Prior to the Summer Slam pay-per-view, I was skeptical that a four hour show would be consistently solid, but the show exceeded most fans' expectations with one glaring exception that we will discuss later. I think it should be noted that the event was solid because there was an emphasis on the actual in ring action, which is technically the entire point of a major PPV, it's the culmination of the feuds and the matches are ultimately the selling point.
Sheamus vs. Randy Orton was a decent match and it provided a basic opener for the show. It's good to see that Sheamus got the win because despite being the MITB winner, he has almost no steam behind him to build to an eventual cash in. As I've said before, Orton has name value for the series of main event pushes he had earlier in his career, but his popularity has plateaued in recent years. The tag title match was up next and it provided a solid match with a lot of action, which could be the trademark of the tag division. The New Day won the titles and the trio deserves a lot of credit for turning a generic gimmick into a great heel run. The New Day team has benefited each member tremendously and it essentially gave them a fresh run after they were floundering in his respective roles previously. Specifically, Xavier Woods has been pure entertainment with his shenanigans outside of the ring. As seen on Raw, The Dudley Boys returned to the WWE after a decade absence and it's great to see them on WWE TV again, especially after their somewhat rocky exit from the company. I've said it before and I will say it again, Bubba Ray deserves a tremendous amount of credit for completely reinventing himself as Bully Ray and it's one of the few success stories in TNA. All things considered, The Dudleys are very capable of having a second run in the WWE, instead of being a short term nostalgia act, as what's old is new again, and they can still go in the ring. The return of team also goes helps solidify the tag division and adds a boost to put the spotlight on the tag division again. I wasn't thrilled with the count out during the Rusev/Dolph Ziggler match, as while it continues the feud, non finishes rarely work on PPV and an actual winner would have made more sense because people pay to see who's going to win the match.
I don't watch Arrow and didn't expect much from the Stephen Amell appearance, dismissing it as just another celebrity booking to get as much publicity for the event as possible, which is fine. However, Amell deserves props for his performance and he did a good job during the match. The Stardust character seems to have reached its limit and it might be time for him to transition to Cody Rhodes again to continue to progress his career. The IC title match was okay and it was kept short, which was a good decision. The Dean Ambrose/Roman Reigns vs. The Wyatt family was a solid match and the feud looks to continue from the segments on Raw. So far, the feud is the benefit of both teams and kept them relevant during the multiple angles booked on WWE TV. The Wyatt family added a new member to the faction and it seems to set the stage for an addition to the Ambrose/Reigns team. The Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro match was a great showcase of their talent and the ability they have if they are given a chance to become legitimate stars. Owens started on WWE TV with a major push and had the performances in the ring to justify it with some great PPV matches with John Cena, but his progression was halted after he tapped out at Battleground. The win gets Owens on track to continue working his way up the ladder on Raw and he has all the tools to be a legitimate star for the company. You can say almost say the same thing about Cesaro and hopefully he gets the opportunity he deserves because he proved he could be a main event performer.
The divas match was a good showcase of the potential of the division and the events in Brooklyn certainly helped establish women's wrestling to the WWE audience. More specifically, the Sasha Banks/Bayley match at the NXT event was tremendous and it was one of the best women's match I've seen on WWE TV. The contest raised the bar for women's wrestling in the United States and if the WWE continues to provide the proper platform, the Sasha/Bayley bout could be seen as a pivotal match in the history of women's wrestling. Another great match was the WWE title match and it was another example of Seth Rollins proving he's a legitimate main event star. While the interference from Jon Stewart was a little goofy, it didn't take away from the match and it gave the WWE more publicity following the event.
The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar match was solid until there was one of the goofiest finishes in the history of wrestling and despite several explanations, it still doesn't really make sense. How exactly did the time keep see The Undertaker tapping when he was on the other side of the ring? I understand that they were trying to keep Lesnar strong and still set up the possibility of a rematch, but they could've had The Undertaker use the low blow to win the match without a finish that halted the momentum of the show. Regardless of the goofy finish, Summer Slam was a great PPV and the events on Raw set up String vs. Rollins for the title at Night of Champions. Sting's return on Raw was a great segment and it could be the start of a potential WWE title run. I think it would be great for Sting to win the WWE title because it's one of the few things he hasn't done in his legendary career and it would provide an epic moment in wrestling history. Granted, Sting shouldn't have an extended run as the champion considering he's probably close to retirement, but a short run with the title would make wrestling history and provide some interesting segments during the title run.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Lucha Underground season 2?
Last week, Lucha Underground aired its season finale on the El Rey network and with such a buzz around the product, many fans are asking if there will be a second season? The Lucha Underground officials have stated in interviews that they are negotiating with the El Rey network to secure the amount of money necessary to produce another season of the import of AAA. While there have been a few feeble attempts to bring lucha libre to the United States in the past, Lucha Underground actually tailored the product to an American audience and in the process, created the most hype for lucha since the "When Worlds Collide" pay-per-view in 1994. Granted, WCW used luchadors, but they weren't showcased in a top spot and weren't utilized to their potential on the card. However, Lucha Underground brought the Mexican style to the spot light and proved there's a demand for it in the US. I'm not usually a fan of pure lucha because of the lack of psychology, but I followed Lucha Underground because of the hype for it and the recognizable names. Specifically, the Vampiro vs. Pentagon Jr. match from the season finale was an insane match and if you haven't seen it, I completely recommend it. The quality of the in ring action can't be denied, but the bottom line is, will LU generate enough revenue to survive?
The structure of the promotion is somewhat tricky because it has several known American and Mexican names, but it doesn't run live events other than the TV tapings. It's basically just a TV company that's being used as an American spin off of the AAA promotion, which is fine, but limits the options for revenue sources. The El Rey network is a relatively small cable network and it doesn't have the TV clearance in most of the major markets. For some perspective on the situation, El Rey reportedly has clearance for 20% of the country, but Spike TV, which distributed TNA programming for almost a decade, has 80% clearance of the country so only a fraction of main stream viewers have access to El Rey. The limited availability translates to less ad revenue and that's less money that the network will put towards the show because they aren't going to continually air a program that doesn't generate a profit. The commercial time and sponsorships are how any TV program make money and that seems to be LU's main revenue stream, but on a smaller network the ad revenue will be limited so the key will be if LU can generate the ad revenue for El Rey to justify a second season. If LU had a touring schedule, it creates another avenue to generate profit, but as of now, it's just a TV company so sponsorships are their main resource. Lucha Underground signed several talents to contracts, which they should, but the contracts require a certain amount of money for the promotion so again, it's more about the economics than the in ring product to determine if there's another season.
The AAA promotion has been doing great business in Mexico since the return of Alberto El Patron, Mistico, and Rey Mysterio so perhaps the company would cover part of the cost to produce LU? It makes sense since it puts a foundation for the organization to expand into America, but if AAA is doing well in Mexico, why would they want to risk potentially losing money on a project in America? Unless LU is going to expand to more than a TV company, the bottom line is, the TV show has to generate enough money to make a profit so it seems doubtful AAA is going to pay for the production. That being said, the survival of LU will only benefit the wrestling business in almost every aspect, as it provides an alternative to the fans and it gives talented competitors a platform to get TV exposure. Plus, with the possible addition of Rey Mysterio to the roster, there's the potential for the expansion of the Lucha Underground product.
However, I don't think Lucha Underground will return for another season unless they get distribution from a major network or El Rey expansion because it seems difficult to generate major profit while on the smaller cable network so it's possible the LU project will conclude, which would be a disappointing situation. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months and hopefully Lucha Underground will return for another season.
The structure of the promotion is somewhat tricky because it has several known American and Mexican names, but it doesn't run live events other than the TV tapings. It's basically just a TV company that's being used as an American spin off of the AAA promotion, which is fine, but limits the options for revenue sources. The El Rey network is a relatively small cable network and it doesn't have the TV clearance in most of the major markets. For some perspective on the situation, El Rey reportedly has clearance for 20% of the country, but Spike TV, which distributed TNA programming for almost a decade, has 80% clearance of the country so only a fraction of main stream viewers have access to El Rey. The limited availability translates to less ad revenue and that's less money that the network will put towards the show because they aren't going to continually air a program that doesn't generate a profit. The commercial time and sponsorships are how any TV program make money and that seems to be LU's main revenue stream, but on a smaller network the ad revenue will be limited so the key will be if LU can generate the ad revenue for El Rey to justify a second season. If LU had a touring schedule, it creates another avenue to generate profit, but as of now, it's just a TV company so sponsorships are their main resource. Lucha Underground signed several talents to contracts, which they should, but the contracts require a certain amount of money for the promotion so again, it's more about the economics than the in ring product to determine if there's another season.
The AAA promotion has been doing great business in Mexico since the return of Alberto El Patron, Mistico, and Rey Mysterio so perhaps the company would cover part of the cost to produce LU? It makes sense since it puts a foundation for the organization to expand into America, but if AAA is doing well in Mexico, why would they want to risk potentially losing money on a project in America? Unless LU is going to expand to more than a TV company, the bottom line is, the TV show has to generate enough money to make a profit so it seems doubtful AAA is going to pay for the production. That being said, the survival of LU will only benefit the wrestling business in almost every aspect, as it provides an alternative to the fans and it gives talented competitors a platform to get TV exposure. Plus, with the possible addition of Rey Mysterio to the roster, there's the potential for the expansion of the Lucha Underground product.
However, I don't think Lucha Underground will return for another season unless they get distribution from a major network or El Rey expansion because it seems difficult to generate major profit while on the smaller cable network so it's possible the LU project will conclude, which would be a disappointing situation. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months and hopefully Lucha Underground will return for another season.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Dana White vs. Twitter
Prior to the UFC 190 event last week, a WWE fan sent the UFC President, Dana White a message on Twitter that said the WWE "beats" the UFC because the Network includes pay-per-view events for $9.99 a month. The outspoken UFC president responded saying, "fake s--t should be $9.99" and after a few more messages were exchanged, White reiterated that it was "fake." Obviously, there was a disrespectful tone and it launched a series of tweets from pro wrestlers defending the industry. First, Dana White is the figure head of a nearly billion dollar company, why is he even responding to a Twitter troll? Clearly the troll is an idiot that was trying to start a disagreement and has posted that was the point since the controversy started so some random moron gets to feel important for 15 minutes because Dana took the bait. The Fertittas and Dana White deserve a lot of credit for taking an underground sport and transforming it into main stream events. I've been watching mixed martial arts for years and until a decade ago, one of the few ways to actually watch the events was to rent VHS tapes. That being said, Dana White should know better than to argue with random people on social media and it portrays him in a negative light.
Anyone reading this knows that pro wrestling is a predetermined sport, but it's certainly NOT fake and there IS a difference. There are real risk and real injuries in pro wrestling, the same way there are injuries in mixed martial arts. MMA fighters train before each fight and pro wrestlers travel to different cities to preform a few times a week. It's not an apples to apples comparison, but it's not about one being "better" than the other and there are athletes in each sport. If he intended it or not, Dana White's comments were disrespectful to the pro wrestlers that scarified themselves to give the fans their money's worth and the performers that sustained serious injuries during their career. Was it fake when Droz was paralyzed? Was it fake when Mick Foley got tossed a legitimate 15 feet off the cell? Was it fake when Stone Cold got dropped on his head? There are many examples and the bottom line is, pro wrestling might be scripted, but it's not fake. Mick Foley had an extremely interesting point during his stage show about the similarities of MMA and pro wrestling, when someone gets knocked out in MMA the fight stops, but that's not the case for pro wrestling.
While the WWE has PG programming toward a younger audience, there's still a similar demographic for each product and there have been frequent mentions of both on their programming in recent years so it doesn't seem like it would be a wise decision for Dana White to burn any bridges. For example, the Rhonda Rousey appearance at Wrestlemania gave the WWE something special for the event and publicity after the show, and it also indirectly promoted the UFC because Rousey was featured at a show for some fans that might not typically watch MMA so it benefits each promotion. It's somewhat disappointing that Dana White made comments that seem to look down on pro wrestling because much of the success of the Zuffa organization is because they promoted the UFC similar to pro wrestling. There's a reason the Ultimate Fighter reality show started the MMA boom a decade ago, as it let fans know who the fighters were outside of the octagon. More specifically, the countdown shows are used to show the "character of the fighters, not a scripted character in the pro wrestling sense, but their real life background so the MMA fans can identify with them. Many of the themes represented in pro wrestling are scenarios that take place in real life. For example, the legendary "Minotauro" Nogueira, who sustained a tremendous amount of punishment in his storied career, lost a decision at UFC 190 and it was later announced that he retired, but he will continue working with the promotion in an ambassador role. Granted, there wasn't a stipulation before the fight, but it's similar to Ric Flair's WWE retirement, as the aging legend exits the sport. The trash talking, stare downs, and scuffles at the weigh in are all pro wrestling tactics used to promote UFC PPVs, which works well for them.
I don't think Dana White was trying to bury the pro wrestling business, but his comments were disrespectful and you can't blame the pro wrestlers that defended the industry because they sacrifice themselves to entertain the fans. It's ironic that the UFC's biggest draw was Brock Lesnar because of his popularity from "fake" wrestling and CM Punk, who could draw record numbers for the company, has said himself that he was probably signed to a UFC deal because of the name he has from wrestling so before Dana White criticizes pro wrestling, he should thank it.
Anyone reading this knows that pro wrestling is a predetermined sport, but it's certainly NOT fake and there IS a difference. There are real risk and real injuries in pro wrestling, the same way there are injuries in mixed martial arts. MMA fighters train before each fight and pro wrestlers travel to different cities to preform a few times a week. It's not an apples to apples comparison, but it's not about one being "better" than the other and there are athletes in each sport. If he intended it or not, Dana White's comments were disrespectful to the pro wrestlers that scarified themselves to give the fans their money's worth and the performers that sustained serious injuries during their career. Was it fake when Droz was paralyzed? Was it fake when Mick Foley got tossed a legitimate 15 feet off the cell? Was it fake when Stone Cold got dropped on his head? There are many examples and the bottom line is, pro wrestling might be scripted, but it's not fake. Mick Foley had an extremely interesting point during his stage show about the similarities of MMA and pro wrestling, when someone gets knocked out in MMA the fight stops, but that's not the case for pro wrestling.
While the WWE has PG programming toward a younger audience, there's still a similar demographic for each product and there have been frequent mentions of both on their programming in recent years so it doesn't seem like it would be a wise decision for Dana White to burn any bridges. For example, the Rhonda Rousey appearance at Wrestlemania gave the WWE something special for the event and publicity after the show, and it also indirectly promoted the UFC because Rousey was featured at a show for some fans that might not typically watch MMA so it benefits each promotion. It's somewhat disappointing that Dana White made comments that seem to look down on pro wrestling because much of the success of the Zuffa organization is because they promoted the UFC similar to pro wrestling. There's a reason the Ultimate Fighter reality show started the MMA boom a decade ago, as it let fans know who the fighters were outside of the octagon. More specifically, the countdown shows are used to show the "character of the fighters, not a scripted character in the pro wrestling sense, but their real life background so the MMA fans can identify with them. Many of the themes represented in pro wrestling are scenarios that take place in real life. For example, the legendary "Minotauro" Nogueira, who sustained a tremendous amount of punishment in his storied career, lost a decision at UFC 190 and it was later announced that he retired, but he will continue working with the promotion in an ambassador role. Granted, there wasn't a stipulation before the fight, but it's similar to Ric Flair's WWE retirement, as the aging legend exits the sport. The trash talking, stare downs, and scuffles at the weigh in are all pro wrestling tactics used to promote UFC PPVs, which works well for them.
I don't think Dana White was trying to bury the pro wrestling business, but his comments were disrespectful and you can't blame the pro wrestlers that defended the industry because they sacrifice themselves to entertain the fans. It's ironic that the UFC's biggest draw was Brock Lesnar because of his popularity from "fake" wrestling and CM Punk, who could draw record numbers for the company, has said himself that he was probably signed to a UFC deal because of the name he has from wrestling so before Dana White criticizes pro wrestling, he should thank it.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
The Career of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
I'm completely shocked and can't really find the words to express the sadness about the news of the sudden death of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper at the age of 61.
Spending his early years as Roderick George Toombs, Roddy Piper was a fighter for his entire life, as he left home at an early age and lived in youth hostels to avoid the streets. It was during that time that he began boxing at a local gym and met his mentor, "Judo" Gene Lebell, who is regarded as a legend of combat sports. The introduction to competition provided Roddy with stability from his turbulent childhood and soon led to an opportunity to pursue pro wrestling in Winnipeg. At the age of 15, Roddy Piper, who learned to play the bag pipes during his time at the youth hostels, made his pro debut at the Winnipeg Arena with the Toronto bag pipe band playing him to the ring. Piper's opponent was Larry "The Axe" Henning" and it took the wrestling veteran about ten seconds to defeat the scrawny rookie, but the promoters were impressed with Piper's determination, and offered him the chance to go to Kansas City. The young Piper took the opportunity to go to Kansas City and worked various territories around the United States as a preliminary competitors learning his trade until started working in California in 1975.
It was on the west coast that Roddy started to develop his "Rowdy" persona, as he became a top heel using a combination of charisma and great mic skills. Piper could also generate a tremendous amount of heat from the crowd during a time when the audience still thought pro wrestling wasn't just a form of sports entertainment and there was a risk for heel performers. Specifically, his run in Los Angeles and the feud with Chavo Guerrero put Piper on the map as a villain. The primarily Hispanic fan base supported the legendary Guerrero name and Piper would taunt the crowd into a frenzy. Flying cups, ice, and chairs were not uncommon during the Piper/Guerrero feud. After the successful run in LA, Piper began working for Don Owens in Portland and provided a boost for the smaller territory in 1980. Don Owens, who was a well respected promoter, was a father figure for Piper and he spoke about his respect for the Portland promoter during his career. After a memorable feud with Buddy Rose in Portland, Roddy began working the NWA territories, which culminated in a brutal dog collar match with Greg Valentine at Starrcade in 1983. The match resulted in Piper suffering a broken ear drum and blood poured from his ear during the majority of the bout, but the violent performance got him noticed from Vince McMahon, who was planning a national expansion.
Still recovering from the ear injury, Roddy couldn't wrestle for a few months after his WWE debut so he worked as a manager for various competitors and was given his own interview segment, "Piper's Pit" in 1984. Perhaps the most infamous Pit and the segment that is still talked about today is the interview where Piper smashed a cocoanut on Jimmy Snuka's head, which led to a series of matches. It should be noted that the "Rock n Wrestling" era of transforming regional pro wrestling into sports entertainment was possible because of segments such as Piper's Pit because it showed that stars could be entertaining outside of the ring as well. While Hulk Hogan was the star power of Hulkamania, the angle wouldn't have been as successful if he didn't have an opponent that had just as much heat as he had fan support. Piper's ability to connect with the crowd as a heel was on par with the audience support of Hulk during the wrestling boom of the 80s. No disrespect, but if Hulk Hogan vs. Nikolai Volkoff was featured as the main event of Wrestlemania, it wouldn't have been as successful. Roddy Piper's mic skills and intensity made fans want to see if Hogan could finally get revenge for the heel tactics. Piper could generate legitimate heat with the audience, but at the same time, he became one of the heels that some of the audience cheered, which is one of the things that made him such a dynamic performer. The bottom line is, Hogan wouldn't have been as popular as he was without the Piper feud and without the popularity of Hulkamania, the national expansion wouldn't have been as successful. the Following the success of Wrestlemania, Piper was booked in a boxing match against Mr. T at Wrestlemania II and despite being a heel, Piper emerged from the feud getting cheered from the crowd. Eventually, Roddy became a baby face and the following year was scheduled for a "retirement match" with his friend, Adrian Adonis at Wrestlemania III. In reality, Piper was set to film the cult classic, "They Live," which would be the start of several movie and TV roles throughout his career. Even without a formal education, Roddy was a smart businessman and his acting roles allowed him to be apart of the Screen Actors Guild, which offered health insurance. After filming "They Live," Piper returned to the WWE and worked in a variety of roles during the next several years, including a commentator, a guest referee, and sporadic feuds when he returned to the ring. Some of Roddy's classic matches were an Intercontinental title match with Brett Hart at Wrestlemania VIII and the Hollywood back lot brawl with Goldust at Wrestlemania XII.
Roddy Piper signed with WCW in 1996 and remained extremely popular, but the cluster that was the promotion didn't utilize Piper as well as they could have because of the politics that surrounded the company. Piper defeated Hogan on a few occasions in WCW, but Hogan didn't drop the title to him, which would have made more sense because Piper didn't win the world title in his career. Eventually Piper left WCW and after the promotion closed, he made a surprise return to the WWE in 2003. Just a few months later, he was released from the WWE after he did a controversial interview with the HBO Real Sports series, but it might of be a case of the show deciding to only show the negative aspect of the interview in an attempt to take a jab at the pro wrestling industry. A few years later Roddy returned to the company again and he was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2005. Since the induction, Piper made several appearances of WWE TV, including winning the tag titles with Ric Flair in 2006 and many appearances at Wrestlemania in recent years. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2006, but survived and worked to provide awareness for charities.
I usually don't mention anything about myself in this column because you click this to read about wrestling, not me, but there's a Roddy Piper story I would like to share that shows the good person he was during his career. Two years ago, he was scheduled to do a local signing and just a few weeks before it, I was involved in a serious car accident. It was a traffic accident at a yield spot and it was more of a fluke than anything. Nobody was being reckless and it was just an accident when a van hit the car I was in. Thankfully, the people in the van weren't hurt, but since I was in a smaller car, I had several injuries. There were cuts, bruises, and fractures. It took a few weeks before I could get around again and obviously, I missed the Piper signing, which I had been looking forward to for a few months. One of my friends was an extra in one of the movies that Piper did a few months earlier and offered to help Piper at the signing taking photos with the fans. Since I couldn't be at the signing, he asked if Piper would call me during it and he was happy to do it. My phone rang and I was told someone wanted to talk to me. It was Roddy Piper and it was a complete surprise. I was completely shocked and I was thrilled to get to talk to him. We talked for about five minutes and I told him about a DVD I had of some of his earlier matches in San Francisco. I told him that Adrian Adonis is under rated and he said Adrian was great. He said get well soon and I thanked him for taking the time to talk to me on the phone. The injuries from the car accident were a low point and I was extremely sad for weeks, but Roddy Piper cheered me up. He took the time out of a busy schedule to tell me to get well soon and I will never forget his kindness.
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper was an intense and charismatic performer that survived poverty to become a legend in the wrestling business. There's no doubt that Piper was a pioneer in sports entertainment and the industry wouldn't be where it is today without his contributions. While it might seem like he was difficult to work with at various times during his career, he was probably just trying to protect the career that he build, which allowed him to survive poverty. As mentioned earlier, Piper didn't win a world title during his career, but he didn't need a title and he was over with the audience without it, which shows just how great of a performer he was during his prime. Piper wasn't a technical wrestler, but he was a tremendous performer and there was an authenticity to him that allowed the fans to identify with him. Roddy Piper has passed away, but his legacy with always be remembered. So, what was it that made Roddy Piper a legend? Is it charisma, his brawling style, the mic skills, or the legendary interviews? The answer is probably all over the above, but when they have the answers, Roddy Piper changes the questions.
Spending his early years as Roderick George Toombs, Roddy Piper was a fighter for his entire life, as he left home at an early age and lived in youth hostels to avoid the streets. It was during that time that he began boxing at a local gym and met his mentor, "Judo" Gene Lebell, who is regarded as a legend of combat sports. The introduction to competition provided Roddy with stability from his turbulent childhood and soon led to an opportunity to pursue pro wrestling in Winnipeg. At the age of 15, Roddy Piper, who learned to play the bag pipes during his time at the youth hostels, made his pro debut at the Winnipeg Arena with the Toronto bag pipe band playing him to the ring. Piper's opponent was Larry "The Axe" Henning" and it took the wrestling veteran about ten seconds to defeat the scrawny rookie, but the promoters were impressed with Piper's determination, and offered him the chance to go to Kansas City. The young Piper took the opportunity to go to Kansas City and worked various territories around the United States as a preliminary competitors learning his trade until started working in California in 1975.
It was on the west coast that Roddy started to develop his "Rowdy" persona, as he became a top heel using a combination of charisma and great mic skills. Piper could also generate a tremendous amount of heat from the crowd during a time when the audience still thought pro wrestling wasn't just a form of sports entertainment and there was a risk for heel performers. Specifically, his run in Los Angeles and the feud with Chavo Guerrero put Piper on the map as a villain. The primarily Hispanic fan base supported the legendary Guerrero name and Piper would taunt the crowd into a frenzy. Flying cups, ice, and chairs were not uncommon during the Piper/Guerrero feud. After the successful run in LA, Piper began working for Don Owens in Portland and provided a boost for the smaller territory in 1980. Don Owens, who was a well respected promoter, was a father figure for Piper and he spoke about his respect for the Portland promoter during his career. After a memorable feud with Buddy Rose in Portland, Roddy began working the NWA territories, which culminated in a brutal dog collar match with Greg Valentine at Starrcade in 1983. The match resulted in Piper suffering a broken ear drum and blood poured from his ear during the majority of the bout, but the violent performance got him noticed from Vince McMahon, who was planning a national expansion.
Still recovering from the ear injury, Roddy couldn't wrestle for a few months after his WWE debut so he worked as a manager for various competitors and was given his own interview segment, "Piper's Pit" in 1984. Perhaps the most infamous Pit and the segment that is still talked about today is the interview where Piper smashed a cocoanut on Jimmy Snuka's head, which led to a series of matches. It should be noted that the "Rock n Wrestling" era of transforming regional pro wrestling into sports entertainment was possible because of segments such as Piper's Pit because it showed that stars could be entertaining outside of the ring as well. While Hulk Hogan was the star power of Hulkamania, the angle wouldn't have been as successful if he didn't have an opponent that had just as much heat as he had fan support. Piper's ability to connect with the crowd as a heel was on par with the audience support of Hulk during the wrestling boom of the 80s. No disrespect, but if Hulk Hogan vs. Nikolai Volkoff was featured as the main event of Wrestlemania, it wouldn't have been as successful. Roddy Piper's mic skills and intensity made fans want to see if Hogan could finally get revenge for the heel tactics. Piper could generate legitimate heat with the audience, but at the same time, he became one of the heels that some of the audience cheered, which is one of the things that made him such a dynamic performer. The bottom line is, Hogan wouldn't have been as popular as he was without the Piper feud and without the popularity of Hulkamania, the national expansion wouldn't have been as successful. the Following the success of Wrestlemania, Piper was booked in a boxing match against Mr. T at Wrestlemania II and despite being a heel, Piper emerged from the feud getting cheered from the crowd. Eventually, Roddy became a baby face and the following year was scheduled for a "retirement match" with his friend, Adrian Adonis at Wrestlemania III. In reality, Piper was set to film the cult classic, "They Live," which would be the start of several movie and TV roles throughout his career. Even without a formal education, Roddy was a smart businessman and his acting roles allowed him to be apart of the Screen Actors Guild, which offered health insurance. After filming "They Live," Piper returned to the WWE and worked in a variety of roles during the next several years, including a commentator, a guest referee, and sporadic feuds when he returned to the ring. Some of Roddy's classic matches were an Intercontinental title match with Brett Hart at Wrestlemania VIII and the Hollywood back lot brawl with Goldust at Wrestlemania XII.
Roddy Piper signed with WCW in 1996 and remained extremely popular, but the cluster that was the promotion didn't utilize Piper as well as they could have because of the politics that surrounded the company. Piper defeated Hogan on a few occasions in WCW, but Hogan didn't drop the title to him, which would have made more sense because Piper didn't win the world title in his career. Eventually Piper left WCW and after the promotion closed, he made a surprise return to the WWE in 2003. Just a few months later, he was released from the WWE after he did a controversial interview with the HBO Real Sports series, but it might of be a case of the show deciding to only show the negative aspect of the interview in an attempt to take a jab at the pro wrestling industry. A few years later Roddy returned to the company again and he was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2005. Since the induction, Piper made several appearances of WWE TV, including winning the tag titles with Ric Flair in 2006 and many appearances at Wrestlemania in recent years. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2006, but survived and worked to provide awareness for charities.
I usually don't mention anything about myself in this column because you click this to read about wrestling, not me, but there's a Roddy Piper story I would like to share that shows the good person he was during his career. Two years ago, he was scheduled to do a local signing and just a few weeks before it, I was involved in a serious car accident. It was a traffic accident at a yield spot and it was more of a fluke than anything. Nobody was being reckless and it was just an accident when a van hit the car I was in. Thankfully, the people in the van weren't hurt, but since I was in a smaller car, I had several injuries. There were cuts, bruises, and fractures. It took a few weeks before I could get around again and obviously, I missed the Piper signing, which I had been looking forward to for a few months. One of my friends was an extra in one of the movies that Piper did a few months earlier and offered to help Piper at the signing taking photos with the fans. Since I couldn't be at the signing, he asked if Piper would call me during it and he was happy to do it. My phone rang and I was told someone wanted to talk to me. It was Roddy Piper and it was a complete surprise. I was completely shocked and I was thrilled to get to talk to him. We talked for about five minutes and I told him about a DVD I had of some of his earlier matches in San Francisco. I told him that Adrian Adonis is under rated and he said Adrian was great. He said get well soon and I thanked him for taking the time to talk to me on the phone. The injuries from the car accident were a low point and I was extremely sad for weeks, but Roddy Piper cheered me up. He took the time out of a busy schedule to tell me to get well soon and I will never forget his kindness.
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper was an intense and charismatic performer that survived poverty to become a legend in the wrestling business. There's no doubt that Piper was a pioneer in sports entertainment and the industry wouldn't be where it is today without his contributions. While it might seem like he was difficult to work with at various times during his career, he was probably just trying to protect the career that he build, which allowed him to survive poverty. As mentioned earlier, Piper didn't win a world title during his career, but he didn't need a title and he was over with the audience without it, which shows just how great of a performer he was during his prime. Piper wasn't a technical wrestler, but he was a tremendous performer and there was an authenticity to him that allowed the fans to identify with him. Roddy Piper has passed away, but his legacy with always be remembered. So, what was it that made Roddy Piper a legend? Is it charisma, his brawling style, the mic skills, or the legendary interviews? The answer is probably all over the above, but when they have the answers, Roddy Piper changes the questions.
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