Roddy Piper

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Real Name - Roderick Toombs
Birthdate - 4/17/51
6'2" 230 lbs. - Portland, OR

Aliases - Roderick Toombs, Ronnie Piper, Masked Canadian

Athletic background - Boxing, Judo, Wrestling

Teachers - Tony Condello; Gene Labelle, Leo Garabaldi

Professional background - Winnipeg(`69-`74), St. Louis(`74), Kansas City(`74), Grand Prix(`74), Houston(`75), Dallas(`75), IWA[Montreal](`75), Los Angeles(`75-`79), Portland(`78-`8?), Mid-Atlantic(`77-`82), WWWF(`79), JCP/NWA(`83), WWF(`83-`87), WWF(`89-`92), WWF(`94), WWF(`96), WCW(`96-`00), Indies(`01), WWE(`03-)

Groups - none

Peak Years - `78-`87

Career Highlights -
- Career comes alive during a racially charged feud with Chavo Guerrero
- Rises to national fame as the top star in the Pacific Northwest
- Beats Greg Valintine in the legendary Dog-Collar match at Starrcade `83
- Begins his feud with Hulk Hogan which peaks in the "War to Settle the Score" and "Wrestlemania"
- Comes into WCW and feud with their newest top heel - "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan

Finisher(s) -
- Sleeper
- Bulldog

Favorites -
- Atomic Drop
- Kneelift
- Ear Clap
- Eye Poke
- Punches

Ringwork Rating -
move set - 4
science - 2
aerial - 1
power - 6
strikes - 8

Intangible Rating -
entertainment - 10
selling - 6
bumping - 7
carrying - 6
heat - 10
legacy - 9

Place in History - One of the great heels in pro-wrestling history, who would make many people's top five. Roddy Piper's gift of gab allowed him to become one of the most obnoxious wrestlers in an era of quiet, stone-faced grapplers. He was a loud-mouthed brawler, who traded in wreslting ability for color. Piper wasn't just a skinny punk in a kilt, he was the man in a "skirt" everyone loved to hate and one of the few stars who was able to get over in spite of his size in the steroid-era. He was a key figure in the WWF's success in 1985 that has changed the business immeasurable. His Piper's Pit interview segment was a unique place for him to get himself and sometimes his guests over. After years as a heel, Piper was nearly as good as a babyface when paired with the right people. His ranting interviews and crazy antics allowed him to stay in a upper midcard spot in the WWF, despite being semi-active for nearly a decade. In late 1996, he showed up in WCW and had a wild up-and-down run. After that final run, he has shown up periodically in different places and is always someone to see. He did a lot, both good and bad, which he addresses in his autobiography, In the Pit with Piper. Roddy Piper is proof that if you are a convincing character that can communicate your issues, wrestling ability and size can be secondary.