10 Most Crowd-Pleasing Victories In WWE History
5. Roddy Piper's Golden Moment - Royal Rumble 1992
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper was long one of the most beloved Superstars in WWE history by the time the 1992 Royal Rumble rolled around. He had never, though, captured any of the company's prestigious championships.
That all changed as he arrived to Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York for his Intercontinental Championship opportunity against the insufferable titleholder, The Mountie.
Jacques Rougeau had seamlessly filled the role of the Canadian Mounted Police officer but he was never anything more than a solid midcard star. Sure, he was loud and obnoxious and regularly drummed up significant heat, but he was what he was.
The reaction that the crowd in the New York state capital gave Piper when he locked in the sleeper and captured the title had little to do with the heel he was battling and everything to do with the long, arduous journey they had followed the Hot Scot on.
Fans loved Piper, they loved his scrappiness and his attitude. They loved that he was a frenetic performer whose reliance on punches and kicks mirrored their mindset of what a fighter should be. He was beloved for his larger-than-life personality.
His championship victory on that night not only etched his name in the history books but forever proved the connection that he had with the audience.