Yes, Roddy Piper was a huge main event attraction for WWE in the mid-1980s, during which he was the most hated villain in the sport. He terrorized everyone from Hulk Hogan to Mr. T to Cyndi Lauper and nearly incited riots while doing so. In 1987, he made a babyface turn and became one of the most beloved stars in the industry. The fans necessitated the turn thanks to their support for the wildly entertaining personality and continued to support him for the remainder of his career. A hiatus that lasted from 1987 until 1989 cooled some of his momentum but when he returned at WrestleMania V, he proved to be as over as ever. Despite having the fans behind him and proving himself as a main event performer years earlier, Piper was largely treated like a midcard star. He engaged in feuds with Bad News Brown, Rick Rude and Ted DiBiase but never tasted the glory of the main event scene. In 1992, Piper enjoyed a career renaissance. He captured the Intercontinental Championship at the 1992 Royal Rumble, the first title of his WWE career, and received a pop that ranks right up there with the loudest of all-time. His entry into the actual Rumble match later in the night drew a big reaction and his elimination was greeted with a great deal of boos from the disappointed crowd. More popular than Hogan at that point, Piper would have been the perfect choice to eventually wrest the WWE title away from Ric Flair. But it was not to be. Piper left WWE in 1992, popped up again in 1994 and 1996, again proving as popular as he ever was. In 2005, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and to this day, he continues to make the occasional appearance on Raw or SmackDown. While others on this list have legitimate reasons for WWE ignoring them, for not capitalizing on their popularity and giving them that one big push that would have resulted in a main event run, Piper does not. One of the greatest entertainers of his (or any) generation, he deserved far better than what he actually got.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
