A whole host of modern day stars cite Roddy Piper as a major influence. But while most are referring to his ability to make it as a smaller guy in a world of giants, its his ability to have even made it at all for which he should be most-respected. Feeling lost as a child, Piper left home at the age of 13, armed with only his bagpipes. He began living on the streets and in youth hostels, which is where he was when he was offered his first job in professional wrestlinga ten second squash match against the gigantic Larry Hennig. He took the job on the basis that the $25 payday would cover three months rent at his hostel. But as it happens, Piper wouldnt need to shell out such costs. In his 2006 DVD, The Roddy Piper Story, Piper tells of how he was put in a van and sent off to Kansas City to embark on a career in pro wrestling. 45 years later, and hes a WWE Hall of Famer having headlined the first-ever WrestleMania and appeared in a number of feature-length movies.
