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TMZ: Former Wrestler 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper Dead at 61

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H

HyperCubed4

Member
I met "Rowdy" Roddy Piper at Toronto Fan Expo about... 8 years ago? Feels like 10. He was one of the coolest guys I had ever met.

I had been standing in line for a few minutes. I see other guys go up to him, pose with him, take a picture and leave. I think to myself, "Okay, no reason to be nervous. I'll be up there for 30 seconds and leave. Easy."

I walk up and shake his hand.

"What's your name, son?"
"Uhh... Mark."
"Nice meeting you, Mark!"

Getting ready to pose...

"How old are ya, Mark?"
*jesus christ he's making conversation how do i handle this oh god help me*
"13. No wait, 14. I'm 14."
"You seem nervous, son."
"[insert sheepish gushing about standing next to this super cool wrestler my dad and uncles loved]"

Then we talked about life and stuff for a solid 5 minutes. Then we took the picture and gave me another autograph for free. "Dare to Dream."


He was an amazing guy through the whole exchange. Prior to that, I always pegged wrestlers as tough jocks, but Piper was my first experience with a wrestler (really any celebrity) who didn't act like a colossal dick-bag. I'm going to miss this kindhearted man. Dare to Dream, Roddy. R.I.P.
 
B

bwahhhhh

Member
goodbye Piper :( everyone knows how great he was, so as a lesser known thing, I wanted to say that I really loved the Gorilla/Piper commentary team.

this is a tough one
 
B

Bobby Roberts

Banned
One of my favorite memories from my time in radio involves the day Rowdy Roddy Piper showed up to promote a MMA fight for his son. Got to ask one question. That was all she wrote: He got me and my co-host lightheaded off rapid-fire storytelling for about the next two straight hours (including the time he wrestled a whiskey-swilling bear), and then for his grand finale, he closed with a monologue from Shakespeare's "The Tempest."

I mean, I think it was about 2 hours. Coulda been 3. Things just felt way bigger than they actually were while he was around. He came back the following year, and held court on our station and our sister station down the hall for another 2 or 3 hours each, and didn't repeat a single story from the previous time. If it was a put-on, it was an amazing put-on.

I'm probably giving They Live some run on the projector tonight.
 
R

revolverjgw

Member
dream said:
I counted the following 12:

Curt Hennig
Randy Savage
Hercules Hernandez
Roddy Piper
Owen Hart
Dusty Rhodes
Dino Bravo
Randy Savage
Andre
Big Boss Man
Bad News Allen
Ultimate Warrior

I can't tell if the guy to the right of Honky Tonk Man is Kerry Von Erich or Greg Valentine, though. Leaning towards the former because of what looks like a fake leg. Is that your 13th?
Click to expand...

I think that's Valentine with the shin guard to make his Figure Four more dangerous. Unlucky 13 is Rick Rude next to Virgil
 
M

Mookie1515

Member
He'll always kick ass and chew bubblegum in my heart. Even if he is all out of bubblegum.

Rest well.

Him, Macho Man and Hulk were my wrestling childhood idols, and all three of them are now (effectively) dead. What a sad day.
 
H

HyperZone<3

Member
I can't add anything that anybody else here already hasn't, just that its sad that he's gone and he lived a hell of a life.

and its also weird to think that checking out at 61 qualifies as 'pretty old' for a pro wrestler lifespan. Shame as it is.
 
Paracelsus

Paracelsus

Member
RIP, unbelievable, didn't seem he was heading out so soon.

HyperZone<3 said:
I can't add anything that anybody else here already hasn't, just that its sad that he's gone and he lived a hell of a life.

and its also weird to think that checking out at 61 qualifies as 'pretty old' for a pro wrestler lifespan. Shame as it is.
Click to expand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErrmUY4JYh4

And there's been several cases of people who didn't even make it to being called "old" (Test, Lance Cade, Umaga).
 
A

Archer

Member
HyperCubed4 said:
I met "Rowdy" Roddy Piper at Toronto Fan Expo about... 8 years ago? Feels like 10. He was one of the coolest guys I had ever met.

I had been standing in line for a few minutes. I see other guys go up to him, pose with him, take a picture and leave. I think to myself, "Okay, no reason to be nervous. I'll be up there for 30 seconds and leave. Easy."

I walk up and shake his hand.

"What's your name, son?"
"Uhh... Mark."
"Nice meeting you, Mark!"

Getting ready to pose...

"How old are ya, Mark?"
*jesus christ he's making conversation how do i handle this oh god help me*
"13. No wait, 14. I'm 14."
"You seem nervous, son."
"[insert sheepish gushing about standing next to this super cool wrestler my dad and uncles loved]"

Then we talked about life and stuff for a solid 5 minutes. Then we took the picture and gave me another autograph for free. "Dare to Dream."


He was an amazing guy through the whole exchange. Prior to that, I always pegged wrestlers as tough jocks, but Piper was my first experience with a wrestler (really any celebrity) who didn't act like a colossal dick-bag. I'm going to miss this kindhearted man. Dare to Dream, Roddy. R.I.P.
Click to expand...

Dude was real.

Cool story.
 
N

Ninja Scooter

Member
I was just watching him on Always Sunny last night. RIP. One of the all time greats. Man so few of the legends from that pre-attitude era WWF are left.
 
S

Syphon Filter

Member
Dam r.i.p. I enjoyed his mini show in the ring he did,then chris jericho and carlito also had a similar one. It is scary seeing multiple wrestlers died that you know. As time goes by it's a sad reality.
 
T

The Real Abed

Perma-Junior
That's a shame. As a non-wrestling fan, or a wrestling non-fan, or I guess more accurately, as a fan of some wrestling personalities, he was one of my 4 favorites. Right behind Hulk Hogan, Captain Lou and The Rock. I had a rubber action figure of him and Captain Lou as a kid. Now both are dead. And Hogan is kind of an iffy situation right now. So at least I still have The Rock. I still miss Mario... I mean Captain Lou.
 
G

Gordon Shumway

Banned
This is, undoubtedly, the craziest year in my life. Dealing with multiple deaths in my personal life. Divorce. My childhood beginning tarnished by idiots. Now, this man. The world really is ending..I don't even know what else to say..

Rest in peace..I'm gonna go for a long walk..thanks for everything..
 
G

Goldenroad

Member
Afrikan said:
tumblr_ni5xjrj0q01u7gd4bo1_1280.jpg


thee childhood. *sigh*
Click to expand...

This was my Era. This was the wresting that I loved. RIP HotRod.
 
Y

YuShtink

Member
Roddy Piper mooning Rick Rude to troll him and give Ultimate Warrior the victory at Summerslam 89 is one of my favorite wreslting moments ever.
 
S

Sanjuro

Member
Ninja Scooter said:
I was just watching him on Always Sunny last night. RIP. One of the all time greats. Man so few of the legends from that pre-attitude era WWF are left.
Click to expand...

He was really great when I met him late last year at this horror con thing. I used to meet them more when I was a kid, so I wasn't big into waiting in line for autographs or anything like that. He took a break from his booth and was kind of walking around and noticed I recognized him. Asked if I knew who he was and some small chit-chat. Was kind of cool.

Tony Atlas was there and out of his mind. He called me over and asked why on earth was I wearing a Yankees cap (I had a Boston cap on). He then proceeded to show me his artwork as I tried to get away.

The old guard will be missed.
 
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