Your Opinion On: ''Rowdy'' Roddy Piper

[Y 2 Jake]

I'll try this once more. Maybe Goldust wasn't a big enough name to start off with.

In my opinion Piper is one of the best heels ever in wrestling. But also one of the worst faces in wrestling. As a heel he cut amazing promos. Why did W.M. 1 have so much heat? Because of Piper. Not Hogan or Mr. T. To have a great face you need a great heel. And Piper was just that. People wanted to see him get his arse kicked. It wasn't Paul Orndorff that they wanted to see get a beating.

But as a face he bored the shit out of me. He lost that edge. Without great heel heat he had nostaligia face heat. Like what Flair and Doink The Clown get. It also exposed his as the average wrestler he is. Yeah we was an entertaining brawler. But as a proper wrestler he sucked. The only really memorable single non gimmick match I remmember is against Bret Hart at Mania.

 

[Shocky]

Piper was probably the best worker on the mic in his time, and probably the one of the 5 best all time. The man generated instant heat as a heal every time he touched the mic.

How the WWE royally fucked up and not put the strap on him, is beyond me. The shame for Piper is that he was around in a time when WWF was going the way of the baby face. If that feud happened ten years later, chances are, Piper would have been the Champ with Hogan chasing. If WM was thought out a little Better, Piper would have gone is as champ and dropped the belt to Hogan.

I agree, his face work was lacking alot. He became more of a comedy act. Piper isn'ta great ring worker as far as technical skill. He's a brawler, and a shit talker and that style is just what works for a good heel. His match with Hart was great, but I remember his match against Goldust just as vividly.

 

[EP Punk]

Piper was definitely a better heel, probably in the top 5 of all time for me. He still talked some good shit on the mic as a face, but as a heel, it was that much better, because that, IDGAF attitude was and is really Piper. As for now, he is a total inspiration, fighting cancer, and vowing to get back to the ring after he kicks cancer's ass. But back in his prime...Heel Piper=Awesome; Face Piper=with a few exceptions...not so much

 

[michiganj24]

Well there are some people taleneted or not that are better as heels or at the least anti-heroes(like SCSA). Piper was one of those. First off one of the reaons in later years that he seemed to not have much talent has more to do with the fatc that he didnt leave an active life and constanly got out of shape. To me he seems in teh breed of a SC or a Cena who could wrestle but his presonality fits the brawler type better so that is what he does.

 

[coltx7]

Only thing I'd like to know is why does Piper talk all slow now and sound so groggy and always out of it like he wants to pass out. I also notice he always has this burned out tired look. I remember when piper looked more clean cut and spoke all wild and crazy. Sure everybody can say dude he's old. Yeah but it ain't that hard to shave and have better high gene. Don't get me wrong I love Roddy Piper. He just doesn't seem like the same guy anymore.

 

[Minor League Brian]

Colt, you also have to remember the man is/has been going through Cancer treatment. That's extremely tiring, both mentally and physically. I think eventually he'll be back to his old self, but until he's beaten Cancer down (or has he?) and gotten some needed R&R, he'll be a bit groggy.

Anyway, Piper's character has always intrigued me. I would have given anything to see him in a heel program back in the day.

 

[coltx7]

Colt, you also have to remember the man is/has been going through Cancer treatment. That's extremely tiring, both mentally and physically.

Hey Brain,

Shit man I know that LOL!!! I'm just saying piper has been looking like shit sense 1999. I know he's been sick but man he's been looking bad bad for the last 8 years. Anyway I will always love the hot rod. I'd just love to see the OLD Roddy Piper again. Hell look at Ric Flair he's older then my grandma and he still talks the talk and walks the walk. Go Figure...........

 

[RVDgurl]

Jake, I agree with you 100%. As a heel Piper was way ahead of his time. He was so innovative on the mic and his in ring pyschology was on point. This guy did things (how about smashing coconuts over Snuka's head) that generated genuine white heat. He could make the entire crowd gasp with the lines he delivered. It is beyond me why he was ever given a role as babyface since his overall style screamed heel.

 

[A.J.]

Its amazing how Jake creates a thread yet most seem to agree with him and well I will agree with him as well. Piper was something special back in the day and he was one of thegreatest heels of his time and probabaly ever. His mic work was beyond his time as he coudl grab an audience and then turn on them in a second. He was in the wrong era as if he was in the attitude era were talking about a bigger star than he is now.

But i'm with Shockey as WWE not putting the strap on piper was a mistake as he was huge and you know People would have paid back in the 80's to see Hogan(face) vs Piper (heel). Plus I think most can agree that it was Piper being the heel he was that help Hogan be such a face as Hogan needed Piper as all faces need that heel and Piper was that to Hogan.

Truly a great a gut that was ahead of his time and we can only hope he stays cancer free.

 

[hbk&triple h]

The Hot Rod is without a doubt the greatest heel of all time.He generated heat anytime he stepped near a microphone.I would have loved to see him as champion.

He blew me away from time to time.His match with Bret Hart at Wrestlemania just blew me away.Piper is without a doubt one of the best ever.

 

[jakmendo]

I think he would make a great commentator for any federation. His contributions to the WWE have been impecable as he has stayed the course over the past 20 years.