10 Best Ring Names In WWE History
7. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper
'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.