'Rowdy' Roddy Piper Dies at 61 From Cardiac Arrest

[melm00se]

Source: TMZ

Wrestling legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper has died at the age of 61 ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Piper -- born Roderick George Toombs -- died from cardiac arrest in his sleep at his home in Hollywood on Thursday night. He was discovered on Friday.

Piper was a wrestling icon -- one of the biggest stars in the WWE back in the '80s, and even wrestled in "Wrestlemania I" back in 1985 ... squaring off against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T.




Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/07/31/roddy-piper-dead-dies-wwe-wrestler-cancer/

[alcina]

1. Oh no! That's way too young.

I wasn't much of a wrestling fan, but I loved him in "They Live."

[rock]

4. Ditto

A pretty dang good actor! RIP Roddy.

[dbackjon]

5. Sadly, that is ancient for WWE wrestlers

[big_dog]

20. true, im amazed he made it this far! a total wild man on those shows in the 1980's--boxing Mr. T

Last edited Sat Aug 1, 2015, 12:30 AM - Edit history (1)

with watergate crook g gordon liddy cheating at the end of round 4!!

[Reter]

23. Yeah, but he wasn't a steroid guy like the others

It's especially sad in his case. He previously had cancer.

[big_dog]

28. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, inspiration for Ronda Rousey's nickname, dead at 61

http://mmajunkie.com/2015/07/rowdy-roddy-piper-inspiration-for-ronda-rouseys-nickname-dead-at-61

[navarth]

10. Yes. THEY LIVE.

Carpenter's stab at the heart of Reaganism. Roddy and Keith David. Wonderful. So sorry to hear this. Damn, Roddy. That's a damn shame, bro.

[johnfunk]

13. "I'm here to chew bubblegum..."

[davidpdx]

21. One of my favorites as well

RIP Rowdy

[Frank Cannon]

29. He ad-libbed that line.

It is a testament to his genius that will, fortunately, endure.

[kimbutgar]

2. He was my favorite WWE wrestlers and I loved him in, "They Live"

It is one of those movies I can watch over several times. Sometimes I think the republicans of today remind me of the aliens who were trying to take over the country. We just need to supply people with those sunglasses.

Also Roddy looked great in his jeans.

[immoderate]

6. "They Live" is a great film.

One of my favorites.

--imm

[TexasBushwhacker]

12. YES!!!!

You can watch it on You Tube.

[valerief]

16. One of my favorites, too. nt

[FuzzyRabbit]

30. The book Manufacturing Consent (Noam Chomsky, 1988) and the movie They Live (John Carpenter, 1988)

had similar themes about how the media brainwash us to believe false realities. I think John Carpenter's excellent movie makes the same point more concisely and is a lot more entertaining.

[big_dog]

25. imo, Piper was primarly responsible for the wresling explosion of the 1980's

Last edited Sat Aug 1, 2015, 07:52 AM - Edit history (3)

with the Cyndi Lauper and Lou Albano stuff in Pipers Pit

[Recursion]

38. I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass

And I'm all out of gum

[forest444]

3. Godspeed, Roddy Piper. A man of many talents.

These news inevitably reminded me of his role in They Live. '80s schlock, yes; but a fitting metaphor for today's very plutocratic state of affairs.

[They_Live]

39. Absolutely right.

And if I remember correctly, They Live was released on the eve of a presidential election. Very prescient.

[90-percent]

7. Also

I think he was on an episode of It's always Sunny in Philadelphia in the last few years.

He was good in that, too.

Damn right 61 is too young. That's my age!

-90% Jimmy

[yallerdawg]

8. Rest in peace, Roddy Piper

Immortalized forever in classic cult films "They Live" and "Hell Comes to Frog Town"!

And kilted villain of professional wrestling, Rowdy Roddy Piper!

You will be remembered.

[Turchinsky]

9. The bell rings for one last time.

The Rowdy One. So much fun to watch him grab the mic and treat the crowd to one of his usual spiel.

Still won't forget Wrestlemania, where Rowdy and Mr. T were boxing (I think it was the 2nd Wrestlemania, not the first one) and Rowdy was losing, and ended up bodyslamming Mr. T instead of boxing...

[navarth]

11. "I have come to chew bubblegum, and kick ass"

...and I'm all out of bubblegum."

Still one of the. greatest. lines. in a movie of all time.

RIP Roddy.

[JackInGreen]

15. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one

With a pair of kick ass shades.

[navarth]

22. People that love "They Live"

...are a special breed.

[JackInGreen]

14. Somewhere in paradise

"I HAVE COME TO KICK ASS AND CHEW BUBBLE GUM....and I'm all out of bubblegum."

[63splitwindow]

17. He was VERY funny...

and extremely entertaining. RIP Rowdy.
[link:|

[big_dog]

24. he always gave it 110%

[FrodosPet]

48. Piper locks himself up in Alcatraz

[big_dog]

50. heck he was still doing Pipers Pit for the WWE in 2014.. amazing longetivity

[Blue_Tires]

18. r.i.p.

[Charlie Brown]

19. ah, man. Randy Savage, the Ultimate Warrior & now Piper

It always seemed like these guys would live forever.

[underpants]

26. Awesome wrestler - made the WWF when it went national

I saw "They Live" in the theater and had no idea what it was about.

[Frank Cannon]

27. He was a decent actor and all-around entertaining individual.

They Live is one of my all-time favorite secret cinematic pleasures.

Godspeed ya, Roddy. I'll listen to Amazing Grace tonight and think of you.

[RandySF]

31. One of the greatest heels ever.

And his 1983 dog collar match with Greg Valetine is one of the greatest matches of all time.

[RandySF]

32. The greatest myth about pro wrestling is that it's fake.

It's staged, but these perfomormers' bodies take beatibgs on a daily basis. Combine that with constant travel, workouts, inconsistent diets, diet pills, medications (legal and otherwise) and a LOT of drinking/partying, it's a wonder these guys last as long as they do.

[big_dog]

35. look at that round 4 punch out with Mr T at Wrestlemania 2 and tell me thats 'fake'

both of them knocked each others mouthpieces out! sure its planned, but they are getting HAMMERED!

[Ichingcarpenter]

33. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper Said 'They Live' is a documentary

from his twitter account

- 27. sep. 2013


https://twitter.com/r_roddy_piper/status/383693269068050432

RIP sir you will be missed

[FuzzyRabbit]

44. Documentary or not, there is a lot of truth in "They Live"

To thinking people, watching the movie is as revealing as putting on the glasses.

[stonecutter357]

34. .

My favorite Wrestlers.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

36. Yet another name to add to the roll of the fallen

WWE Superstars that have died updated March 2015

Ironically, I just found this clip yesterday. So many drug deaths, so many heart attacks, so many young men and women destroying their bodies for the sake of fame.

Rest in peace, one and all.

[marble falls]

37. My favorite Roddy Piper movie.....

Directed by John Carpender

[FrodosPet]

40. Roddy Piper and Ric Flair in Mid-Atlantic, 1981

[FrodosPet]

41. Roddy Piper dogs the Sheepherders (Portland 1979)!!

[FrodosPet]

42. Roddy Piper calls Chavo Guerrero a jackoff during an LA interview with Gene LeBell in 1977.

[FrodosPet]

43. Roddy Piper and Buzz Sawyer

[big_dog]

46. Piper's Pit with Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff & Freddie Blassie (05-25-1985)

Piper's Pit with special guests WWF Tag Team Champions Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff and their manager "Classy" Freddie Blassie who talk about their participation in Cyndi Lauper's music video for Stephen Speiburg's 'The Goonies.'

[FrodosPet]

47. The man was a classic performer

He's truly the coolest, warmest, most friendly villain ever. Top to bottom, Hot Rod nailed every promo, every Piper's Pit. His facial expressions, hand and head animation, body positioning, the voice, the cadence. the squeaks and growls, the lightening fast wit...

Lots of men and women have been and will be pro wrestlers. Some will get paid, fewer still will get headlined, even fewer still will be legends.

Pipes is Pipes. Mo one else ever will be.

[big_dog]

49. i love how Piper was pissed off that Speilburg 'stiffed' him and gave him ONLY one dressing room

thats the kind of stuff that makes a great heel. taking little semi- realish slights and turning them into national comedy gold! he was like the Kathy Griffin of the WWF, 30 years ahead of his times

[sarcasmo]

45. Kick.

[Babel_17]

51. It's Alway Sunny in Philadelphia