Rowdy Roddy Piper Fights Hodgkin's Disease

WWE ^ | 12-04-06 | WWE Staff

[GreenHornet]

Paul Wight (the Giant; The Big Show)was always there for Vince but was never forgiven for winning a lawsuit that called for better conditions. Wight got a trailer where the bed and bath were supersized (so he wouldn't have to live out his life reenacting Andre's humiliation) but McMahon resented the loss of the suit rather than giving an inch of control to "the talent" - even when it was plainly the humanitarian course of action in a special circumstance.

Im my opinion, Vince McMahon is a thoroughly evil human being with absolutely no regard for anyone but himself. From what I understand, his father was just the opposite - well respected by the wrestlers and other promoters, and reciprocated in kind. Vince senior gave Gorilla Monsoon, Arnold Skauland (Sp?) and Chief Jay Strongbow a piece of the company as a "thank you" for their years of service to the organization. Could you see Vinnie Mac doing the same? I don't think so.

[NewRomeTacitus]

Lilian Garcia grew up as an Army brat, while John "Bradshaw" Leyfield is the troops' Number One Fan (real deal). Rick Flair always goes if he's able. Lashley was a multiple year military champion while in the Army.

I'm a bit stumped by Randy Orton going, as he was court-martialed out for AWOL. That boy's truly rotten, having actually dumped in women's handbags backstage as a "joke".

[NewRomeTacitus]

The prognosis is good for the awesome 52 year old Mr. Rodderick Toombs as medicine has progressed so far that doctors no longer sweat lymphomic cancer when just ten years back it was usually a death sentence.

IMO Vince McMahon is a thoroughly evil human being with absolutely no regard for anyone but himself. From what I understand, his father was just the opposite - well respected by the wrestlers and other promoters, and reciprocated in kind.

One would think that a man who'd witnessed so many employees working and/or abusing themselves to literal death would have developed a rudimentary sense of empathy. I would wager that Vince was one of those twins who strangled his stillborn brother with an umbilical cord.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Aw man. Prayers for Piper. I remember the battles he had with Hulk Hogan in the 80s. Those were the good-old days of the WWF before the suits marketed it to death.

[NewRomeTacitus]

The 3 DVD set ($20 at big chain stores) is a must-have. I'd forgotten how multiply talented Piper is and how he kept pushing the edge of the envelope of acceptability while setting a standard for interviews that's very hard for the modern talent to live up to.

How good was he, the kids may ask - he was so good that his program with Hulk Hogan was the primary impetus for the first Wrestlemania. Like Kurt Angle he always threw strategic hard shots that challenged his opponents to up their performances. While never holding more than a second-tier belt his name put more butts in the seats than any current hot property. Because the people recognize "one of them" and love him unconditionally...apparent EVERY time the bagpipes start. The first heel to be "over" and stay over before Stone Cold was credited for it.

[Severa]

Don't think Flair's going this year, I hear he's in the middle of a rather nasty divorce. Would love to see him there though.

Orton was a bit of a surprise as well, for the reasons you state. *smirk* I think that's one other reason they brought Taker along. Backstage reports around the time of those handbag incidents tell that Taker 'despised' Orton. I'm sorry but that's one man I'd NEVER want pissed off at me...

[NewRomeTacitus]

Randall Orton...you will rest...in...PEACE!

Seriously; Mark worked a program to put Orton over at Vince's insistence but never forgave the cad for humiliating Stacy Keibler so badly that she refused to re-sign a continuation while Orton remained. Young Randy never understood that playing a heel doesn't give one a license to be one in real life. I suspect that it's just about to catch up with him, dispensed by a guy who's solid profit-making puts him beyond McMahon's reach.

Calloway's a class act but he rules the locker room because he does what must be done to maintain order among a wildly various group of athletic egotists vying for top spots. The Undertaker's recently undergone therapy for his mobility problems that allows him to incorporate Ultimate Fighting techniques into his repertoire.

If I were Orton I'd be shopping around to rival companies around now before being corralled into the shoot that's coming.

[Severa]

"Mark worked a program to put Orton over at Vince's insistence but never forgave the cad for humiliating Stacy Keibler so badly that she refused to re-sign a continuation while Orton remained."

I thought those were some of his best promos during that run. My personal favorite was the one just before Hell in a Cell when he's speaking to Randy over the PA system. "Randy....I'm coming for youuuuuuuu."

"The Undertaker's recently undergone therapy for his mobility problems that allows him to incorporate Ultimate Fighting techniques into his repertoire."

Holy crap, it's not enough that the man's 6'10" and can do a suicide dive from the ring OVER the ropes. *LOL* It's widely known by his fans of his love for boxing (you can also see it in the beginning of each match) but UFC...damn. Can't wait to see this...

[Manic_Episode]

One of my favorite rasslin moments of all time was when Piper had Jimmy Superfly Snuka on a segment of Pipers Pit.
He told Jimmy he wanted him to feel at home and handed him a banana and told him to peel it with his feet, then he went to hand him a coconut as well, but instead smashed him over the head with it and proceeded to beat the crap outta Snuka!
I wish more talk show hosts would treat their guests like that.

Godspeed Roddy. Get well soon.

[NewRomeTacitus]

At one of the last WCW events in my hometown of Nashville back in 1998 we got to see nearly every gifted talent and drawing card in professional wrestling. Rey Mysterio Jr., Eddie Guererro, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Hogan and dozens of others. The cream of that event was Roddy taking on eight jobbers in a row just after returning from having a titanium hip replacement. Rod didn't just mow them down - he worked through them in a way that made them look like serious threats.

Because he's the deal. Nothing after that "match" came close to the audience's expectation of entertainment...the walking out started right after that with the Hukster seeing a half-filled auditorium by the time his gig came up.

Roddy always puts the butts in the seats while Hogan cries about not getting the respect he deserves. Last count says Terry Bollea earned over forty-million dollars from wrestling - how much is enough to assuage hurt pride not truly deserved? Roddy took it as a challenging life-style and never got that kind of money, yet he kept giving whenever the opportunity came up no matter how his condition was at the time.

He will beat this or go down fighting harder than any human ever has...because that's what he does.