When Bret Hart started with the WWF in 1985, he states that Roddy Piper was very instrumental in being a backstage confidant and mentor teaching him the ropes of how to get over in the company. For what Piper brought to brawling, Hart brought to technical wrestling. In fact, it's probably fair to say that Piper likely wished that he had some of Hart's technical prowess, and knew that in how Hart executed in the ring that he was a surefire WWF star in the making. Hart wrestling Piper for the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania VIII is one of the best matches with one of the most copied finishes in wrestling history. Somewhere lost in this as well is the fact that two wrestlers who spent a great deal of formative time with each other were finally in a position to have the match that they'd probably discussed hundreds of times before. In that finish being copied, it's a testament to just how strongly Piper put over his protege (who carried forth so much of his heart in future matches) in the process.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
