Roddy Piper

**Roderick George Toombs** (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015) better known by his ring name **"Rowdy" Roddy Piper**, was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. During his career, Piper worked for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He played the role of a Scottish wrestler, most of a time he was a heel.

## Early life

Piper was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is of Scottish heritage.

## Career

Piper hosted a popular interview segment in the WWF/E, called "Piper's Pit". The segment mainly aired during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It has been abandoned since Piper left the WWE, but was still done on special occasions when Piper made a special appearance. In 2005, Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Ric Flair.

Piper also acted in many movies and television shows. One of his most well known roles was as a drifter in the 1988 movie _They Live_.

## Death

Piper died of cardiopulmonary arrest caused by a pulmonary embolism and hypertension on July 31, 2015 in Hollywood, California. A ten-bell salute for Piper was held at the beginning of the August 3, 2015 episode of WWE Raw.

### Movies

- _That Obscure Object of Desire_ - Unknown (1977)
- _The One and Only_ - Leatherneck Joe Grady (1978) (Uncredited)
- _Body Slam_ - Quick Rick Roberts (1986)
- _Hell Comes to Frogtown_ - Sam Hell (1988)
- _They Live_ - John Nada (1988)
- _Buy & Cell_ - Cowboy (1989)
- _Tagteam_ - Rick McDonald (1991)
- _Immortal Combat_ - John Keller (1992)
- _Back In Action_ - Frank Rossi (1993)
- _No Contest_ - Ice (1994)
- _Tough & Deadly_ - Elmo Freech (1994)
- _Jungleground_ - Lt. Jacob 'Jake' Cornell (1995)
- _Terminal Rush_ - Bartel (1996)
- _Marked Man_ - Frank Gibson (1996)
- _Sci-Fighters_ - Det. Cameron Grayson (1996)
- _First Encounter_ - Unknown (1997)
- _Dead Tides_ - Mick Leddy (1997)
- _The Bad Pack_ - Dash Simms (1998)
- _Hard Time_ - Randy (1998)
- _Last To Surrender_ - Nick Ford (1998)
- _Legless Larry & the Lipstick Lady_ - Legless Larry (1999)
- _Shepherd_ - Miles (1999)
- _Jack of Hearts_ - Detective Deeks (2000)
- _Three Wise Guys_ - Pastor Roberts (2005)
- _Honor_ - LT Tyrell (2005)
- _Domestic Import_ - Bronco Bill (2006)
- _Costa Chica: Confession of an Exorcist_ - Lucas McMurter (2006)
- _Shut Up and Shoot!_ - Yokum The Bartender (2006)
- _Night Traveler_ - The Pyro Messiah (2006) (voice)
- _Blind Eye_ - Fred Mears (2006)
- _Urban Legends: The Ghosts of Goldfield_ - Jackson Smith (2007)
- _Super Sweet 16: The Movie_ - Mitch (2007)
- _Legion: The Final Exorcism_ - Unknown (2008)
- _The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens_ - William Thurgood (2009)
- _A Gothic Tale_ - Narrator (2009)
- _The Portal_ - Homeless George (2010)
- _Lights Out_ - Detective Callahan (2010)
- _Billy Owens and the Secret of the Runes_ - William Thurgood (2010)
- _Alien Opponent_ - Father Melluzzo (2010)
- _Clear Lake_ - Wayne (2011)
- _Pizza Man_ - Roderick (2011)
- _Fancypants_ - Smiley (2011)
- _Black Dynamite Teaches a Hard Way!_ - Himself (2013)
- _Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies_ - Himself (2013)
- _Don't Look Back_ - Grandfather (2014)

### Television

- _The Highwayman_ - Preacher (1987)
- _The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!_ - Himself (1989)
- _The Love Boat: A Valentine Voyage_ - Maurice Steiger (1990)
- _Zorro_ - Will Adams / Bishop (1990-1991)
- _Silk Stalkings_ - Jimmy Snow (1992)
- _Walker, Texas Ranger_ - Cody "The Crusader" Conway (1998)
- _The Outer Limits_ - Marlon (1999)
- _Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends_ - Himself (1999)
- _Highlander_ - Immortal Anthony Gallen (1993)
- _It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia_ - Da' Maniac (2009)
- _Cold Case_ - "Sweet" Sil Tavern (2010)
- _Breaking In_ - Mr. Weller (2012)
- _Celebrity Wife Swap_ - Himself (2013)
- _Storage Wars_ - Himself (2013)
- _It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia_ - Da' Maniac (2013)
- _Adventure Time_ - Don John (2014)

### Video games

- _Saints Row IV_ - Himself (2013)

## Championships and accomplishments

- **Big Time Wrestling _(San Francisco)***
    - NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (_San Francisco version_) (1 time)
    - NWA World Tag Team Championship (_San Francisco version_) (1 time) – with Ed Wiskoski
- **Canadian Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame**
    - Class of 2022
- **Cauliflower Alley Club**
    - Reel Member Inductee (2001)
- **George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame**
    - Class of 2008
- **Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling/World Championship Wrestling**
    - NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
    - NWA Television Championship (2 times)
    - NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- **NWA All-Star Wrestling**
    - NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (_Vancouver version_) (1 time) – with Rick Martel
- **NWA Hollywood Wrestling**
    - NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (5 times)
    - NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Crusher Verdu (1), Keith Franks (1), Pak Choo (1), Ron Bass (1), and The Hangman (1)
    - NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- **Pacific Northwest Wrestling**
    - NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
    - NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Killer Tim Brooks (1), Rick Martel (3), and Mike Popovich (1)
- **Pro Wrestling Guerrilla**
    - Legends Battle Royal (2011)
- ***Pro Wrestling Illustrated***
    - Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1982)
    - Match of the Year (1985) <small>with Paul Orndorff vs. Hulk Hogan and Mr. T at WrestleMania I</small>
    - Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1984, 1985)
    - Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1986)
    - Stanley Weston Award (2015)
    - Ranked No. 45 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the _PWI 500_ in 1992
    - Ranked No. 17 of the 500 singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003
- **Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum**
    - Class of 2007
- **World Class Championship Wrestling**
    - NWA American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bulldog Brower
- **World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE**
    - WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
    - World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ric Flair
    - WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)
    - WWE Bronze Statue (2019)
    - Slammy Award (1 time)
        - Best Personality in "Land of a Thousand Dances" (1986)
- ***Wrestling Observer Newsletter**_
    - Best Heel (1984, 1985)
    - Best on Interviews (1981–1983)
    - Worst Worked Match of the Year (1986)
    - Worst Worked Match of the Year (1997)
    - Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

## Other websites

- Official website

## Infobox (wrestler)

- **name**: Roddy Piper
- **names**: **Roddy Piper**
The Masked Canadian
The Machines (professional wrestling), Piper Machine
Roddy the Piper
Roderick Piper
Piper
- **image**: Roddy Piper, August 2009.jpg
- **birth place**: Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- **death place**: Hollywood, California, United States, U.S.
- **death cause**: Cardiopulmonary arrest caused by pulmonary embolism and hypertension
- **billed**: Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
- **trainer**: Tony Condello
Stu Hart
Alfred Eloquin
- **debut**: 1969
- **retired**: April 18, 2008