The 50 Greatest Wrestlers Of The Last 50 Years: WrestleMania Headliner Comes In At #31

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#31 Roddy PiperA charismatic motormouth whose charisma captured a national audience and helped Vince McMahon and the WWF dominate the wrestling universe, Roddy Piper became one of the most culturally significant wrestlers of the last 30 years. While he rose to national prominence as an excessive villain, he would spend the final decade of his career as a tremendous babyface hero. Contrary to popular belief, Piper is not actually from Scotland. He was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and grew up in northern Manitoba. From a young age, Piper was a rebel, who was kicked out of junior high school for carrying a switchblade to class and eventually he ran away from home, staying at youth hostels and growing up on the streets. As a teenager Piper found stability in athletics at the YMCA, becoming proficient in boxing, judo and amateur wrestling. Piper began his career in professional wrestling by running errands for wrestlers when they visited Manitoba. Eventually he broke into the business by Al Tomko, a local promoter who took a liking to the youngster. Piper’s debut was as humble as his childhood had been, he made his debut at 15 wrestling midgets at a lumberjack camp in Churchill, Manitoba, an area so northern and remote it has the nickname “The Polar Bear Capital of the World.” Needless to say, his start in the industry was unbecoming of someone who was destined to be an international star. Piper got his feet wet in the industry as a comedic jobber, who came out to bagpipes and handed out dandelions to the audience. Piper gained experience throughout the early 70s in several different territories, most notably working for Verne Gagne and the American Wrestling Association. By 1976 Piper had found a home in Southern California, working as the top heel for Gene LeBell’s NWA Hollywood Wrestling promotion. It was in California that Piper perfected his character, using his charisma and off-the-cuff timing to infuriate audiences. Piper engaged in a long feud with Chavo Guerrero Sr. and Piper made a habit of consistently insulting the large Mexican-American population that came to the arena to see Guerrero. After one particularly bad exchange, Piper announced that he wanted to make amends with the Mexican-American community by playing the Mexican National Anthem on his bagpipes. With the arena silent, waiting for Piper’s performance, he played “La Cucaracha” instead, inciting a near riot. Piper eventually lost a hair vs hair match to Guerrero and was shaved bald. Piper then moved onto Don Owen’s Pacific Northwest promotion where he continued to perfect his character. For most wrestling fans, when it comes to imagining the ideal, sneaky heel, it is Piper who comes to mind. Piper did everything you would want out of such a character, he had an endless arsenal of dirty tactics, from eye gouges to sneaky pins to holding onto the ropes for support. He could beg, bump and sell with the best of them and was a famous bladder. More importantly, Piper had a once-in-a-generation ability to speak on the microphone, combining fiery arrogance with a healthy dosage of sarcasm that always drew the ire of fans.

Piper began to climb to the top when he worked in the Mid-Atlantic territory, defeating fan favorites Jack Brisco and Ric Flair for regional championships. The enigmatic Piper also began working as a color commentator for Ole Anderson’s Georgia promotion, working with legendary play-by-play man Gordon Solie. …

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