WWE in the 1980's focused on Hulk Hogan. It was his company from top to bottom and despite who you were or what your background in the business was, you eventually succumbed to the larger than life hero with the leg drop and the dew rag. That was just the reality of the situation and anyone that did not fall in line with that was probably not going to be used that much, if at all. When Roddy Piper spoke however, he dared every fan listening to consider an alternative. Piper was so entertaining, so good in every aspect of the game that no matter how much the fans loved Hogan or how much they supported him, they were given a reason to stand back and look at the bigger picture. Strong antagonists drive the industry and WWE is no exception. Without guys like Jake the Snake Roberts, Paul Orndorff and Ted DiBiase, Hulk Hogan would have looked like five bucks instead of a million. When Hogan worked Piper, he looked like the U.S. Mint; that's the impact that Piper had on Hogan's character and the company as a whole. Hogan may have been the top draw, but Piper was the better worker and it did not take long before everyone watching saw it. The most redeeming quality about Hot Rod was his ability to stand out from the rest and his willingness to do anything. He rebelled against authority as a heel but he rebelled against the very concept of what the face of the company could be even more. He challenged fans to think outside the norm and he caused them to believe that a popular heel could perhaps be capable of carrying the company on his back. That may not have worked out for Piper. but it definitely laid the groundwork for the man sitting at number one on this countdown. He has Roddy to thank for that.