As important as Hulk Hogan was to the success of WWE, ensuring that the company would explode into the international juggernaut that it became, the man who deserves an equal share of that credit as Roddy Piper. The Rowdy Scot was the driving force of villainy that challenged Hulkamania in its infancy, and without his yin to Hogan's yang the inaugural WrestleMania wouldn't have been near the phenomenon that it became. Piper was a heat magnet and loved to hear boos being rained down upon him. He played the foil for everyone from Hulk Hogan to Bruno Sammartino to Cyndi Lauper. Perhaps his most infamous act of turpitude came at the expense of Jimmy Snuka, when Roddy bashed a coconut over the popular Superfly's skull. He was so great at his job that it eventually became impossible to keep him heel as the fans grew more and more supportive of his wildly entertaining antics, and he spent the majority of his career on the side of righteousness. But when you look back at a list of men who basked in the hatred of the fans, Rowdy Roddy is near the top.
Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.
