Monday Night Raw got off to an emotional start on August 3 with the entire WWE roster wearing Hot Rod T-shirts in tribute to the late Rowdy Roddy Piper with a ceremonious 10-bell toll. The WWE Hall of Famer died in his home on Friday, July 31, at the age of 61.
Following the solemn moment, Piper's bagpipe-adorned theme music hit the speakers, leading to a moving video commemorating one of the most decorated WWE superstars that the pro wrestling world has ever seen.
The video showed highlights of Piper in and out of the ring, through various stages of his life and career, including notorious moments — such as smashing a gold record over Captain Lou Albano's head at Madison Square Garden in December 1984 and staring down Mr. T at the inaugural WrestleMania in March 1985, cracking a coconut on Jimmy Superfly Snuka's skull in Piper's Pit, dousing Morton Downey Jr. with a fire extinguisher and trading slaps with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The video also had voiceovers from various WWE superstars, calling Piper "the original trash talker" and commenting that "he knew how to make people mad... through entertainment, he made 'em mad."
John Cena said Piper had "so much passion and so much heart."
Ric Flair, a friend of Piper's through the years, even swapping wives with him on ABC's Celebrity Wife Swap, said in the video: "Rowdy Roddy Piper — energy beyond belief, talent beyond belief, so far ahead of his time, but down to earth and one of the best people I've ever known in my entire life."
TMZ Sports said Piper – real name Roderick George Toombs – died of cardiac arrest. His passing came just over a month since fellow WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes died in mid-June.
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