Earlier this week, a private funeral was held in Portland, Oregon for WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Notable names in attendance included Triple H, Bret Hart, Chael Sonnen, Chyna, Michael Hayes, Brian Knobbs and Ric Flair, who gave a eulogy. Vince McMahon was not in attendance because he had to be in Orlando on Tuesday for WWE Tough Enough.
According to Chyna’s ex-boyfriend Sean Waltman, the former WWE Diva “bum rushed” Triple H, apologized for ‘everything’ and almost got taken down by security.
“That’s great, but don’t punch girls, and you don’t treat them like that, and ruin their entire career and life, and never speak another word to them.”
When asked to elaborate on that claim that Triple H was abusive to her, Chyna elaborated:
“I think Hunter’s plan was to get me to leave the relationship first. That way he could start dating Stephanie and everything would be cool. We got into a heated argument. We were not getting along. I told him ‘I know something’s going on; don’t tell me something’s not going on.’ He swiped my hand, I swiped his hand, and then he hit me. And that’s a deal-breaker for me. The relationship is now over. After that I know that he was crying, and I know that he felt bad that he hit me. I was just in shock; it felt like a Jerry Springer moment, it was very surreal. I just couldn’t believe that he hit me.”
Chyna would go on to repeat the claims in multiple interviews, most recently in June during an appearance on OpieRadio on Sirius XM. Triple H offered the following response to Laurer’s accusations:
“The false statements and reckless allegations Joan Laurer (aka Chyna) continues to make about a physical dispute are a complete fabrication. As I’ve said in the past, while Joan has had significant struggles in life, this does not justify making such claims.”
Global Force Wrestling issued a press release on Wednesday to announce a deal to promote a Roddy Piper film, noting Piper was originally scheduled to appear for GFW next week.
Below is the press release GFW issued on the subject:
Ridgerock Entertainment Group and Global Force Wrestling have teamed up for events to promote the Jan. 8, 2016, theatrical release of THE MASKED SAINT (Freestyle Releasing). The joint agreement will showcase the film’s commitment to the integrity of professional wrestling and focus on family entertainment. This coincides with the mission of GFW, which has brought new excitement and true family entertainment to the world of professional wrestling. This exciting partnership will be kicked off during GFW’s second TV taping at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 21 .
“We are honored to be working with the filmmakers of THE MASKED SAINT,” said Jeff Jarrett, GFW founder and CEO. “Wrestling fans around the nation will enjoy this movie not only for its action-packed content, but also for the ‘fighting for justice’ message it portrays. We can’t wait to introduce them to this great movie.
“Roddy was scheduled to join us for the August show at the Orleans. In fact, I had spoken with him the day before he passed. He was a great friend and a great entertainer, and I was deeply saddened by the shocking news.”
A family-oriented action biopic inspired by true events, THE MASKED SAINT is written by Scott Crowell and Brett Granstaff, directed by Warren P. Sonoda, produced by Cliff McDowell, co-produced by David Anselmo and executive produced by Gary Granstaff and Joe Sisto. The movie stars Brett Granstaff (Vice) as Christopher ‘The Saint’ Samuels, Lara Jean Chorostecki (Hannibal), Oscar and Emmy nominee Diahann Carroll (“Grey’s Anatomy,” White Collar) who won a Golden Globe for her performance in “Julia,” Patrick McKenna (“The Red Green Show”), James Preston Rogers (Pixels) and features the late Pro Wrestling Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in his last confirmed theatrical release.
“We are thrilled to partner with the high-energy, fan-friendly brand of GFW,” says Gary Granstaff, vice president at Ridgerock Entertainment Group. “We couldn’t think of a better way to debut our movie to the millions of wrestling fans than with the help of Jeff Jarrett, a true wrestling legend and his organization.”
For ticket information to the Aug. 21 show, go to: http://www.orleansarena.com/event-calendar/global-force-wrestling.
– WWE’s Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon cashed out over $2 million of WWE stock this week, selling 46,794 shares on Monday ($1,012,622) and another 59,137 shares on Tuesday ($1,222,953).
– Men’s Journal has published a feature ranking the 18 fittest WWE Superstars. The Rock topped the list, followed by Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Sheamus and Cesaro, rounding out the top 5.
– Roddy Piper’s family was in attendance for last night’s WWE SmackDown tapings in Portland, Oregon, where the family lived for several years. The family was sitting at ringside as Eden opened the SmackDown tapings with a tribute and video package to Piper.
Private Roddy Piper Memorial at The World Famous Comedy Store in Hollywood, Planned for August 17, 2015
A private memorial is in the works for beloved pro wrestler, actor and comedian “Rowdy” Roddy Piper who passed away last week at his home in Hollywood, California. Set to take place Monday, August 17th at The Comedy Store, this private memorial will include friends from all facets of Roddy Piper’s life and career which ran the gamut of wrestling, acting, stand up comedy, live and broadcast TV, film and numerous business and charitable ventures. His closest friends/colleagues in L.A. will share stories and experiences about Roddy over the years.
The service will be private. Anyone from the pro wrestling or MMA world wishing to attend should contact Rick Bassman and Rick@RickBassman.com
Organizer and Roddy Piper friend, comic Steve Simeone said of the event “The Comedy Store is the adopted home of so many ‘comic orphans’ and Roddy became like a dad or big brother to all of us. He became family. I wanted to have a get together where we could get up and share our favorite stories about this incredible man who we all love and will miss greatly. This is a night for Roddy’s friends to celebrate what a great friend he was to all of us.”
Roddy Piper’s daughter, actress Ariel Teal Toombs had this to say about the memorial, “I know a lot of people wanting something like this in L.A., especially because the funeral will be up in Oregon and a lot of folks won’t be able to make that trip. It means a lot that Steve and the Comedy Store family are putting this together.”
Memorial co-organizer, Pro Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts agent, producer and longtime friend of Piper, Rick Bassman commented, “Roddy’s sudden death has hit all in the Pro Wrestling and MMA worlds pretty hard. I’m very grateful that the Comedy Store is doing this and we intend to see that Roddy is remembered in a way that would make him proud.”
Also helping to organize this send off is Mitch Ackerman, Roddy’s best friend who remarked, “I appreciate all the love and support from all the friends and fans of Roddy’s. Other than Madison Square Garden I don’t think there is a more appropriate place to have this memorial than at the Comedy Store ”
The Toombs family also wants the worldwide public who can’t attend his private funeral or memorial to know that a moment of silence is planned August 11th at 10 am PST. Details here:
Carlton Cinema in Toronto, Ontario, Canada held a special showing of the John Carpenter film “They Live,” which was arguably “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s most successful and critically acclaimed movie role, this past Saturday, August 8, 2015.
All of the proceeds of the screening were to benefit the “Stand For The Silent” charity, an anti-bullying campaign that Piper served as spokesperson for.
Below, courtesy of Matthew Saliba and ProWrestling.net, are photos of the special “They Live with Roddy Piper” themed movie theater:
Dark Waters Productions issued the following press release today to announce that the new film “The Reconciler,” will feature one of — if not the — final big screen performances by the late WWE Hall Of Famer, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
“The Reconciler” Movie Pays Tribute to the Late WWE Legend Roddy Piper
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Dark Water Productions — “The Reconciler” will be coming out later this year without one of its most beloved co-stars to celebrate its success. Rowdy Roddy Piper, 61, unexpectedly passed away of cardiac arrest onFriday, July 31, 2015. While initially being well known for his wrestling abilities and as a WWE villain, the depth of his talent in other areas was surely being recognized in his part in “The Reconciler”. His future in acting looked very promising. Born in Canada, his home in Hollywood allowed him to expand his potential in films.
One of Roddy’s final roles will be that of the detective, Russ, attempting to make some sense, if any, of all the disappearances in his town where he presents his acting skill at a new level. With a strange thread of God woven into the script, it is expected to be another success for all involved. Origin Releasing with over twenty-five years of successful experience in the DVD and Television market worldwide is working closely with Black Wolf Media in distributing this creatively done thriller. Release is set for November 2015 and will be the lasting tribute to not only an incredible wrestler, but also a superb actor, beloved husband and father.
Origin Releasing and Black Wolf Media Group have a long list of successful projects and were looking forward to their continuing relationship with Roddy and the talent left still untapped. It was his rugged looks that would first catch your eye, but then his acting skills would shine through and you would find yourself captivated by his natural ability in front of the camera.
It is with deep sadness any future endeavors for Roddy Piper will be remembered as “what could have been”. He will most certainly be missed in the industry that welcomed him with open arms. Origin Releasing and Black Wolf Media Group extend their deepest sympathies to Roddy’s family as the audiences look forward to seeing an indelible performance from him one more time in “The Reconciler”.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog section with his latest thoughts and opinions. Below are some of the highlights from the update.
On getting a job as an announcer or referee in WWE: “One would go about getting a TV job at WWE just like any other broadcast entity. They seem to require a college degree in the field now and some outside the wrestling business experience so that candidates can build a reel.”
On Scott Hall or Bobby Heenan on The Ross Report: “Scott and I have discussed him coming on the Ross Report and I’m sure that we will some day. Heenan would be a great one, obviously, under more positive circumstances. I’m lucky in that I have no shortage of guests and our podcast is growing every week.”
On memories of Roddy Piper: “Just building a relationship with him after we had both been in the business many years before ever meeting. I enjoyed talking about a variety of things with Roddy. He was unique and will be missed.’
On if WWE will be able to pull off a four-hour SummerSlam show: “Yes, to varying degrees but some won’t be too through or deep. There is one match at Summer Slam that will sell the show and that is Taker vs. Lesnar and the rest is support material with the exception of a potential Rollins Vs Cena title vs. title match.”
On why WWE has never hired Mike Tenay: “That would hae been a TV department decision and one that I would not have been in the loop for whatsoever. Mike could have helped WWE in many ways especially now with the WWE Network.”
Check out more JR’s Q&A updates at his official website, JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
All day today (August 6th) the WWE Network has been paying tribute to the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper who passed away recently at his home in Hollywood at the age of 61.
WWE confirmed the following regarding the Roddy Piper marathon, including a brand new show “Table for 3” which also stars “Mean” Gene Okerlund and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff.
Check out the full listings below:
Starting this morning, the award-winning WWE Network presents a special “Rowdy” Roddy Piper–themed Throwback Thursday, featuring legendary events where “Hot Rod” blazed a trail in WWE. From his Intercontinental Title victory in 1992 to exciting interviews inside “Piper’s Pit,” revisit these moments and more as WWE Network celebrates Piper’s WWE Hall of Fame career.
Tonight at 10/9 C, catch a special presentation of Table for 3, featuring Piper, Gene Okerlund and Paul Orndorff at the dinner table discussing their favorite pranks and stories from their careers.
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET – TODAY
WWE Royal Rumble 1992
It’s every man for himself as 30 top Superstars compete in the annual Royal Rumble Match for the vacant WWE Championship. And, Piper battles The Mountie for the Intercontinental Title.
Tuesday Night Titans – July 17, 1984
Vince McMahon hosts Tuesday Night Titans with Lord Alfred Hayes. Studio guests include Piper, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Tony Garea and Wendi Richter.
Saturday Night’s Main Event – Nov. 2, 1985
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper hosts a very special Halloween celebration.
Raw Flashback – Feb. 26, 1996
Witness the storied rivalry between WWE Champion Bret Hart and Shawn Michaelsreach another historic chapter as WWE President “Rowdy” Roddy Piper announces the stipulation for their epic encounter at WrestleMania XII.
Table for 3 – TONIGHT at 10/9 C Piper, “Mean” Gene Okerlund and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff sit down to dinner and discuss the importance of the groundbreaking first WrestleMania event, as well as their favorite road stories, pranks and memories from their WWE Hall of Fame careers.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his blog on his official website, posting comments and thoughts on a number of current pro wrestling topics. Below are some of the highlights.
On Paul Heyman’s promo on Monday’s RAW: “@HeymanHustle promo on RAW Monday was arguably one of his best ever. If any wrestler or wannabe who wants to understand the art of verbally telling a story and can listen to only one person in the business then make that one person Happy Heyman. It makes me proud that I was in a position to give him his first, national break on TV back in the WCW days. For me, it was easy to see that he was a special talent and he’s proven to be even more extraordinary than I predicted. I loved working with him even though he was could be like an ornery, little brother at times but make no mistake about it we jelled because we had mutual respect for each other and we both made it in the business when the majority of those in it did not endorse or predict our success.”
On WWE’s tribute to Roddy Piper on RAW: “Th Roddy Piper tribute was exceptional on RAW and I thought WWE hit it out of the park on that presentation. It’s hard to fathom that some keyboard warriors hit me on twitter @JRsBBQ that they thought it “wasn’t enough.” SMH.”
On WWE Tough Enough: “Tough Enough down to six vying for the big money in the reality show. I’ve watched every episode but the format doesn’t resonate with me. Not enough time to vote for my taste.”
On the season finale of Lucha Underground: “Season finale of Lucha Underground tonight on the El Rey Network. Check it out or DVR it. I had the opportunity to broadcast this episode but logistics couldn’t be worked out. I’m a fan of the show nonetheless and am pulling for their success. They have some great talent. Big fan of producer Chris DeJoseph aka Big Dick Johnson. I’d be shocked is this group has a season two that Rey Mysterio wasn’t a part of it. Hopefully, both come true.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
The Comedy Store in Hollywood issued the following today, announcing that they will be holding a private memorial on August 17th in honor of the late WWE Hall Of Famer, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
Private Roddy Piper Memorial at The World Famous Comedy Store in Hollywood, Planned for August 17, 2015
A private memorial is in the works for beloved pro-wrestler, actor and comedian “Rowdy” Roddy Piper who passed away last week at his home in Hollywood, California. Set to take place Monday, August 17th at The Comedy Store, this private memorial will include friends from all facets of Roddy Piper’s life and career which ran the gamut of wrestling, acting, stand up comedy, live and broadcast TV, film and numerous business and charitable ventures. His closest friends/colleagues in L.A. will share stories and experiences about Roddy over the years.
Organizer and Roddy Piper friend, comic Steve Simeone said of the event “The Comedy Store is the adopted home of so many ‘comic orphans’ and Roddy became like a dad or big brother to all of us. He became family. I wanted to have a get together where we could get up and share our favorite stories about this incredible man who we all love and will miss greatly. This is a night for Roddy’s friends to celebrate what a great friend he was to all of us.”
Roddy Piper’s daughter, actress Ariel Teal Toombs had this to say about the memorial, “I know a lot of friends who will appreciate something like this in L.A., especially because the funeral will be up in Oregon and a lot of folks won’t be able to make that trip. It means a lot that Steve and the Comedy Store family are putting this together.” Pro-wrestling & Mixed Martial Arts agent, producer and longtime friend of Piper, Rick Bassman commented, “Roddy’s sudden death has hit all in the pro-wrestling and fight world pretty hard. I’m very grateful that the Comedy Store is doing this for our friend, and we intend to go the distance to insure that Roddy is remembered in a manner which would make him proud.” Helping to organize this send off is Mitch Ackerman, Roddy’s best friend who remarked, “I appreciate all the love and support from all the friends and fans of Roddy’s. Other than Madison Square Garden I don’t think there is a more appropriate place to have this memorial than at the Comedy Store”
The Toombs family invites the worldwide public who can’t attend Roderick George Toombs’ private funeral or memorial to a moment of silence, planned for the same day and time as Piper’s private funeral, August 11th at 10:30 am PST.
WWE taped this week’s edition of SmackDown in Sacramento, California on Tuesday, August 4, 2015. Below are spoiler results from the tapings.
– This week’s show, much like Monday’s RAW, kicks off with a touching tribute to the late WWE Hall Of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
– Roman Reigns kicks off the show by coming to the ring for a promo segment. Reigns talks about Bray Wyatt and some of the things that have been going on between them lately. Rusev ends up coming out and warning Reigns, who he will be facing later tonight. He warns him about their match.
– Mark Henry & The Prime Time Players def. The New Day in six-man tag-team action. This was the match that was announced on RAW and the crowd seemed into boo’ing The New Day throughout the entire match. In the end, Henry and the tag-champs picked up the “W.”
– Sasha Banks & Naomi def. Charlotte & Becky Lynch in Divas tag-team action as the “Diva Revolution” continued on WWE SmackDown. This match actually started off as a one-on-one Divas match between Charlotte and Naomi, but due to interference, was turned into a tag-team contest, which the two “Team B.A.D.” members won.
– Stardust def. Zack Ryder in one-on-one competition. The crowd was into Ryder, even though he’s a New York guy and they are in California tonight. In the end, Stardust picked up the win with his finisher.
– Roman Reigns def. Rusev in the main event of this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown. They actually gave this match a good bit of time, so it will probably go through at least one commercial break on Thursday. There was a lot of back-and-forth action, but in the end, Reigns picked up the “W” via pinfall. The show went off the air after this match.
The Monday, August 3rd edition of WWE RAW scored a 2.65 final cable rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. That is a very slight increase for the first show following the passing of WWE Hall Of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Last week’s RAW drew a 2.64 final rating.
Monday’s RAW, which also featured the return of Brock Lesnar, averaged 3.701 million viewers, which was also up compared to the 3.671 million viewers who tuned in last week.
Below is the hourly viewership breakdown for this week’s RAW:
On July 18th, 2015, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper appeared for an edition of “Piper’s Pit”, as part of MCW’s Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup 15. Former WWE Creative Writer, Kevin Eck, was Roddy’s guest and the topic was the use of writers in the ever-changing world of professional wrestling. As always, Roddy Piper gives his candid thoughts on the industry, while recounting some incredible stories from his career. Sadly, the world lost Roddy Piper just 13 days later, on July 31st, 2015, at the age of 61. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, at this extremely difficult time.
MCW immediately knew that we wanted to share the final Piper’s Pit with the world. This moment belongs to all of us who were fortunate enough to see this legendary performer in action. Join Shawn Credle and Danny Mays, as we honor the legacy of a true legend and a wonderful human being, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
– Taking to his Facebook page just hours after RAW, Mick Foley shared another tribute to the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Along with the video above, Mick posted the following:
MY MINUTE WITH RODDY
Of course you recognize that line about chewing bubblegum and kicking butt from “They Live”. It’s classic! But there’s a good chance you’ve never seen the scene Roddy and I shared in the documentary film “I Am Santa Claus”. It’s barely a minute long – but within that short time, you will see Roddy get big laughs and absolutely steal the show with a simple arch of an eyebrow and the inflection of his voice. I loved this scene when Roddy was with us. Now that he’s gone, I treasure it,
I hope that you who watch it will love or treasure it too.
– Following RAW, Cesaro posted a photo onto his Instagram page to acknowledge all the fans who held up “Cesaro Section” signs during the broadcast:
– During last night’s episode of RAW live from San Jose, the entire WWE roster opened the show with a ten-bell salute to the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper before a video tribute aired.
Both the ten bell-salute and the video tribute can be seen in the video above. Most of the superstars remained in their “Hot Rod” t-shirts throughout the show, wearing them to the ring in their matches.
– Dan Ryckert was in attendance during RAW last night and posted the following photo showing Vince McMahon and Triple H remaining on the stage while the tribute video for Piper aired:
Ring Of Honor posted the above video tribute to the late WWE Hall Of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, who passed away last week from cardiac arrest at age 61.
Piper appeared at an ROH event in Nashville, Tennessee back in January of 2014, and in the video, Piper is featured with Kevin Owens, The Briscoes and other ROH performers.
Additionally, ROH issued the following statement on Piper over the weekend:
We at Ring of Honor are extremely shocked and saddened at the sudden passing of the legendary “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
A true icon in professional wrestling, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper was a silent adviser to many, passing on his invaluable wisdom. An amazing man who will be missed by those who were lucky enough to work with or get to know him.
We extend our sincerest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
– Deadline.com reports that the production workers strike at Steve Austin’s “Broken Skull Challenge” show on CMT has been resolved. The production company, 51 Minds Entertainment, has agreed to a health and pension benefits package with workers.
– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans if they agree with The Miz saying Ryback should be stripped of the Intercontinental Championship since he’s been out of action due to injury. With over 3,800 votes cast, 54% believe that Ryback should retain the title while he recovers from his staph infection.
– WWE is encouraging fans to submit questions for Paige and Steve Austin ahead of tonight’s Stone Cold Podcast using the hashtag #StoneColdPodcast.
– Madison Square Garden in New York City is honoring the late Rowdy Roddy Piper:
Sports Illustrated’s “Extra Mustard” blog has a new featured article on the passing of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, which features comments from Piper’s longtime friend and work associate, fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Bret Hart.
Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On Roddy Piper helping his career: “I would be a footnote in this business without Roddy Piper. Roddy took a shine to me and took me under his wing. Maybe it was because I was a Canadian kid like he was, but he protected and looked out for me right from the start from the first time I met him.”
On rumors that Bret and Roddy were related: “Roddy’s last name was Toombs, and I told him my dad had family with the same name on his side of the family. Roddy was from around the Saskatoon area, and my dad was from Saskatoon, so we toyed with the idea that we might be blood-related.”
“As it turned out, when Roddy and my dad got to compare notes when he came to Calgary, we determined there were two different spellings—Toombs and Tombs. So we weren’t related, but from the very first day that we always wondered about it, Roddy always called me, ‘Cuz.’ We never called each other Roddy or Bret, we always called each other ‘Cuz’ right up until he died. Along with my brother Owen and Jim Neidhart, the closest guy to me in the business was Roddy.”
On Roddy and Randy Savage being leaders of the locker room: “Roddy and Macho Man were leaders in the dressing room. think of guys like Hogan, they never did anything for anyone. Hogan came to his private locker room with the star on the door and no one was allowed to knock on the door.”
– The funeral services for the late WWE Hall Of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, who passed away at age 61 last week from cardiac arrest, will take place in Portland, Oregon on Wednesday, August 12th. WWE will be in the Portland area for a SmackDown television taping that week, so it’s possible that the services were delayed so WWE employees can attend.
– Longtime wrestling veteran Al Snow will be the guest on this week’s edition of Jim Ross’ weekly “Ross Report” podcast. The show will be available on Tuesday night at approximately 9pm EST. at PodcastOne.com.
“Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, one of Roddy Piper’s most famous rivals, returned home on Friday after surgery after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Snuka underwent surgery to remove part of his stomach, as well as his lymph nodes, and they believe they were successfully able to remove all of the cancer.
Veteran wrestling journalist Bill Apter spoke with Carole Snuka about Jimmy’s condition, as well as his thoughts on the passing of Roddy Piper. You can check out the interview above.
Tonight immediately following RAW, exclusively on the WWE Network, WWE Diva Paige will be interviewed by Stone Cold Steve Austin as part of his podcast.
Following in the footsteps of Triple H, Paul Heyman, Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon, what will Paige have to say about the current divas revolution when she sits face to face with Stone Cold.
It has been speculated that following the death of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper that the podcast may be postponed to make way for a WWE Network special showcasing the life of the Hall of Famer.
Currently, at the time of writing, the schedule still shows that the podcast will follow tonight’s episode of RAW but this could change as the day progresses.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog with his thoughts and opinions on a number of current topics. Below are some of the highlights.
On the passing of Roddy Piper: “Roddy was the perfect pro wresting villain because he was fearless, he had no issues putting his own safety at risk, and had no desire to be ‘cool’ back in the day but to be a truly despised individual that lived up to his casting/booking and to fulfill all the obligations his bosses and his opponent needed and that was to make the customers pay money to come see Rod get his comeuppance.
Roddy had no issues ‘retreating’ when the moment called for it and was always willing to cheat to gain an unfair advantage to win a match via unethical methods which are so lacking today by the majority of pro wrestling’s villains.
Without Roddy Piper WWF would have had a more challenging time in developing their new presentation headed by super hero Hulk Hogan in the mid 80’s with the launch of Wrestlemania 1 where Vince McMahon essentially mortgaged his company’s entire future on the success of that one event. Rowdy Roddy Piper’s contributions to Wrestlemania 1 can never be discounted.
The true art of being a pro wrestling villain is becoming a fleeting skill set that will, in time, erode the basic foundation of the business itself if it isn’t addressed.”
On John Cena hate and his broken nose: “Seems as if it’s only the most uneducated and novice of wrestling fans who can truly dislike John Cena especially after watching his performance with a grotesquely broken nose on RAW. I can see where some may not enjoy John as much as others because he is “overexposed” in their view but to verbally castrate him for any other reason is borderline stupidity.”
On Ronda Rousey: “The amazing Ronda Rousey did it again Saturday night in Brazil with a first round knock out. There have been few athletes in my life time who have been as dominate in their sport as @RondaRousey is in MMA. Michael Jordan in the NBA, Mike Tyson in boxing and Wayne Gretzky in the NHL quickly come to mind. She’s leading the way for women to strive to excel in their chosen fields of endeavor and thus creating new fans of female sports that will help countless women over time. I think that Rousey’s popularity in MMA and her stardom around the world has contributed to WWE’s renewed interest in developing the female side of their roster.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
NBC affiliate WNDU recently ran a piece featuring comments from “Cowboy” Bob Orton, who was a longtime friend and on-air partner of the late Roddy Piper’s.
“I had just talked to Roddy a couple of days before and he sounded great,” said Orton of Piper’s passing. “So yeah, at first you just don’t believe it. You have to let it sink in. It’s starting to now after what they just did out there and you realize you’re not going to see him again and it’s a shame. He’s going to be missed.”
Orton continued, “He could always make you laugh. No matter how you felt, how down you were, how much the road could get to you, he could always make you laugh. Just a great guy. Everybody loved him.”
There is still no word as to whether or not the “Stone Cold Podcast” with Steve Austin and Paige will still be airing on the WWE Network immediately following this Monday’s RAW as scheduled.
There is an expectation that WWE will postpone the podcast, as a special on the life and career of the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is expected.
Hulk Hogan was originally scheduled to be Austin’s guest, however when the racism scandal broke, WWE made the last-minute decision to replace Hogan with Paige, so it’s likely that WWE won’t hesitate to postpone the Paige-Austin interview in favor of a Piper special.
Following the tragic news that WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piperpassed away this week aged just 61 from natural causes, tributes have been flooding in.
The WWE released a statement shortly after the news was confirmed and have since put together a video playlist on their YouTube channel, highlighting some great Roddy Piper moments.
During their live event in San Diego California on Friday night, the WWE kicked off the show with a ten bell salute in honor of the “Hot Rod.”
You can view the videos the WWE have selected above.
