell comes to Frogtown" are two of my favorites because of him. Tonight I'm going to maybe check out "Legion: The Final Exorcism" them Roddy and his daughter Ariel are in. Rest in Peace Rowdy.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
      Originally Posted by ThomM View Post

      I just learned about it myself.
      Rowdy Roddy was the man. He was the main reason I watched wrestling for many years.
      His movies "They Live" and "Hell comes to Frogtown" are two of my favorites because of him. Tonight I'm going to maybe check out "Legion: The Final Exorcism" them Roddy and his daughter Ariel are in. Rest in Peace Rowdy.
      "Rowdy" Roddy Piper Entrance Video - YouTube
      I've seen the first two. I wasn't aware of Legion. Just marked it in Amazon (couldn't find it on Netflix).

      Don't know why the videos suddenly stopped working.
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      • Profile picture of the author ThomM
        Originally Posted by Dan Riffle View Post

        I've seen the first two. I wasn't aware of Legion. Just marked it in Amazon (couldn't find it on Netflix).

        Don't know why the videos suddenly stopped working.
        I just learned about Legion on his Wiki page. Good to know about netflix, that's were I was fixin to look for it.
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        Getting old ain't for sissy's
        As you are I was, as I am you will be
        You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by Dan Riffle View Post

    Rest in peace, Hot Rod. You came here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and you're all outta bubble gum.

    ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper, Wrestling Legend, Dead at 61 (Report)
    Thanks for the link to the article. It never occurs to me that these guys aren't using their real names, or their real history.

    Wrestling was Vaudeville. I loved the screaming, the revenge, the life and death struggles.
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post



      Wrestling was Vaudeville. I loved the screaming, the revenge, the life and death struggles.
      I always thought of wrestling as a male oriented soap opera.
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      Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
      Getting old ain't for sissy's
      As you are I was, as I am you will be
      You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    I liked Rowdy Roddy and every time I hear Rhonda Rousey called "Rowdy Rhonda Rousey" I think of Piper.


    BTW, Verne Gange passed away recently too. He was my area's "World" wresting champ here in the 70s for quite a while and I believed owned the AWA. He may have been the best real wrestler of the Pros back then.
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

      I liked Rowdy Roddy and every time I hear Rhonda Rousey called "Rowdy Rhonda Rousey" I think of Piper.


      BTW, Verne Gange passed away recently too. He was my area's "World" wresting champ here in the 70s for quite a while and I believed owned the AWA. He may have been the best real wrestler of the Pros back then.
      Rhonda at first shied away from the "rowdy" nickname until Piper gave her his blessings to use it.
      Verne Gagne was a pioneer in professional wrestling.
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      Getting old ain't for sissy's
      As you are I was, as I am you will be
      You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    When I was in 8th grade I had a friend whose dad was an usher at the Denver Auditorium. Whenever there was pro wrestling he would give us the best seats he could find. He couldn't give us free tickets, but we'd buy the cheapest tickets available, and he would move us to great seats after the show started and he found empty ones.


    Even then I knew it was fake, but watching pro wrestling in person is still the most exciting "sporting" events I've ever been to. One of many memories was a weight lifting competition between Superstar Billy Graham and Ken Patera. Superstar cheated and smacked Patera when he was pressing weights. I saw a bunch of wresters live (and close up) back then.
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

      When I was in 8th grade I had a friend whose dad was an usher at the Denver Auditorium. Whenever there was pro wrestling he would give us the best seats he could find. He couldn't give us free tickets, but we'd buy the cheapest tickets available, and he would move us to great seats after the show started and he found empty ones.


      Even then I knew it was fake, but watching pro wrestling in person is still the most exciting "sporting" events I've ever been to. One of many memories was a weight lifting competition between Superstar Billy Graham and Ken Patera. Superstar cheated and smacked Patera when he was pressing weights. I saw a bunch of wresters live (and close up) back then.
      My father use to bring me to matches when I was a kid. Wrestling and Roller Derby whenever either was in town. I've seen Gorgeous George, Kill Kowalski, Coco Brazil, and a slew of the other early guys. In the 80's my friend worked at a radio station and always got free passes to wrestling when it came to town. Somewhere around here I have a bunch of pictures of those matches. Two of my favorite pics are long exposure shots. One is Super Fly Jimmy Snuka coming of the top rope doing his head butt and the other is Andrea the Giant doing a flying elbow off the top rope.
      What always amazed me about wrestling was the athleticism they had.
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      Getting old ain't for sissy's
      As you are I was, as I am you will be
      You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by ThomM View Post

        My father use to bring me to matches when I was a kid. Wrestling and Roller Derby whenever either was in town. I've seen Gorgeous George, Kill Kowalski, Coco Brazil, and a slew of the other early guys. In the 80's my friend worked at a radio station and always got free passes to wrestling when it came to town. Somewhere around here I have a bunch of pictures of those matches. Two of my favorite pics are long exposure shots. One is Super Fly Jimmy Snuka coming of the top rope doing his head butt and the other is Andrea the Giant doing a flying elbow off the top rope.
        What always amazed me about wrestling was the athleticism they had.
        Yeah. We can call it fake, because the punches are pulled. But these guys were real athletes.

        Coco Brazil. Man, he was amazing.

        George "The Animal" Steel. Maybe my favorite performer.
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        • Profile picture of the author Kurt
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          Yeah. We can call it fake, because the punches are pulled. But these guys were real athletes.

          Coco Brazil. Man, he was amazing.

          George "The Animal" Steel. Maybe my favorite performer.
          Except George the Animal Steel wasn't an athlete.


          One of the best athletes was Adrian Adonis. He was the best at "taking it". The guy was a fat 350+, but the way he'd fly out of the ring off the ropes after getting hit or body blocked was amazing. Bobby the Brain Hennan was another that was great at "taking it".
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          • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
            Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

            Except George the Animal Steel wasn't an athlete.


            One of the best athletes was Adrian Adonis. He was the best at "taking it". The guy was a fat 350+, but the way he'd fly out of the ring off the ropes after getting hit or body blocked was amazing. Bobby the Brain Hennan was another that was great at "taking it".

            I can't believe I know who Adrian Adonis is. I was looking up a few of the superstar wrestlers of the 1970-1980s......many of them died young.
            The Ultimate Warrior was an amazing showman. In person, he was a little nuts as well. (based on interviews out of character)

            I remember watching Bret Hart getting seriously injured in the ring, (I think he had several broken ribs) and his opponent having to almost lay down to let Hart get the win.
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            • Profile picture of the author Kurt
              Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

              I can't believe I know who Adrian Adonis is. I was looking up a few of the superstar wrestlers of the 1970-1980s......many of them died young.
              The Ultimate Warrior was an amazing showman. In person, he was a little nuts as well. (based on interviews out of character)

              I remember watching Bret Hart getting seriously injured in the ring, (I think he had several broken ribs) and his opponent having to almost lay down to let Hart get the win.
              IMO, Adrian Adonis was the very best at getting beat up. And he's another pro wrestler that died at a young age. There's been a number of pro wrestlers that died at a young age. I've heard some accusations the McMahon really pushed a lot of them into taking things like steroids.


              Another favorite of mine when I was young and that died young was Hercules Cortez, although I think that was from a car accident, IIRC.


              On the other hand, Verne Gange was pretty old when he died. I think I read somewhere he got into a fight in the old folks home and body slammed the other old guy and the other guy died from the injuries.
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              • Profile picture of the author ThomM
                Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                IMO, Adrian Adonis was the very best at getting beat up. And he's another pro wrestler that died at a young age. There's been a number of pro wrestlers that died at a young age. I've heard some accusations the McMahon really pushed a lot of them into taking things like steroids.


                Another favorite of mine when I was young and that died young was Hercules Cortez, although I think that was from a car accident, IIRC.


                On the other hand, Verne Gange was pretty old when he died. I think I read somewhere he got into a fight in the old folks home and body slammed the other old guy and the other guy died from the injuries.
                I'm thinking Mick Foley should have that title. His hell in a cell match if nothing else gives him that title.
                When the undertaker threw Mankind off the top of the cage he actually thought he killed him. It dislocated his shoulder and Foley climbed back up to continue the match. When he was choked slammed on top of the cage, the panel broke and he landed in the ring which again almost killed him, knocking out a tooth, putting another threw his lip, fracturing his jaw, and causing other injuries. He got up from that and still finished the match.


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                Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
                Getting old ain't for sissy's
                As you are I was, as I am you will be
                You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

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      • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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        Originally Posted by ThomM View Post

        Coco Brazil
        Don't forget the Calypso Kid. :-)

        Cheers. - Frank
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Here's two of the most popular wrestlers from the AWA, which Gange owned and was the pro wresting organization in Colorado when I was growing up. The Crusher is my all time favorite...Mad Dog is bleeding pretty badly, but I have a feeling it's chicken blood.


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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

      Here's two of the most popular wrestlers from the AWA, which Gange owned and was the pro wresting organization in Colorado when I was growing up. The Crusher is my all time favorite...Mad Dog is bleeding pretty badly, but I have a feeling it's chicken blood.
      They used to hide small slivers of razor blades in their trunks. They would cut their foreheads, and the sweat would cause them to bleed badly. When they turtle up is when they are cutting themselves. The older wrestlers (some anyway) had badly scarred foreheads from that. Dusty Rhoades was one of them that cut himself often.

      Some of these guys were super tough in real life. Bruno Sammartino was one of them. And I know Verne Gange was another.
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    I read somewhere that cage fighting was his idea. That was a game changer and a precursor to MMA, I think. Although fake, I did note the athleticism - and would never accuse any of them to their face that it was fake.
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  • Profile picture of the author SteveJohnson
    I never went in for pro wrestling, just didn't appeal to me, though it was too fakey. Then in the mid 80s I saw a famous pro (I only knew because someone told me who he was) in the Bomber restaurant in Portland. Well over 6ft, and way north of 250lb, looked like all muscle. His forehead was a MASS of scar tissue from being cut so many times. One tough SOB.

    Still didn't like pro wrestling, but my opinion of some of the participants went up quite a few notches.
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