There are heroes. There are villians. There are anti-heroes. And then there are legends.
Roddy Piper was all four. And he was amazing at being all four.
And let's face it, if it weren't for him, the WWF -- now the WWE -- wouldn't have become the machine it is today.
Yes, Hulk Hogan carried the ball as Vince McMahon made his move nationally. But it was Piper who made watching Hogan interesting.
Seriously, think back to that era. Who else had the ability, skills and -- most importantly -- charisma to stand toe-to-toe with Hogan, Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper and every other entertainer that became part of that big Rock and Wrestling connection? Sure there were guys who could go, and they played their roles as cast (Iron Sheik, Volkoff, etc.). But would they have launched a national brand? I think not.
He had verbal timing that was unmatched. He wasn't a super muscled guy, he was someone you could relate to. He was the guy who, if you met him, you were sure you were meeting the guy -- not the character he was in the ring. The one you could have a beer with -- you couldn't have a beer with Hogan, he was too much of a hero to be hanging out at some bar (even though, in retrospect, he obviously did). He was foreign, but not in a way that was meant to scare you like the really evil guys from Iran or Russia or "Parts Unknown."
And he was able to be the guy who could slide into the role as hero, but never in a way that made you uncomfortable -- he was Stone Cold Steve Austin before Stone Cold. He was a guy who spoke his mind and if you agreed with him, great. If not, be prepared to get a coconut broke on your head or a fire extinguisher fired in your face.
Think about the performers today, and who are the guys that are going to be the ones who last in our minds. John Cena is Hogan, and he's good at his job. But who are the guys who the fans find interesting? The ones who are "real"? Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson), who may not be the talker that others are, but is real and has been embraced because of it. Dolph Ziggler -- @HeelZiggler -- a guy who the fans love, is considered a "face" but has never really taken that hero role. And then there was CM Punk, probably the most like Piper, except he found a way to walk away on his own terms.
RIP Hot Rod. Thanks for entertaining us. Let the bagpipes welcome you home.
