20 WWE Superstars And Their 80s Counterparts

3. Kevin Owens/Roddy Piper

Kevin Owens and Roddy Piper
WWE.com/WWE

It’s impossible not to compare Roddy Piper and Kevin Owens when looking at the two biggest trash-talking rogues of their day.

Back in the ‘80s, Piper was Public Enemy #1 as he went head-to-head with Hulkamania in a feud that would ignite the wrestling industry and beyond. At this point in his career, Roddy was on fire as a bad guy, doing everything possible to make sure he was the most detested man in the industry.

Piper could talk a game like no other, wasn’t afraid to fight man, woman or beast, and yet he’d also never be afraid of a strategic retreat. Hot Rod was and forever will be the epitome of what a true heel should be.

When looking at the modern roster, it’s easy to see a whole lot of ‘80s Piper in Kevin Owens. KO is a heel in every sense of the world, which is only highlighted further when he’s surrounded by a villainous roster largely made up of cool bad guys. Owens is a heel’s heel.

And much like what happened with Piper, you can’t help but feel that Kevin Owens is going to be ridiculously over when the trigger is eventually pulled on a face turn.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.