Wrestlers Roddy Piper Loved & Hated In Real Life (2024)

It can be argued that Hulk Hogan may not have become the ultimate hero of wrestling if he didn't have as notorious an arch-nemesis as Rowdy Roddy Piper. Hot Rod was a true equal to The Hulkster not just in charisma & presence, but also for being as big an icon, Hollywood movie-star, brawler and talker as Hogan, if not bigger.

The late, great Hall Of Famer's biggest talent was blurring the lines between reality and kayfabe. One of the most controversial sports-entertainers of all time, Piper had plenty of friends & enemies both on-and-off-camera. And when it came to Hot Rod, it was always hard to know which was which.

Loved: Ric Flair Was One Of Roddy Piper's Bitterest Rivals On-Screen, And Closest Friends Backstage

Piper & Flair Partook In Celebrity Wife Swap Back In 2012

• Hot Rod defeated The Nature Boy on January 27, 1981 to become the NWA United States Champion.
• On the September 28, 1991 episode of WWE Superstars, whilst Piper was doing color-commentary, Flair attacked him with the NWA World Title Belt.
• At WWE Cyber Sunday 2006, Ric Flair and Roddy Piper defeated The Spirit Squad to become World Tag Team Champions.

From the NWA to WWE to WCW, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Ric Flair had a legendary feud that spanned the ages. Larger-than-life personalities, Hot Rod and The Nature Boy shared a fierce chemistry in the ring, and also a strong bond outside of it.

Despite being polar opposites, Roddy and Ric discovered they had a lot in common, as they traveled the world together. Flair, along with the wrestling world, mourned the loss of his dear friend and paid tribute to him when Hot Rod passed away in 2015.

Hated: Kevin Nash Butted Heads With Hot Rod Frequently In WCW

A Disagreement Over Booking Led To A Backstage Altercation At Slamboree 1997

• Roddy Piper made his WCW at Halloween Havoc 1996.
• At Slamboree 1997, Piper teamed with Ric Flair & Kevin Greene to defeat Nash, Scott Hall and Syxx.
• At The Great American Bash 1997, Piper & Flair unsuccessfully challenged The Outsiders for the WCW World Tag Team Championship.

If Kevin Nash and Roddy Piper have one thing in common, it's that neither of them were strangers to controversy. Nash's dubious reputation started in his days with The Kliq, and would only grow as he and the New World Order ran wild in WCW (on-and-off camera).

Naturally, Hot Rod was never going to be the kind of guy to take that kind of attitude from anyone, and things became really heated during WCW Slamboree 1997, where Piper ultimately went off-script, resulting in the two men coming to blows backstage. Nash and Roddy would eventually bury the hatchet years later.

Loved: Bret Hart & Roderick Toombs Were Very Close In-And-Out Of Wrestling

Piper Was One Of The Few Former Colleagues To Visit Bret In Hospital Following The Hitman's Stroke In 2002

• The Hitman defeated Hot Rod to win his second Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 8.
• On the February 8, 1999 episode of Monday Night Nitro, Piper defeated Hart to win the WCW United States Championship.
• Bret penned the foreword to Roddy's "In The Pit With Piper" autobiography.

In his "In The Pit With Piper" autobiography and other interviews, Roddy repeatedly stated that he and Bret Hart were distant cousins in real life. Bret would confirm that they were indeed very close behind the scenes.

Perhaps it was because of how true Bret and Roddy were to each other that allowed their timeless classic at WrestleMania 8 to be as special as it was. It was one of the most genuine friendships in all wrestling, one which Bret continues to reminisce over.

Hated: Hulk Hogan And Roddy Piper Were Arch-Rivals In The Ring, And Not Exactly Friendly Backstage

Neither Wanted To Lose To Each Other In WWE

• At The War To Settle The Score, Hulk Hogan retained the WWE Championship over Roddy Piper via disqualification.
• Piper defeated Hollywood Hogan via submission at WCW Starrcade 1996.
• At SuperBrawl 1997, Hogan defeated Piper to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Title.

Batman had The Joker, Superman had Lex Luthor, and Hulk Hogan had Rowdy Roddy Piper. It took a true equal to match the intensity and energy of The Hulkster, and Hot Rod fit the bill perfectly. Being a massive draw in his own right, Piper was the ultimate villain who, like Hogan, rarely took a loss.

It was a classic case of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object, with neither Hulk or Roddy willing to compromise. Because of the egos of both men, the matter was never really settled in WWE, or even in WCW, and a deep resentment festered between them for many years. However, Roddy & Hulk would eventually make peace.

Loved: Cowboy Bob Orton Was One Of Hot Rod's Partners In Crime

Orton Was In The Corner Of Piper & Orndorff For Their Match At WrestleMania 1

• Bob Orton first competed in the WWE in 1982. His second stint with the company began in 1984, where he became Piper's Bodyguard.
• Piper addressed Orton as "Ace" during their time together. When Piper went on hiatus in 1986, Orton would become the bodyguard of "Adorable" Adrian Adonis.
• In 2005, both Roddy Piper & Bob Orton were inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame

A legend in his own right, Cowboy Bob Orton is also famous for being the running buddy and enforcer of Hot Rod. Striking up a friendship on the road together, Roddy and Bob Jr. worked together in both The Golden Era, and The Ruthless Aggression Era when Bob was accompanying his son, Randy.

In 2006's Born To Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story, Randy Orton recounted tales of Hot Rod regularly having dinner with the Orton Family, showing how strong the friendship between Bob & Randy truly was. The Cowboy was an integral part of both Hot Rod's life & career.

Hated: Vince McMahon And Roddy Piper Agreed To Disagree Many Times

Despite Working Well Together, Vince Resented Roddy For His Decisions To Pursue Careers In Hollywood And WCW

• After working for Vince McMahon Sr.'s WWWF in 1979, he would sign with Vince Jr's WWE in 1984.
• Piper left WWE in 1987, returning in 1989, before leaving WWE again in 1996.
• Piper would return again in 2003, but was fired from WWE due to a controversial interview with HBO.

When it came to business, it can be assumed there was a great deal of respect and admiration between Roddy Piper & Vince McMahon. As has been said before, Vince needed a foil for his champion Hulk Hogan, and Piper justified Vince's faith in him.

But tempers frayed between Hot Rod and McMahon many times, be it over creative differences, or Vince being deeply affected by Roddy leaving for WCW in 1996. Even though Piper would always come back to WWE, .

Loved: Ronda Rousey Had Roddy's Blessing To Use The "Rowdy" Nickname

Ronda Remains Close With Roddy's Family To This Day

• Ronda Rousey first met Roddy Piper through Gene LeBell, who trained them both in grappling.
• Ronda dedicated her fight at UFC 190 to Roddy, following his death the day before.
• When Ronda made her WWE debut at Royal Rumble 2018, she wore Roddy's old jacket, which was given to her by his son, Colt.

The Baddest Woman On The Planet grew up idolizing Hot Rod, and had such reverence for Piper that she was extremely reluctant to use the "Rowdy" moniker as a nickname. But Piper evidently saw a lot of himself in Rousey, which is why he gave her his blessing.

Although they only knew each other in the last few years of Piper's life, Roddy and Ronda were close. Ronda appeared as a guest on Roddy's Piper's Pit podcast in 2015, and they meant so much to each other that Roddy's family would visit her backstage at WrestleMania 35. Ronda would even train with Roddy's daughter, Ariel Teal Toombs, ahead of her WWE return in 2022.

Hated: Mr. T Was Viewed As An Outsider By Roddy Piper

The Rowdy One Felt That The A-Team Star Had No Place Being In The Wrestling Business

• Mr. T made his first WWE appearance at The War To Settle The Score on February 18, 1985, sitting at ringside and then emerging to help Hulk Hogan against Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff.
• Hogan & Mr. T defeated Piper & Orndorff in the main-event of WrestleMania 1.
• A year later, at WrestleMania 2, Mr. T defeated Piper in a boxing match via disqualification.

It's a stretch to label Mr. T a wrestler due to the fact that he only competed in four matches throughout his career, but the fact remains is that Mr. T's participation in the main-event of the very first WrestleMania was a massive success that cemented the WWE's future. However, Hot Rod didn't quite see it that way.

Being as protective of the wrestling business as he was, Roddy viewed Mr. T as a Hollywood star who didn't pay his dues and respect the industry like he did. Piper would mercilessly insult and belittle the A-Team/Rocky III actor at every opportunity. In contrast, Mr. T claimed that Piper was professional towards him and that the animosity was just part of the publicity for WrestleMania. Regardless of what was fact and fiction, Piper would seemingly bury the hatchet with Mr. T at WrestleMania 30.

Loved: CM Punk Was One Of The Talents That Piper Felt Was On His Level On The Mic

Piper And Punk Would Message Each Other To See How The Other Was Doing

• CM Punk idolized Piper growing up, particularly over Hot Rod's ability to trash-talk, which inspired Punk to deliver similar promos.
• On the January 6, 2014 episode of Raw, Hot Rod hosted a Piper's Pit with The Shield, and CM Punk (with the New Age Outlaws in tow) came to Roddy's aid.

The Straight-Edge Superstar was another massive fan of The Rowdy One, and in turn, Piper was impressed by CM Punk'sr esolve & hear. In a 2013 interview with Arda Ocal, Piper would share his views on Punk both as a talent and a person.

In one of the greatest editions of Piper's Pit from Hot Rod's final years (from the January 6, 2014 episode of Raw), Rowdy Roddy Piper would declare that CM Punk was the only guy who could match him on the microphone. It was the ultimate seal of approval from Hot Rod to The Straight-Edge Superstar.

Hated: Vince Russo Was Despised By Piper Over The Former's Booking Style And His Disrespect Towards Veterans In WCW

Russo Was Infamously Targeted By Piper During A Live Shoot On TNA Programming

• Vince Russo joined WCW in October 1999, becoming the company's new head-writer/chief booker.
• Originally an off-screen authority figure referred to as 'The Powers That Be', Russo forced Piper into recreating the Montreal Screwjob finish at Starrcade 1999.
• Roddy's final WCW appearance was at SuperBrawl 2000. His contract with WCW was terminated later that year in July.

Granted, it would be a gross exaggeration to call Vince Russo a wrestler, and tantamount to insulting professional wrestlers worldwide who compete full-time (or even part-time) for fans. Alas, Russo does technically qualify due to his notorious in-ring experience, and it's that along with his controversial booking style which made him an enemy of Piper.

Roddy was one of the WCW veterans who (along with Hogan & Flair) were failed, belittled and slandered by Russo. And it would all culminate during Hot Rod's infamous appearance at the NWA-TNA #24 pay-per-view, where the Rowdy One would deliver a worked-shoot promo right to Russo's face, blaming him for WCW's demise and even the tragic death of Owen Hart. It was sweet vengeance delivered by Hot Rod in his most memorable appearance for TNA.