Wrestling legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper has died at the age of 61 … TMZ Sports has learned.
Piper — born Roderick George Toombs — died from cardiac arrest in his sleep at his home in Hollywood on Thursday night. He was discovered on Friday.
Piper was a wrestling icon — one of the biggest stars in the WWE back in the ’80s, and even wrestled in “Wrestlemania I” back in 1985 … squaring off against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T.
Roddy’s rep tells us, “I am devastated at this news. Rod was a good friend as well as a client and one of the most generous, sincere and authentic people I have ever known. This is a true loss to us all.”
Piper had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2006, but last November he said he was cancer free. A family source tells us he was “cancer free” at the time of his death.
A family member tells us, “Our family is saddened by the sudden passing of our father and beloved husband, Roderick Toombs aka Rowdy Roddy Piper.”
Roddy was admitted into the WWE Hall of Fame back in 2005 and was one of the top 50 villains in the history of the WWE.
Piper had a long relationship with WWE — last wrestling back in 2008 … but appeared on various WWE shows up until 2014.
Roddy is survived by his wife Kitty and their 4 kids — including 3 daughters and son Colton who’s pursuing a career in professional wrestling.
The death is especially shocking considering we just spoke to him on Friday and asked his opinion about the Hulk Hogan scandal.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/07/31/roddy-piper-dead-dies-wwe-wrestler-cancer/#ixzz3hZKKfPbI
Thanks Jeno,he was a clown/did not take himself too seriously,seems a good dad and fans said was always just a nice guy.Carpenters “They Live” a classic fight against a new world order,albeit sci fi to a bit a alien is a alien,hows that for PC!
The fight scene one of the best in film history,along with the classic line”Put on the fu$king sunglasses!”I.E.,wake the hell up!Can be streamed for free on net,watch if you haven’t,and if you have,watch again!
One of the good ones, or so he seemed to be. I was just talking with a very good friend of mine last night about “They Live”. It definitely has much more reality to it than “reality tv”.
RIP Roddy.
http://twitchy.com/2013/09/27/rowdy-roddy-piper-confesses-they-live-was-a-documentary/
RIP Roddy 🙁
A little known fact that is interesting to note is this: Piper was the great-great-grandson of Robert Toombs, a US Senator from Georgia and the first Secretary of State for the Confederate States of America.
His best film was HELL COMES TO FROG TOWN .a must see . R.I.P. RRP.
https://youtu.be/rhZLeML04cA
That sucks. He was a good clean wrestler. One of the smarter ones even in real life. He will be missed.
I don’t like many wrestlers, but I will openly admit I liked Roddy Pipper. He seemed like a genuine good guy. I’ll miss him. I loved him in ‘They Live’, too.
RIP, sir.
He was also in The Ghost of Goldfield as the meanest bartender in Nevada. RIP RRP. Good guy.
Thank you Sunfire …
THEY LIVE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMym1-uf5eI
AJ interview (09/03/2013): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP1H4olzFrU