10 Best Ring Names In WWE History

7. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper

The Undertaker
WWE.com

'Rowdy' Roddy Piper was the perfect name for a guy who radiated a madcap strand of charisma - so instantly iconic that even The Simpsons parodied it in the seminal 'Homer Badman' episode.

A name honouring the man's roots without making a wrestling-sized mockery of them (Michael McGillicutty, Akeem), Rowdy Roddy Piper was alliterative and phonaesthetic perfection. Simply, it sounds rambunctious and fierce, and, with each component comprised of two syllables, it rolled off the tongue as seamlessly as the witty, fiery promos the man himself cut to cement himself as one of wrestling's most vicious and most entertaining heels. Even in the heady days of kayfabe, when fans were less influential and contrarian, that was a difficult balancing act.

Great as it was in itself, The 'Roddy' aspect created scope for the awesome 'Hot Rod' nickname and the similarly iconic logo that came with it - so recognisable and powerful that it was latterly adopted by Ronda Rousey, just one of several names across the entire entertainment industry, within which Roddy flourished, to pay tribute to the Piper.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!