Who was Roddy Piper? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Canadian Celebrities Born In April

Nick Name: Rowdy

Also Known As: Roderick George Toombs, Rowdy Roddy Piper

Died At Age: 61

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Kitty Jo Dittrich (m. 1982; his death 2015)

father: Stanley Baird Toombs

mother: Eileen Toombs

children: Anastacia Shea, Ariel Teal, Colton Baird, Falon Danika

Born Country: Canada

WWE Wrestlers Canadian Men

Height: 6'0" (183 cm), 6'0" Males

Died on: July 31, 2015

place of death: Los Angeles, California, United States

Cause of Death: Cardiopulmonary Arrest

Ancestry: Canadian American, Irish Canadian, Scottish Canadian

City: Saskatoon, Canada

Recommended For You

1

Where did Roddy Piper grow up?

Roddy Piper grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
2

What was Roddy Piper's signature finishing move?

Roddy Piper's signature finishing move was the Sleeper Hold, which he referred to as the "Sleeper Hold" or "Sleeper Hold #1."
3

Did Roddy Piper have any notable feuds during his wrestling career?

Yes, Roddy Piper had notable feuds with wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Bret Hart during his wrestling career.
4

What was Roddy Piper's involvement in the wrestling event known as WrestleMania I?

Roddy Piper competed in a tag team match at WrestleMania I, teaming up with Paul Orndorff against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T in a match billed as the "Main Event."

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Childhood & Early Life

Born on April 17, 1954, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Roddy Piper was the son of Eileen (née Anderson) and Stanley Baird Toombs. His father served as an officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) while the family was staying in The Pas, Manitoba. Piper grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba and had a very turbulent relationship with his father.

He studied at Windsor Park Collegiate secondary school but later was expelled because he brought a switchblade to school. This led to further deterioration of his relationship with his father. He eventually left home as a teenager and lived out of various youth hostels.

He worked odd jobs at local gyms to support himself. During this period, he was exposed to the culture surrounding professional wrestling for the first time. He ran errands for professional wrestlers and learned the early lessons of the business from them. He also became adept in playing the bagpipes, although he later reiterated that he had no recollection of how he had learned them.

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Professional Wrestling Career

Roddy Piper started off as a boxer and amateur wrestler before he stepped into a professional wrestling ring. In fact, he was quite successful in his early career. He was not only a Golden Gloves boxing champion but also earned a Black Belt in Judo from Gene LeBell

He began his professional wrestling career under the tutelage of promoter Al Tomko in Canada and made his in-ring debut in a ‘midget wrestling’ match in Churchill, Manitoba. His first match for a reputed promotion took place in the American Wrestling Association against Larry Hennig. At the beginning of his career, from 1973 to 1975, Piper mainly served as a “jobber” to other professional wrestlers.

In the mid to the late 1970s, Piper gradually accumulated experience and fame in small promotions. He adopted several ring names, including the Masked Canadian and took part in quality storylines with some of the best professional wrestlers of the time, such as the members of the Guerrero family. Even then, Piper demonstrated his natural talent as a heel. He could enrage the crowd like no other. He once even caused a riot in Los Angeles.

Prior to his signing to WWF, Piper appeared in three matches at Madison Square Garden in 1979, when Vince McMahon, Sr. was still at the helm of the promotion.

He made his official debut in 1984 as a manager due to the injuries he had received during a dog-collar match at Starrcade. His tenure as a manager ultimately ended and Piper started wrestling in the WWE. In those early years, he feuded with the likes of Jimmy Snuka and Bruno Sammartino.

His storyline with Hogan eventually led to his appearance on the very first WrestleMania on March 31, 1985. At the WrestleMania 2, he fought Mr. T in a boxing match. He took a short break from professional wrestling after this and returned a face on August 23, 1986.

From 1984 to 1987, Piper hosted a segment called ‘Piper’s Pit’, where he interviewed fellow professional wrestlers. Piper received the Slammy Award in 1986 for Best Personality in Land of a Thousand Dances.

Despite his popularity and charisma, Piper only won a handful of belts during his time with the WWF/WWE. He became the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion at the 1992 Royal Rumble after he defeated The Mountie but lost the title to Bret Hart three months later at the WrestleMania VIII.

In January 1996, in an episode of Raw, Piper was named the new interim president of WWE. His most significant act in the position was to bring back The Ultimate Warrior. He also feuded with Goldust which culminated in their WrestleMania XII match that Piper won. He stepped down from his position and left WWE on that night as well. From 1996 to 2000, Piper wrestled for World Championship Wrestling.

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In 2005, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He won the World Tag Team Championship with Ric Flair at Cyber Sunday on November 5, 2006.

Acting Career

Roddy Piper made his film debut in 1978, in an uncredited role in the comedy film ‘The One and Only’. In 1986, he was cast in his first leading role, "Quick" Rick Roberts in ‘Body Slam’.

He portrayed a drifter named John Nada in the 1988 cult classic ‘They Live’. He also starred in another cult classic that year, Donald G. Jackson’s directorial venture ‘Hell Comes to Frogtown’.

He continued to be active as an actor until his death in 2015. One of his last memorable roles was as Da' Maniac in an episode of Rob McElhenney’s sitcom ‘It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia’.

Other Ventures

In 1985, Roddy Piper contributed his first and only song, ‘For Everybody’, to ‘The Wrestling Album’, which was released through Colombia Records. He was also a well-respected voice-over artist and lent his voice to Bolphunga in ‘Green Lantern: Emerald Knights’ (2011) and Don John in the episode ‘The Red Throne’ (2014) of Cartoon Network’s ‘Adventure Time’.

Major Works

Roddy Piper’s match against Adrian Adonis at WrestleMania III was billed as his retirement match. Performing in front of more than 93,000 fans, this was Piper’s opportunity to show the world he was equally capable and believable as a face as he had been as a heel. After building up the feud for a few months, the duo managed to create much excitement among the fans. Piper ultimately went on to win the match on March 29, 1987.

Personal Life

Roddy Piper married Kitty Jo Dittrich in 1982. They had four children together, daughters Ariel Teal, Falon Danika, and Anastacia Shea, and son Colton Baird.

In late 2006, Piper was selected by the fans to partner up with Ric Flair to face The Spirit Squad (Kenny and Mikey) on Cyber Sunday pay-per-view on November 5, 2006. They won the titles and went on a Europe tour with the rest of the WWE roster when Piper realised something was wrong with him. His legs were no longer working. They flew him back to the US where the doctors discovered that he had Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Diagnosed with low-grade 2A lymphoma, he underwent 20 cycles of radiation and chemotherapy over the course of four weeks, finishing the radiation therapy on January 15, 2007.

Piper passed away in his sleep on July 31, 2015, at his home in Hollywood, California. He was 61 years old. According to his death certificate, Piper died of cardiopulmonary arrest caused by hypertension, with a pulmonary embolism being a contributing factor. As per his wishes, his body was cremated and his ashes were subsequently dispersed over his Gaston, Oregon home.

Piper had burst into the limelight of professional wrestling at a crucial and transitional period. He, Hulk Hogan, André the Giant, and Ric Flair changed how the industry was perceived and contributed to Vince McMahon’s effort to make professional wrestling mainstream. He was one of the greatest talkers in the history of sports entertainment as well as unarguably the greatest heel.

Former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey used the nickname “Rowdy” in honour of Piper. After retiring from UFC, she made her WWE debut wearing Piper’s jacket that had been given to her by his son Colton.

Facts About Roddy Piper

Roddy Piper was known for wearing a kilt during wrestling matches, a unique and memorable choice that added to his persona as a "Rowdy" character.

Piper was a talented bagpiper and often incorporated his skills with the instrument into his wrestling entrances, showcasing his Scottish heritage in a fun and entertaining way.

Piper had a brief acting career and appeared in several films and TV shows, demonstrating his versatility and charisma beyond the wrestling ring.

He was a skilled improviser on the microphone, known for his quick wit and ability to engage and entertain audiences with his unscripted promos.

Roddy Piper was a dedicated family man and often spoke about the importance of his wife and children in interviews, showing a more personal and caring side to his larger-than-life persona.

Roddy Piper Biography

You wanted to know

Where did Roddy Piper grow up?

What was Roddy Piper's signature finishing move?

Did Roddy Piper have any notable feuds during his wrestling career?

What was Roddy Piper's involvement in the wrestling event known as WrestleMania I?