10 Fascinating WWE WrestleMania 5 Facts

5. Roddy Piper's Appearance Was Initially A One-Shot Deal

Mega Powers Explode
WWE.com

What's often misunderstood regarding the 1989 return of "The Hot Rod" to the WWE fold is the idea that WrestleMania 5 was the beginning of his comeback. Yes, it was his first televised appearance for the company in two years, but it wouldn't be for another month that Piper officially climbed back into the saddle as a working wrestler once more.

Until then, Piper fielded overtures from both WWE and WCW, trying to work out the best possible deal for himself. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter paints the story as Piper getting a generous offer from then-WCW boss Jim Herd, and using that dollar amount to leverage the deal he wanted from McMahon. Soon after, Piper was back on the house show circuit, working with Ted Dibiase on a run through California.

Contributor
Contributor

Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.