WWE And TNA: 7 Worst Moments Of The Week

1. The Pit Is Closed

Well, this one hurts. Roddy Piper is gone at 61-years-old. If you ask non-wrestling fans to name a professional wrestler, Piper had to have been high up on that list. He was an incredibly popular and talented heel who crossed over into the mainstream, and helped build the foundation of Vince McMahon€™s WWF empire. While he was a fantastic heel in the Pacific Northwest territory, and later in the NWA, it was his work at the first couple WrestleManias, and on the MTV wrestling specials that solidified him as a major star. As great as Hulk Hogan was, he needed a strong heel to get fans in the building. Piper succeeded spectacularly in that role. Outside the ring, he starred in the sci-fi classic They Live, which is still arguably the best movie featuring a professional wrestler in the lead role. Later in a return to the business, this time in WCW in the mid to late 90s, he got to play a part in another wrestling boom period. While a step slower due to having his hip removed, he was able to stay over because of his mouth. Few have ever been able to do it better. We still don€™t know yet what exactly caused Piper€™s death, but older shows have become even more depressing to watch now. Wikipedia€™s entry on WrestleMania 6 has 45 wrestlers or managers listed on the card, 16 of them are now dead. That was just over 25 years ago. Sadly, like many others, we were deprived of years more of Hot Rod. For now, though, let€™s go stock up on bubblegum, and have a 21 bagpipe salute for The Rowdy One. Time to kick out.