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"Rowdy" Roddy Piper

Roddy Piper
2014-04-04 19-10-01 NEX-6 7421 DxO (13933727033).jpg
Piper in 2014
Birth name Roderick George Toombs
Born (1954-04-17)April 17, 1954
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died July 31, 2015(2015-07-31) (aged 61)
Hollywood, California, United States
Cause of death Myocardial infarction
Spouse(s) Kitty Jo Dittrich (m. 1982; his death 2015)
Children 4
Family Hart
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Roddy Piper
The Canadian
The Masked Canadian
Piper Machine
Billed height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Billed weight 230 lb (104 kg)
Billed from Glasgow, Scotland
Trained by Gene LeBell
Leo Garibaldi
Tony Condello
Joe Fiorino
Stu Hart
Debut 1969

Roderick George "Roddy" Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor.

In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for his work with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1984 and 2000. Although he was Canadian, because of his Scottish heritage he was billed as coming from Glasgow and was known for his signature kilt and bagpipe entrance music. He earned the nicknames "Rowdy" and "Hot Rod" by displaying his trademark "Scottish" rage, spontaneity, and quick wit. Piper was described by industry veteran Ric Flair as "the most gifted entertainer in the history of professional wrestling"; he is regarded by many as the greatest wrestling villain of all time.

One of the most recognizable pro wrestling stars worldwide, Piper headlined numerous pay-per-view cards, including the WWF and WCW's respective premier annual events, WrestleMania and Starrcade. He accumulated 34 championships in various promotions during an in-ring career spanning 42 years. Piper's most notable rivals included Greg Valentine, Adrian Adonis, and Hulk Hogan, with the feud against Hogan – also involving "Captain" Lou Albano and singer Cyndi Lauper – considered the beginning of "Rock 'n' Wrestling". He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

Outside of wrestling, Piper acted in dozens of films and TV shows, including the lead role of John Nada in the 1988 cult classic They Live and a recurring role as a deranged professional wrestler on the FX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.


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