Man, you can tell how difficult it was for him to open up about inside things. I know he felt like he was selling the business out. Old school as it gets.
Every interview with Piper..especially towards the end of his life...shows me what a great guy he was...so real...he chose his words carefully...he did his best to protect the business in spite of what it turned into..he loved what he did and he was right!..One day people will realize as Roddy said how big a role psychology played in pro wrestling. Professional Wrestling is as real or as phony as psychology is...and there's a lot to be said for both points of view. RIP Roddy!
Man the World lost a hell of a dude the day Piper passed. Young wrestlers need to pattern there career after this Legend. Love You and Miss You Hot Rod!!! R.I.P
This guy is just amazing in all ways. I just got home from taking my 3 boys to the 35th anniversary RE release of they live in the theater. Which reminded of the time I had a chance to meet rowdy Roddy Piper and get his autograph. It was in nyc around 2002 AB’s he was at the wwf store signing autographs for his book. I gave this next level love the the inner workings of wrestling. Not just the business side, that’s part of it, but all of it. I always tell people that wrestling is a true art form of total free expression. That’s so rare nowadays. You can be or create/manage literally any character you can think of and create any music for that character you want. That wrestler has the freedom to develop that character through a toolset of technical ability, charisma/mic ability, aesthetic draw/costume-Ing/ and overall look/strength to create the buy in. I think to some degree we’re all fascinated by it, but I couldn’t agree with him more and was so happy to hear him think the same way that wrestling is an underrated art form essentially
I always had a love for Roddy. He is correct. Wrestling is a high art that is all about psychology and very few people including wrestling fans know this.
“When those boys came back, when those gentlemen came back” love the respect, you call the locker room the boys all the time. But because they came first Piper corrected himself feeling they were above being referred to as his peers
There was 'fake blood' in blood capsules. I even recall watching Valentine use one in an Intercontinental title match with Santana and it was pretty obvious. Fact is, most wrestlers only bladed themselves and about everyone had seen it, especially in the old days. I use to record on VHS and it was easier to slow down and catch it all again. Piper did it fairly often in a big match. Watched Bruno do it in a rare tv match with Larry Zybysco. (Before he was hit with a chair) then he kept the razor blade in his hand a while before finally sliding it out of the ring.
Roddy obviously respected Sean Oliver, otherwise he wouldn't have brought up color. To get Hot Rod to talk fairly open about getting colour is quite a feat for the interviewer.
Watched Piper, and Hulk Hogan wrestle in Bloomington, MN. Both were bleeding by the end of the match. Watched Mad Dog Vachon get cut on his temple in a match with The Crusher. He cut an artery, and the ring announcer (Roger Kent was going crazy calling for medics). Every time his heart beat the blood squirted out about a foot onto crusher’s shoulder. They always put on a great show when they wrestled each other.
There’s two different types of too much. There’s Captain Lou Albano slicing his face with a switchblade and there’s a PPV I think it was Armageddon? Hell in a Cell with Stone Cold, Undertaker, The Rock and I think HHH, Rikishi and Kurt Angle? Anyways at the end they all had color!
Piper was a great worker. I saw him and Bollea work in Cincinnati at The Gardens. I'll count that as some of wrestling greatest. Terry wasn't a great worker but his Mic work was up there with Ric and Lawler. Just an opinion.
That's a fair statement. Hogan catapulted wrestling through the roof and if it wasn't with his ring skills then it was definitely his mic work, so i would say it is less an opinion and more of a fact. Even if you don't like Hogan you can't deny what the man did for wrestling.
He's specifically discussing the wrestling side of it - not 'in general'. However, that may change now that everyone is wise to the blading. Carrying around capsules of fake blood would be awkward.
There are some dark rooms in this business! I read a story about Piper going to Vince to explain how busted up and hurt he was, McMahon responded was get your ads in the ring or your done! Not much care there is there?
Thats just how things used to be in all aspects of life... people were alot tougher back then. We lost something with the advent of political correctness, and the notion thay everyones feelings matter. Truly he was one of a dying breed. R.I.P. Piper!
