Rowdy Roddy Piper's official cause of death has been ruled as a heart attack.
In obtaining a copy of the WWE Hall of Famer's death certificate, TMZ Sports reported that Piper, real name Roderick George Toombs, died in his sleep last month due to a heart attack as a result of a blood clot in one of his lungs. Piper, 61, was said to have also suffered from high blood pressure for years.
Although there's no telling if the blood clot was a result of the 45 years that Piper wrestled, he was forthcoming when it came to openly discussing the toll that pro wrestling had taken on his body.
During a 2003 interview with HBO's Real Sports, Piper sadly predicted that he wouldn't live to see 65 because of all the abuse his body has suffered, including a vicious cycle of using alcohol, painkillers, cocaine and steroids during the height of his career.
"Deadly combination," Piper told interviewer Armen Keteyian of the lethal cocktail during the recently-unearthed interview clip. "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."
Piper died in his sleep late last month, crushing his WWE peers and fans alike who adored him as one of the most iconic figures in pro-wrestling history.
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