10 Wrestlers That Told You They Were Pissed

3. Roddy Piper

Roddy Piper
TNA

A gloomy and uneasy time for all involved, Roddy Piper's TNA debut was anything but a celebratory event for the promotion.

Soaking in the applause on the December 4th 2002 weekly pay-per-view, the 'Hot Scot' was initially in good spirits until matters moved to the start of a worked programme with - who else? - Vince Russo.

Fans were enjoying the bullsh*t until it all got way, way too real. Piper mocked Russo's assertion that he was a creative genius, but spun that into directly referencing the death of Owen Hart.

The pivot in the promo was so sharp and instant that it took the audience by surprise, and suddenly the angle didn't seem so fun. Piper went further with it, even deploying his "everybody pays the Piper" catchphrase before Russo finally slid into the ring to retort.

He didn't get a chance. "Did you kill Owen Hart?" Piper asked, getting right in Russo's face before striking him with a copy of his book. The red mist eventually passed (and, predictably, the angle went nowhere), but there were fewer ways as unpleasant as this to evoke the name and legacy of a legitimate and much-missed legend.

 
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Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for nearly 10 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett