As the pro wrestling community continues to mourn the loss of Rowdy Roddy Piper, the big lead was able to unearth this 2003 interview with HBO's Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, on which Piper flat out said he wouldn't make it to see the age 65. He died in his home last week at the age of 61.
"Wrestling has a tremendous entrance plan. You come in and it's 'Boy here you are. It's rock and roll, it's wonderful.' It's got no exit plan," Piper said in the now-12-year-old clip. "What would you have me do at 49 when my pension plan, I can't take out until I'm 65. I'm not gonna make 65—let's face facts, guys."
According to the big lead, Piper was fired by the WWE after the interview aired. In the interview, Piper went on to describe the vicious 20-year cycle he was once on of alcohol, painkillers, cocaine and steroids.
"Deadly combination," Piper told interviewer Armen Keteyian of the lethal cocktail. "You bring cocaine into the picture...they're my buddies, I'll have some drinks [and then you say] 'holy cow, it's 4 [a.m.]. What time's your plane? Seven. When do you need to get up? Five-thirty. Do a line [of cocaine], get on the plane.' [Then] it's time to fight. No downers there. Let's go. But it'd be nice to have a little painkiller in you as you go in—or a lot—and now you come into the ring."
When Keteyian asked if he lived like that for 20 years, Piper said, "non-stop."
What's even more heartbreaking is the "silent scream" that Piper describes wrestlers like himself experienced.
"Many hotels, I just sat there and—I call it the silent scream—I don't know why, you just sit there and tears will just come down and you'll just sit there for hours, man," Piper said. "There's no place to turn, and when you do turn, who cares? You're just a dumb professional wrestler."
Piper eventually patched things up with Vince McMahon and the WWE enough to be inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2005. The entire Monday Night Raw roster honored Piper with a ceremonious 10-bell toll and moving video tribute this past Monday (August 3).
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