Original subtitles

I would like you to meet by all means

the greatest wrestler in the entire world,

Mr. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.

How are ya?

Come in and sit down.

Loud-

- your ears are all nasty-

I know that your nose is smeared all over your face.

controversial-

We know how intelligent you are.

Oh, yeah.

and you too, huh.

Yeah.

merciless.

He's going to go back to the chain.

He's got it wrapped around the fist.

As dangerous as he was in the ring,

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper was absolutely lethal

with a microphone in his hand.

The whole damn wedding stinks.

Today, we look back at one of the most

impactful villains in WWE history, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.

You do not throw rocks at a man

who's got a machine gun.

This is WWE's Greatest Moments.

Nice to have me, isn't it?

If you smell--

Oh, my God.

What the hell are you doing?

Absolutely unbelievable.

Hulkamania is here.

Welcome, everyone,

to WWE's Greatest Moments.

I'm Michael Cole, and on this edition,

we're looking back at the career of one

of the most polarizing superstars of all time,

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper.

Upon bursting on

the professional wrestling scene,

Piper's malicious magnetism and complete

lack of a filter drew the eyes of the world directly to him.

He had no problem sharing his controversial opinions.

You could wind up looking like this.

I painted this myself.

And soon enough, the Hot Rod had his own talk

show where he could torment his guests however he pleased,

Piper's Pit.

We take you now, ladies and gentlemen,

to Piper's Pit.

We'd like to flatly state that the views of Mr. Piper

are those of Mr. Piper alone.

First Piper's Pit, I believe,

was a gentleman named Frankie Williams.

Nobody knew anything about him.

Being-being the kind of person that I am, and I like to give

everybody a fair break-

Piper's Pit was

The Tonight Show where the host could end up

beating up the guests.

Frank Williams, first of all,

I don't know where you come from.

I'm from Columbus, Ohio.

Right there that one statement set the tone

for the rest of Piper's Pit.

I've never lost a match in Columbus, Ohio.

Have you ever lost a match?

Yeah.

I have never seen you win a match in my whole

career of watching you.

Maybe what you do is maybe you should be making pizza.

I'm not telling nobody-

And now the cameraman's going,

"Yo, get out of there."

Simple as that, man.

I might be a lousy wrestler,

but I'm still in there.

And I'm not afraid of nobody.

You had to be ready.

You know, you never knew when he'd turn on you,

or if he wanted to,

he could chop you down to size pretty quick.

That's incredible.

And it was one of the first times I-I think

I said, "Just when they think they got the answers,

I change the questions."

Full on said it.

People just went, "Did you see that?"

And it set the tone for everything.

In the 1980s,

WWE was a hotbed for celebrity involvement.

Perhaps none as lauded as Rocky III's Clubber Lang, Mr. T.

Here comes Mr. T, ladies and gentlemen.

Everyone loved the A-Team megastar.

Everyone that is except the Hot Rod.

I know who you are 'cause your name's written

on the back of the chair, and I'm assuming that that's there

so you don't get lost.

The rivalry between these two got so heated

a traditional wrestling match just wouldn't suffice.

At WrestleMania II, Piper, a former amateur boxer,

decided to challenge Mr. T at his own game,

settling their differences in a boxing match.

All right, round one.

The best rivalries in WWE

are the ones where you truly are invested in their hatred.

Oh, as Roddy begins to throw jabs.

I remember Roddy Piper throwing the jab,

throwing the jab.

And Piper always-- He was always good with his hands.

Piper, look at this.

We was punching and whatnot,

so this is what we going to do.

I'm in the ring going,

"What if I just took him out?"

Come on.

Uh-oh.

Oh, wait a minute.

I knew this was coming.

Clearly, it doesn't look like

a real boxing match.

It actually resembles a real fight.

Piper is right back on top of him.

Ladies and gentlemen,

the decision as a result of a disqualification, Mr. T.

I loved how Piper could really take anything

and make it into gold.

In 1996, Roddy Piper was caught in the

crosshairs of the bizarre Goldust.

I want a piece of you real bad, baby.

The golden one became obsessed

with the Hot Rod, but Piper was far from interested.

Never one to back down from a fight, Piper accepted a

challenge to a match between the two at WrestleMania XII.

You want a fight, you jerk,

then I'll fight you good.

This would be no ordinary one-on-one contest.

It would take place outside the ring

in a Hollywood Back Lot Brawl.

Whoa.

First shot was to the side window, man,

and glass just went all over me, man.

And here he comes, and he started just whooping my ass

all over the place.

This is vintage Piper.

I get in the car, I started driving and I'm looking

at him and I'm waiting for him to jump.

So I kind of gas it just a little bit.

I just didn't move.

Well, I was supposed to.

His knees just went boom, boom on the front of that

car, and I was like, "Oh, my God.

I just hit Roddy Piper.

I just ran him over."

Oh, my God.

This is totally out of hand.

Roddy Piper was hit by a car.

It took us from Hollywood to Anaheim.

Here's Roddy Piper chasing Goldust.

Back then OJ Simpson was hot.

Everybody remembers where they were when the white Bronco was

on the highway getting chased by the police.

They're here.

Whoa.

Starts just stalking me and I'm backing up, and I'm

like, "How did I end in the arena?"

There's no rules.

Anything goes.

This was a brawl.

They went full out, and it only ends when someone

has had enough and leaves.

"Rowdy" Piper has disrobed Goldust.

My wife covers me up with my robe, and we run off,

and that's how we end the match.

I've never seen anything like this in my life.

Piper, I believe

this is his last WrestleMania.

What better way to-to end your WrestleMania career than to have

it be in such a unique way?

December 1984 at Madison Square Garden,

pop icon Cyndi Lauper presented Captain Lou Albano with

a gold record for bringing the worlds of music

and professional wrestling together.

Captain Louis Albano.

But it's never a party without the Piper, right?

Cyndi-

brothers and sisters,

I don't know what to say.

I'm so grateful to receive this award.

This is an honor to me.

Uh-oh.

This is something special.

It's really beautiful, Cyndi.

There's Roddy Piper.

Maybe they have some justification to make.

Wait just a minute, Roddy.

Just a--

That night, nobody could have been

ready for that moment.

Please, please.

I know even though- even though it was me that set this up and

it was me that started it, I want to present you with this.

The main thrust was there.

They all hated me.

This is just icing on the cake.

Oh, look out.

Captain Lou Albano clobbered.

I heard Roddy Piper once say that was the

biggest moment of his career.

Pure pandemonium.

Look at Roddy Piper's just gone bananas.

David Wolff trying to come to the rescue, but he's no match.

Oh, he piledrives him right down into the canvas.

Roddy Piper's gone crazy here.

It caught me off guard.

I didn't think any way Piper's going to come out

and ruin this moment.

It was just insanity.

Look out.

The Hulkster's heading to the ring.

Cyndi Lauper is down.

I kicked Cyndi Lauper.

I said to myself, "The end of her career could

be the beginning of yours."

Things like that made Roddy the ultimate rebel.

What a despicable, disgraceful display

on the part of Roddy Piper.

In 1986, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper took a brief absence

from WWE, and thus, Piper's Pit was no more.

Upon his return, Piper was shocked to find his beloved Pit

replaced by the flower shop,

hosted by "The Adorable One" Adrian Adonis.

I'm here to take my show back,

and the first thing that has to go are these damn flowers.

Aided by Don Muraco and "Cowboy" Bob Orton,

Adonis brought the pain to the Hot Rod.

But Roddy Piper's a man of pride.

Ya think for one second,

Hot Rod is going to be humiliated

by someone who wears a dress,

look like someone shot the curtain to day's end?

With over 93,000 screaming fans in attendance

at WrestleMania III, it would be billed as Roddy Piper's farewell

to in-ring competition.

This one's underway.

And there ain't gonna be much holds in this one.

This is gonna be a fight, Gorilla.

This is the retirement match,

WrestleMania III.

Adrian Adonis.

You know, I knew there's nothing he wouldn't do.

He's so good, and he's so tough.

Roddy just about out of this,

doesn't have a clue where he is.

They went at it pretty hard.

They were amped and ready to go.

I think they fed off of each other, too.

Oh.

They both go over the top and down.

It was so loud that it gave me probably

the most memorable time in my career.

Right in the middle of the ring.

"Rowdy" Roddy with a sleeper.

That's it.

The Adorable One has been

put out, and the victor, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.

I win the match at WrestleMania III, and 93,000

people standing on their feet.

It's the nicest compliment that you can get, and only they could

give me that, and they did that night.

For that, I'm ever grateful.

I think that's the kindest thing that's ever happened

in my career.

Standing ovation, 90,000-plus on their

feet for the Hot Rod.

Roddy Piper's Hall of Fame career had been

built in the back of his rage-inducing persona more so

than his accolades in the ring.

I was rowdy before rowdy was cool.

But that's not to say his trophy case is empty.

In the 1992 Royal Rumble, Piper took on Intercontinental

Champion, The Mountie, emerged victorious, capturing gold for

the first time in WWE.

We have a new Intercontinental Champion.

In front of 60,000 screaming fans

at WrestleMania VIII, the Hot Rod would defend his new title

in a contest with Bret "The Hitman" Hart.

I wanna win back the Intercontinental belt.

You got it.

I'm gonna take it.

When it came time for the two to be

face-to-face, things got heated.

Both guys will pull out all the stops.

Here we go.

He spat at him.

Here we go.

It was an important story for Roddy to tell.

He was a mentor to me, and our personalities changed when

we had to fight each other.

What a sucker shot.

Bret showing Piper, not only can I keep up

with you, I can beat you.

I think the Hitman hurt his shoulder.

He's got him with it.

Oh, small package right in the center.

He's got him with it.

Almost-

What a great move.

It was one of the best storytelling matches.

It brought out the heel part of Roddy again, a little bit.

Oh, referee got caught right

in the middle there.

He's got the bell.

I was gonna hit him over the head with the bell.

People were screaming, "Don't do it.

Don't do it."

He's having second thoughts.

Oh, what a sickening display.

And they literally made him throw

the bell away.

Oh, look at that move.

Off the turnbuckle.

It's over.

Roddy was really-- was the first big-name wrestler

to put me over.

History has been made here

in the Hoosier Dome.

It's really cool that Piper,

at that stage of his career,

could essentially steal the show.

Because sometimes when you think of one thing that they're really

good at, Piper, oh, he's a good talker, he's a good talker, you

have to have matches like this every now and then just to let

people know and remind them that you can do more.

Roddy Piper was a lightning rod for stirring up

anger, placing him right at home in the counterculture

of the 1980s.

I realize that your ears are all nasty

and naughty.

I know that your nose is smeared all over your face.

Eventually, Piper's gift of gab granted him

an audience with talk show host and fellow instigator

Morton Downey Jr. at WrestleMania V.

The fun has just begun.

Back in the day, when Piper had

Morton Downey Jr. on the show, he was red hot back then.

Why do you call yourself Morton Downey Jr.?

That's the name your mama wanted to call me

from the husband who reared me.

Number one syndicated talk show

at the time.

Mr. Downey, I'd really appreciate it

if you wouldn't do that again.

Smoke?

Yeah, especially blow in my face.

I said, "Don't blow smoke on my face."

He blew the smoke.

"All right, you jerk."

Don't blow no more smoke in my face.

He kept blowing smoke into Roddy's face,

and Roddy, of course, is who he is.

You know, that's like the fourth time

you've done that.

Smoke all you want, but I'm gonna show you

what the wrestling business is really all about.

And Piper did.

Gimme that smoke, would ya?

Fire extinguisher right

in the kisser.

I don't think Morton Downey ever been

treated this way before.

I would give them a good beginning,

a great ending.

And I would give a lot in between.

I think the cigarette's out now.

You fool with me, you'll find out that my fists

are as fast as my lips, brother.

Before making his way to WWE, Piper was

embroiled in one of the most heated rivalries of his career

with one Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.

And he was known as the Hammer for good reason.

If you can't take the pounding,

get out of the ring.

I feel that it's time to draw a line

on Valentine.

Starrcade 1983, Valentine and Piper would settle

their differences chained together in one of the most

brutal face-offs you'll ever see.

A ruthless dog collar match.

Both of these wrestlers will be

chained to each other around the neck.

No disqualification to a finish.

The meanest, nastiest,

most brutal match you can think of.

I can't imagine two men linked together like

this in mortal kombat.

They wanted to go out there and steal it,

and they did.

The match cannot be stopped.

There's gotta be a winner.

Roddy was a great wrestler,

but he was never really solid and stiff like I was.

But that night he was.

Roddy Piper, right here,

could be in real danger, fans.

That ear of his very definitely badly damaged at this point.

Both eardrums.

My ear is bleeding from here all the way down to my leg.

Catches him with the chain once again and again,

and Valentine goes face forward.

They wanted to make sure that the fans knew

that they were the real deal.

You could see how brutal that match was.

He got the pin.

That's what makes a great match is you never quit.

Never give up.

Roddy Piper did it.

Roddy Piper did it.

He got the pinfall.

From its inception,

Piper's Pit was the place to be for any WWE

Superstar wanting to speak their mind.

What an idiot.

Are you kidding me?

Over the years, the show created a wealth of

unforgettable segments, but, perhaps, none more famous than

the 1984 appearance of "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka.

This guy here comes, I don't know, maybe he

comes sniffling to the-- sniffling to the people.

Comes in crying,

"Woohoo. Roddy Piper didn't give me a chance

to say nothing on the Pit."

One of the most iconic moments in WWE history

was the Piper's Pit with Jimmy Snuka.

I'll tell you what, man, here you go.

Take the little microphone.

There you go.

Put it in the little greasy paws.

I get this bag from Hanks with a pineapple.

Why don't you feel at home?

Why don't you feel like the Fiji Island?

Bananas.

You want a banana?

Have a banana.

Coconuts in it.

Huh?

More coconuts.

I'm dropping coconuts, he says,

"Are you trying to disrespect me, brother?"

You think-- Am I making fun of you?

No, no, no, no.

Oh, no, sir.

No, sir.

He was that guy, and he loved to be despised.

He was the perfect heel.

With "Rowdy" Roddy Piper,

you never knew what he was gonna do.

This time, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper created a moment that only

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper can create.

It's now time for our number one moment,

and it's one that propelled WWE

into the mainstream media stratosphere.

WWE had found its very own Superman

in "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan.

Train, say your prayers, eat your vitamins,

and believe in yourself, brother.

But what is Superman

without his greatest foe?

And who better to step into that role than the white-hot

instigator, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper?

All of a sudden, this Hulkamania is going wild

all over the place, and he's becoming a legend.

Their bitter rivalry would be a fixture

of pop culture.

The aptly named, The War to Settle the Score,

airing exclusively on MTV.

Tonight, on MTV.

What really was the match that captured the

tension was The War to Settle the Score.

It was just like throwing big tanks

of gas on the fire.

We knew once MTV got on board, this thing was gonna

be a monster.

We have got action.

Oh.

They're at it.

Whenever I went in there against Piper,

it was always a war.

Oh, what a showdown, ladies and gentlemen.

Eventually, during the match,

all hell breaks loose.

Look out.

Orndorff.

Wait a minute.

Oh, come on.

Oh, please.

Look out.

Oh, you gotta be kidding me.

Here comes Mr. T, ladies and gentlemen.

There's no villain better than

"The Hot Rod" Roddy Piper.

He's the perfect guy to reach out to that pop culture,

that MTV crowd, and draw them into the wrestling world.

We've got a madhouse here.

Three of them come back now.

Come on.

Security holding everyone back.

If you ain't got enough guts to fight me

one-on-one, mister, then take a hike and leave

the title with me.

Piper and Hogan's encounter set

the wrestling world ablaze,

leaving audiences everywhere wanting more.

And setting the stage for the granddaddy of them all,

the very first WrestleMania.

The often imitated, never duplicated Roddy Piper

was certainly a force to be reckoned with in WWE.

Driving on the pure emotions he generated in audiences,

Piper reached heights that some can only dream of.

That'll do it for this edition of WWE's Greatest Moments.

I hope you've enjoyed this look back at the incredible career

of one of the most appealing antagonists in professional

wrestling history, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.