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WWE’s Greatest Moments - Season 3 Episode 3 - "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
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00:00I would like you to meet, by all means, the greatest wrestler in the entire world, Mr. Rowdy Roddy Piper.
00:08How are you?
00:09Hi-ho.
00:10Come in and sit down.
00:12Loud.
00:13Your ears are all nasty. I know that your nose is smeared all over your face.
00:18Controversial.
00:19We know how intelligent you are.
00:21Oh, yeah.
00:22You do it.
00:22Yeah.
00:23Merciless. He's going to go back to the chain. He's got it wrapped around the fist.
00:27As dangerous as he was in the ring, Rowdy Roddy Piper was absolutely lethal with a microphone in his hand.
00:33Hold up there, ladies. Stay.
00:35Today, we look back at one of the most impactful villains in WWE history, Rowdy Roddy Piper.
00:42You do not go rock at a man who's got a machine gun.
00:46This is WWE's greatest moments.
00:50Nice to have him, isn't it?
00:53He's just a man.
00:55Oh, my God.
00:57What the hell are you doing?
01:00Absolutely unbelievable.
01:01Welcome, baby.
01:03I'm a beast here.
01:10Welcome, everyone, to WWE's greatest moments.
01:12I'm Michael Cole.
01:13And on this edition, we're looking back at the career of one of the most polarizing superstars of all time,
01:18Rowdy Roddy Piper.
01:20Upon bursting on the professional wrestling scene, Piper's malicious magnetism and complete lack of a filter
01:26drew the eyes of the world directly to him.
01:28He had no problem sharing his controversial opinions.
01:31You could wind up looking like this.
01:33I painted this myself.
01:35And soon enough, the hot rod had his own talk show where he could torment his guests, however he pleased,
01:42Piper's Pit.
01:46We take you now, ladies and gentlemen, to Piper's Pit.
01:49We'd like to flatly state the views of Mr. Piper or those of Mr. Piper alone.
01:54First Piper's Pit, I believe, was a gentleman named Frankie Williams.
01:59Nobody knew anything about it.
02:00Being the kind of person that I am, and I like to give everybody a fair break.
02:05Piper's Pit was the Tonight Show where the host could end up beating up the guests.
02:12Frank Williams, first of all, I don't know where you're coming from.
02:15I'm from Columbus, Ohio.
02:17Right there, that one statement set the tone for the rest of Piper's Pit.
02:23I've never lost a match in Columbus, Ohio.
02:25Have you ever lost a match?
02:27Yeah.
02:28I have never seen you win a match in my whole career of watching you.
02:32Maybe what you do, maybe you should be making pizza.
02:33I'm not going on nobody.
02:35And now the cameraman's going, you know, get off of me.
02:38It's as simple as that.
02:39I might be a lost wrestler, but I'm still in there.
02:41I got another player, no.
02:44You had to be ready.
02:45You know, you never knew when he'd turn on you or he wanted to.
02:48He could chop you down to size pretty quick.
02:52That's incredible.
02:54And it was one of the first times I think I said,
02:56Just when they think they got the answers, I changed the questions.
03:01He just pulled him sad.
03:03People just went, did you see that?
03:05And it set the tone for everything.
03:10In the 1980s, WWE was a hotbed for celebrity involvement.
03:15Perhaps none as lauded as Rocky III's Clever Lang, Mr. T.
03:19Here comes Mr. T, ladies and gentlemen.
03:22Everyone loved the A-Team megastar.
03:25Everyone, that is, except the hot rod.
03:27I know who you are because your name's written on the back of the chair,
03:31and I'm assuming that that's there so you don't get lost.
03:34The rivalry between these two got so heated,
03:36a traditional wrestling match just wouldn't suffice.
03:39At WrestleMania II, Piper, a former amateur boxer,
03:43decided to challenge Mr. T at his own game,
03:45settling their differences in a boxing match.
03:51All right, round one.
03:54The best rivalries in WWE are the ones
03:58where you truly are invested in their hatred.
04:02Roddy, we get to throw jabs.
04:04I remember Roddy Piper throwing a jab, throwing a jab,
04:06and Piper always, he was always good with his hands.
04:09Piper, look at this.
04:11We was punching and whatnot, so this is what we're going to do.
04:14I'm in the ring going, what if I just took him out?
04:19Come on.
04:20Oh, wait a minute.
04:22I knew this was coming.
04:24Clearly, it doesn't look like a real boxing match.
04:26It actually resembles a real fight.
04:29Piper is way back on top of it.
04:32Ladies and gentlemen,
04:33the decision as a result of a disqualification,
04:37Mr. T!
04:39I loved how Piper could really take anything
04:42and make it into gold.
04:48In 1996, Roddy Piper was caught in the crosshairs
04:52of the bizarre gold dust.
04:53I want a piece of you real bad, baby.
04:58The golden one became obsessed with the hot rod,
05:00but Piper was far from interested.
05:03Never one to back down from the fight,
05:05Piper accepted a challenge to a match
05:06between the two at WrestleMania 12.
05:08You want to fight you, jerk?
05:11Then I'll fight you, God!
05:13But this would be no ordinary one-on-one contest.
05:16It would take place outside the ring
05:18in a Hollywood backlot brawl.
05:25First shot was to the side window, man,
05:28and glass just went all over me, man.
05:31And here he comes,
05:32and he started just whooping my ass
05:35all over the place.
05:38This is a minute Piper!
05:40I get in the car,
05:41I started driving,
05:43and I'm looking at him,
05:44and I'm waiting for him to jump,
05:45so I kind of gassed it just a little bit.
05:48I just didn't move.
05:50Well, I was supposed to.
05:54His knees just went on the front of that car,
05:57and I was like,
05:58oh, my God!
05:59I just hit Roddy Piper.
06:00I just ran him over.
06:01This is totally out of hand!
06:03Roddy Piper was hit by a car!
06:05It took us from Hollywood to Anaheim.
06:09Here's Roddy Piper chasing gold dust.
06:12Back then, O.J. Simpson was hot.
06:14Everybody remembers where they were
06:16when the white Bronco was on the highway
06:18getting chased by the police.
06:21They're here!
06:23Whoa!
06:24It starts just stalking me,
06:26and I'm backing up,
06:27and I'm like,
06:27how did I end it in the arena?
06:31This was a brawl.
06:33They went full out,
06:34and it only ends
06:36when someone has had enough
06:37and leaves.
06:39Roddy Piper has just moved gold dust!
06:41My wife covers me up with my robe,
06:43and we run off,
06:44and that's how we end the match.
06:46I've never seen anything like this
06:48in my life!
06:49Piper, I believe this was his last WrestleMania.
06:51What better way
06:52to end your WrestleMania career
06:55than to have it be in such a unique way?
06:59In December 1984,
07:01at Madison Square Garden,
07:03pop icon Cindy Lauper
07:04presented Captain Lou Albano
07:06with a gold record
07:07for bringing the worlds of music
07:09and professional wrestling together.
07:11Captain Lou Albano!
07:13But it's never a party
07:14without the Piper, right?
07:20Cindy, brothers and sisters,
07:22I don't know what to say.
07:23I'm so grateful
07:24to receive this award.
07:26This is an honor to me.
07:28This is something special.
07:30It's really beautiful, Cindy.
07:34Just a minute, Roddy.
07:35That night,
07:38nobody could have been ready
07:39for that moment.
07:41Please, please.
07:42I know even though,
07:43even though it was me
07:45that set this up,
07:47and it was me that started it,
07:49I want to present you with this.
07:51The main trust was there.
07:52They all hated me.
07:53This is just icing on the cake.
07:56Oh, look out!
07:59Captain Lou Albano, clover!
08:01I heard Roddy Piper once say
08:03that was the biggest moment
08:05of his career.
08:06Pure pandemonium.
08:08Look at Roddy Piper's
08:09just gone bananas!
08:11David Woot trying to come
08:13to the rescue,
08:13but he's no match!
08:16Oh, he pile drives it
08:17right down into the canvas!
08:19Roddy Piper's gone crazy here!
08:21It caught me off guard.
08:23I didn't think any way
08:24Piper's gonna come out
08:25and ruin this moment.
08:26It's just insanity.
08:27Look out!
08:28The Hucksters!
08:29Hitting the ring!
08:31Cindy Lauper is down!
08:34I kicked Cindy Lauper.
08:36I said to myself,
08:38the end of her career
08:40could be the beginning of yours.
08:43Things like that
08:44made Roddy the ultimate rebel.
08:47What a despicable,
08:48disgraceful display
08:50on the part of Roddy Piper!
08:54In 1986,
08:56Rowdy Roddy Piper
08:57took a brief absence
08:58from WWE
08:59and thus Piper's pit
09:00was no more.
09:01Upon his return,
09:02Piper was shocked
09:03to find his beloved pit
09:04replaced by the flower shop
09:05hosted by the adorable one,
09:07Adrian Adonis.
09:08I'm here
09:09to take my show back
09:11and the first thing
09:12that has to go
09:13are these damn flowers!
09:16Aided by Don Morocco
09:17and cowboy Bob Orton,
09:19Adonis brought the pain
09:20to the hot rod.
09:21But Roddy Piper
09:22is a man of pride.
09:23Do you think
09:24for one second
09:25hot rod will be humiliated
09:27by someone
09:27who wears a dress
09:28look like someone
09:29shot the curtains
09:30and daisy?
09:30With over 93,000
09:32screaming fans
09:33in attendance
09:33at WrestleMania 3,
09:35it would be billed
09:36as Roddy Piper's farewell
09:37to in-ring competition.
09:42This one's underway.
09:44And there ain't gonna be
09:44much holes in this one.
09:46This is gonna be a fight,
09:47Gorilla.
09:47It's the retirement match,
09:49WrestleMania 3,
09:50Adrian Adonis.
09:51And I knew there's nothing
09:53he wouldn't do.
09:54He's so good
09:55and he's so tough.
09:57Roddy,
09:58just about out of this,
09:59doesn't have a clue
10:00where he is.
10:01They went at it pretty hard.
10:03They were amped
10:04and ready to go.
10:05I think they fell off
10:06each other too.
10:08Oh!
10:08Both go over
10:09the top and down!
10:10It was so loud.
10:12They gave me
10:14probably the most memorable
10:15time in my career.
10:17Right in the middle
10:18of the ring.
10:19Roddy Roddy
10:20with a sleeper.
10:21That's it!
10:22The adorable one
10:23has been put on
10:23and the victor
10:24Roddy Roddy Piper!
10:26I win the match
10:28in WrestleMania 3
10:28and 93,000 people
10:31standing on their feet.
10:33It's the nicest
10:34confident that you can get.
10:36And only they
10:37could give me that.
10:39And they did that.
10:41For that,
10:41I'm ever grateful.
10:42I think that's the kindest
10:44thing that's ever happened
10:45to my career.
10:46Standing ovation!
10:4790,000 plus
10:48on their feet
10:49for the hot rod!
10:52Roddy Piper's
10:53Hall of Fame career
10:54had been built
10:54in the back
10:55of his rage-inducing persona,
10:56more so than
10:57his accolades
10:58in the ring.
10:58I was Rowdy
10:59before Rowdy was cool!
11:02But that's not to say
11:03his trophy case is empty.
11:05The 1992 Royal Rumble,
11:07Piper took on
11:08Intercontinental Champion
11:09the Mountie.
11:10emerged victorious,
11:11capturing gold
11:12for the first time
11:13in WWE.
11:14We have a new
11:15Intercontinental Champion!
11:17In front of 60,000
11:19screaming fans
11:20at WrestleMania 8,
11:21the hot rod
11:22would defend
11:23his new title
11:23in a contest
11:24with Bret,
11:25the Hitman Hart.
11:26I want to win back
11:27the Intercontinental Belt.
11:28You got it.
11:29I'm gonna take it.
11:31When it came time
11:32for the two to be
11:32face-to-face,
11:33things got heated.
11:37Both guys will pull out
11:39all the stops.
11:40Here we go!
11:41Here we go!
11:43It was an important story
11:44for Roddy to tell.
11:45He was a mentor to me,
11:46and our person always
11:48change when we have to
11:48fight each other.
11:49What a sucker shot!
11:51Bret showing Piper,
11:53not only can I keep up
11:54with you,
11:55I can beat you.
11:56I think the Hitman
11:58hurt his shoulder!
12:00He's gone!
12:01A small package!
12:02He's gone!
12:03In the center!
12:04What a great move!
12:06It was one of the best
12:08storytelling matches.
12:10It brought out the heel
12:12part of Roddy again
12:13a little bit.
12:14Oh, referee!
12:15Got caught right in the middle
12:16there!
12:17He's got the bell!
12:19I was gonna hit him
12:19over the head with a bell,
12:20and people were screaming,
12:22don't do it, don't do it.
12:23He's having second thoughts!
12:26Oh, what a second of the
12:27And they literally
12:28made him throw that
12:29out of the way!
12:31Oh, look at that move!
12:33Off the turnbuckle!
12:34He's on!
12:36It was Roddy that really
12:37was the first
12:38big-name wrestler
12:39to put me over.
12:41History's been made
12:42here in the Hooterdale!
12:44It's really cool
12:45that Piper at that stage
12:46of his career
12:47could essentially
12:48steal the show
12:49because sometimes
12:50when you think of
12:50one thing that they're
12:51really good at,
12:52Piper, oh, he's a good
12:53talker, he's a good
12:54talker, you have to have
12:55matches like this
12:56every now and then
12:56just to let people know
12:57and remind them
12:58that you can do more.
13:04Roddy Piper was the
13:05lightning rod for
13:05stirring up anger,
13:06placing him right at
13:07home in the
13:08counterculture of
13:09the 1980s.
13:10I realize that your
13:12ears are all nasty
13:13and naughty, I know
13:15that your nose is
13:16smeared all over
13:17your face!
13:18Eventually, Piper's
13:19gift of gab granted
13:20him an audience with
13:20talk show host and
13:21fellow instigator
13:22Morton Downey Jr.
13:24at WrestleMania V.
13:30The fun has just begun.
13:32Back in the day when
13:33Piper had Morton Downey Jr.
13:35on the show, he was red
13:36hot back then.
13:37How do you call yourself
13:38Morton Downey Jr.?
13:40That's the name your
13:41mama wanted to call me
13:42from the husband who
13:43reared me.
13:46The number one syndicated
13:48talk show at the time.
13:54Mr. Downey, I'd really
13:56appreciate it if you
13:57wouldn't do that again.
13:59Smoke?
14:00Yeah, especially blow it in
14:01my face.
14:02I said, don't blow smoke
14:03in my face.
14:05You blew smoke?
14:06All right, you jerk.
14:07Don't blow no more
14:09smoke in my face.
14:10He kept blowing smoke
14:11into Roddy's face and
14:13Roddy, of course, is who
14:14he is.
14:16You know, that's like the
14:17fourth time you've done
14:18that.
14:19Smoke all you want, but
14:20I'm going to show you
14:21what the wrestling business
14:22is really all about.
14:23And Piper did.
14:25Give me that smoke,
14:26would you?
14:27Yeah-ha!
14:29Yeah-ha!
14:30Yeah-ha!
14:31Fischer right in the
14:32kisser!
14:33I don't think Morton
14:34Downey ever been treated
14:35this way before.
14:37I always give him a good
14:37beginning and a great
14:38ending, and I'll forgive
14:39a lot in between.
14:40I think the cigarette's
14:41out now.
14:43You fool with me, you'll
14:44find out that my fists are
14:45as fast as my lips,
14:46brother.
14:47Before making his way
14:48to WWE, Piper was
14:49embroiled in one of the
14:50most heated rivalries of
14:51his career, with one
14:53Greg the Hammer
14:54Valentine.
14:54And he was known as the
14:56Hammer for good reason.
14:57If you can't take the
14:59pounding, get out of the
15:00ring.
15:00I feel that it's time
15:02to draw a line on
15:03Valentine!
15:04At Starrcade 1983,
15:06Valentine and Piper
15:07would settle their
15:07differences chained
15:08together in one of the
15:10most brutal face-offs
15:11you'll ever see, a
15:12ruthless dog-caller
15:14match.
15:17Both of these wrestlers
15:19will be chained to each
15:20other around the neck,
15:21no disqualification to
15:23a finish!
15:25The meanest, nastiest, most
15:28brutal match you can think
15:29of.
15:30I can't imagine two men
15:32linked together like this
15:33in Mortal Kombat.
15:35They wanted to go out there
15:36and steal it, and they did.
15:38The match cannot be stopped,
15:39there's got to be a winner!
15:41Roddy was a great wrestler,
15:42but he was never really solid
15:43and stiff like I was.
15:45But that night, he was.
15:49Roddy Piper right here could be
15:50in real danger, fans.
15:53That ear of his very
15:54definitely badly damaged at this
15:56point.
15:57Broke the eardrum.
15:58My ear is bleeding from here
16:00all the way down to my leg.
16:02Catches him with a chain
16:03once again and again, and
16:04Valentine goes face forward.
16:06They wanted to make sure
16:07that the fans knew that they
16:09were the real deal.
16:10You could see how brutal
16:11that match was.
16:16He got the pick!
16:18That's what makes a great
16:19match.
16:20You never quit.
16:21You never give up.
16:23Roddy Piper did it.
16:25Roddy Piper did it.
16:27He got the pick!
16:31From its inception,
16:33Piper's Pit was the place to
16:34be for any WWE superstar
16:36wanting to speak their mind.
16:37What an idiot!
16:38Are you kidding me?
16:40Over the years, the show
16:41created a wealth of
16:42unforgettable segments,
16:43but are perhaps none more
16:45famous than the 1984
16:46appearance of Superfly
16:48Jimmy Snuka.
16:51This guy here comes, I
16:52don't know, maybe comes
16:53sniveling to the people,
16:55comes and cries,
16:56woo-hoo!
16:57Roddy Piper didn't give me a
16:58chance to say nothing on the
17:00bit.
17:00One of the most iconic
17:02moments in WWE history
17:05was the Piper's Pit with
17:07Jimmy Snuka.
17:08I'll tell you what, man,
17:10here you go.
17:10Take the little microphone,
17:12there you go, put it in the
17:13little greasy pot.
17:15I get this bag from Hanks
17:17with pineapple.
17:18Watch it feel at home,
17:20watch it feel like the
17:21Fiji island.
17:22Bananas.
17:23You want a banana?
17:24Have a banana.
17:25Coconut's in it.
17:27Ah, more coconut.
17:29I'm driving coconut
17:30pieces.
17:30Are you trying to disrespect
17:32me, brother?
17:34Am I making fun of you?
17:36No, no, no, no, no.
17:39No, sir.
17:40No, sir.
17:41No, sir.
17:41What?
17:42Oh!
17:46He was that guy,
17:48and he loved to be
17:50despised.
17:51He was the perfect heel.
17:55With Rowdy Roddy Piper,
17:57you never knew what he was
17:58going to do.
17:58This time, Rowdy Roddy Piper
18:00created a moment that only
18:02Rowdy Roddy Piper can create.
18:07It's now time for our
18:09number one moment, and it's
18:10one that propelled WWE into
18:12the mainstream media
18:13stratosphere.
18:15WWE had found its very own
18:16Superman and the immortal
18:18Hulk Hogan.
18:19Train, say your prayers,
18:21eat your vitamins, and
18:22believe in yourself, brother.
18:24But what is Superman without
18:25his greatest foe?
18:27And who better to step into
18:28that role than the white pot
18:30instigator, Rowdy Roddy Piper?
18:32All of a sudden, this
18:33Hulkamania is going wild all
18:35over the place, and he's
18:37becoming a legend.
18:38Their bitter rivalry would be
18:39a fixture of pop culture.
18:41The aptly named War to Settle
18:43the Score, airing exclusively
18:45on MTV.
18:48Tonight on MTV.
18:50What really was the match
18:52that captured the tension
18:55was the war to settle the score.
18:58It was just like throwing
18:59big tanks of gas on the fire.
19:01We knew once MTV got on board,
19:04this thing was going to be a
19:05monster.
19:07We have got access.
19:09We're running.
19:10Whenever I went in there
19:11against Piper, it was always a war.
19:14Oh, what a shootout, ladies and gentlemen.
19:18Eventually, during the match,
19:21all hell breaks loose.
19:23Look out!
19:24On door!
19:24Oh, come on.
19:25Oh, please.
19:26Look out!
19:27Oh!
19:28You've got to be kidding me!
19:30Here comes Mr. Key, ladies and gentlemen!
19:32There's no villain better
19:34than the hot rod, Rowdy Piper.
19:36He's the perfect guy to reach out
19:39to that pop culture,
19:40that MTV crowd,
19:41and draw them into the wrestling world.
19:43We've got a madhouse here.
19:44We have come back now!
19:45Come on!
19:46Security holding everyone back!
19:47If you ain't got enough guts
19:49to fight me one-on-one, mister,
19:50then take a hike
19:51and lead the title with me!
19:56Piper and Hogan's encounter
19:58set the wrestling world ablaze,
19:59leaving audiences everywhere
20:01wanting more.
20:02It's setting the stage
20:03for the granddaddy of them all,
20:05the very first Wrestlemania,
20:07The often-imitated,
20:09never-duplicated Roddy Piper
20:10was certainly a force
20:11to be reckoned with in WWE.
20:13Thriving on the pure emotions
20:15he generated in audiences,
20:17Piper reached heights
20:18that some could only dream of.
20:20Well, that'll do it
20:20for this edition
20:21of WWE's Greatest Moments.
20:23I hope you've enjoyed
20:24this look back
20:25at the incredible career
20:26of one of the most appealing
20:27antagonists
20:28in professional wrestling history,
20:30Rowdy.
20:31Roddy Piper.
20:32Rowdy!
20:33Rowdy!
20:34Rowdy!
20:36Rowdy!
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