A&E’s New Biography on Rowdy Roddy Piper

A&E’s New Biography on Rowdy Roddy Piper will be released on November 10th. This will be a great watch for all fans of professional wrestling.

Introduction

WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper was one of the most entertaining, controversial and polarizing performers in sports-entertainment history. To this day, his name is synonymous with the 1980s WWF boom. Now, for the first time ever, his incredible life story will be told in a new two-hour biography on A&E.

Early Life and Career

Roderick George Toombs, better known by his ring name Rowdy Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on April 17, 1954. He was the fourth child of Stanley and Mary Toombs. His father was a construction foreman of Scottish descent, while his mother was of Dutch and German ancestry. Growing up, Piper was a troublemaker and was often involved in fights.

Humble beginnings

Piper was born Roderick George Toombs on April 17, 1954, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. One of five children, he was of Scottish and Dutch descent. His father, Stanley Baird Toombs, was an officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. His mother, Betty OliviaToombs, left the family when he was just a young boy. Piper and his siblings were then raised by their maternal grandmother in the Northwest Territories.

Piper dropped out of school when he was just 15 years old and began working odd jobs to make ends meet. He eventually made his way to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he worked as a bouncer at a nightclub. It was there that Piper met wrestler “Playboy” Buddy Rose, who convinced him to give wrestling a try.

Entering the ring

Rowdy Roddy Piper entered the world of professional wrestling in the early 1970s, working the Canadian circuit. He soon made a name for himself with his brash personality and willingness to break the rules. Often billed as “The Masked Challenger,” Piper would enter the ring wearing a kilt and a mask, and he would regularly get himself disqualified by using foreign objects as weapons.

In 1975, Piper made his way to the United States, where he joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). His popular feud with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan helped propel both men to international stardom. Piper eventually won the WWF Intercontinental Championship, but he is perhaps best remembered for his role in the first-ever WrestleMania event in 1985. In the main event of that historic show, Piper teaming up with fellow wrestler Paul Orndorff to take on Hogan and television actor Mr. T.

Main Event Star

On July 31, 1954 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada a legend was born. His name was Roderick George Toombs, but the world would come to know him as Rowdy Roddy Piper. Piper was one of the most entertaining, controversial, and bombastic professional wrestlers of all time. He was also a successful actor, appearing in such films as They Live and John Carpenter’s cult classic Halloween III: Season of the Witch.

His most famous matches

Rowdy Roddy Piper was one of the most famous professional wrestlers of the 1980s. He was best known for his “wrestling war” with Hulk Hogan, which culminated in their historic match at WrestleMania I in 1985. Piper also had a successful movie career, appearing in such films as They Live (1988) and John Carpenter’s Body Bags (1993). A&E’s new biography on Piper, Main Event Star, chronicles his life and career, from his humble beginnings in Winnipeg, Canada to his rise to superstardom in the world of pro wrestling.

The formation of the nWo

In 1996, at the Bash at the Beach PPV, Hogan turned heel and joined forces with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, former WCW stars who had just left the WWF, to form the New World Order (nWo). The nWo was a group of rogue wrestlers who aimed to take over WCW and change the face of professional wrestling. The nWo was incredibly popular with fans, and their matches against WCW’s established stars were some of the most watched wrestling matches in history.

Later Years and Retirement

His final years in the ring

Rowdy Roddy Piper’s final years in the ring were a mixture of WWE and independent bookings. He made sporadic appearances for WWE between 2005 and 2008, mostly working on Velocity and Heat. In May 2005, he did commentary for the Judgment Day pay-per-view. On the October 31, 2006 episode of Piper’s Pit on WWE.com, “Rowdy” Roddy announced that he was officially retired from professional wrestling. However, he made a one-time return to WWE television on the March 17, 2008 episode of Raw, attacking Ric Flair with a steel chair after Flair had lost to John Cena. The next night on Raw, after being goaded by Jericho into it, he had a verbal exchange with Jericho which quickly escalated into a brawl. Later that year he wrestled two matches in Okinawa for All Japan Pro Wrestling as part of their 30th Anniversary tour.

In 2009, he joined Jim Ross to do color commentary for HDNet Fights’ MMA events until 2011. That same year he made an appearance on Bret Hart’s The Best There Is, the Best There Was and the Best There Ever Will Be DVD set talking about their time in Stampede Wrestling together as well as their memories of Owen Hart.

Piper continued to make numerous independent wrestling appearances throughout his life.

Life after wrestling

Roddy retired from wrestling in 1996, although he occasionally made appearances over the next few years. In 2000, he made his final appearance as a professional wrestler in a tag team match alongside long-time friend Ric Flair.

Roddy continued to make occasional TV and film appearances following his retirement from wrestling. In 2002, he had a small role in the film “They Live,” which has since become a cult classic. He also made guest appearances on shows like “The Littlest Hobo” and “Robot Chicken.”

In 2005, Roddy was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He was also awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.

In his later years, Roddy became an ordained minister and started his own ministry called “Piper’s Pit.” He also wrote an autobiography called “In the Pit with Piper” which was published in 2007.

Roddy passed away in 2015 at the age of 61.

Conclusion

In conclusion, A&E’s new biography on Rowdy Roddy Piper is an interesting and informative look at the life of one of wrestling’s most controversial figures. Piper was a larger-than-life personality who left a lasting impression on the world of professional wrestling. The documentary does a good job of exploring his life and career, and provides some insight into the man behind the character.