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Roddy Piper Talks Hall of Fame, Flair vs. Bret and Suggests A Match For Him In WWE To Draw Money

Posted: Aug 8th 2009 By: CMBurnham

Brace yourselves Mayhem Nation, as it was indeed time for history in the making: the first-ever appearance of "The Rowdy One," "Rowdy" Roddy Piper on "Your Home Of Wrestling Radio." Roddy wished to thank Monday Night Mayhem for their hospitality & facilitating a way to let his legions of fans in North America know of his next venture, appearing & signing autographs at this weekend's Chicago "Wizard World" convention (courtesy of Turnbuckle Promotions & Jason Blaustein), along with the rest of his family: his son (Colt) & his daughters (Ariel/Falon) -- along with his family where he will be making an appearance & signing autographs, which may very well be the first time Piper's fans & his family will be together ever. Piper is indeed looking forward to a return to "The Windy City" for himself, his children, & his passionate fans: "I'm not sure for the Toombs clan." He added, "You may see a different Roddy Piper there. I have always kept my family & my business apart. In going to Chicago, I'm so protective of them. I don't know exactly how its gonna' play out."

Recently, there had been some reports circulating that a possible return to World Wrestling Entertainment was imminent for Piper, and with "The Biggest Party Of The Summer" (SummerSlam) almost two weeks away & with WWE using "Guest Hosts" on RAW on a regular basis, that question was asked to him by The Mayhem Crew: Will be be seeing a future/full-time run back in the WWE for "Rowdy" Roddy Piper? "I wasn't wild about WrestleMania XXV to put it mildly. There's not a chance in hell that that's the last way you're gonna' see me. There will definitely be a return of Roddy Piper...and sooner than later. How many more fights I have in me, I don't know." He went on to talk about a match that he knows would draw money. "You got Vince McMahon who's done a great job of promoting, who became a bodybuilder, and the last I saw him, I think he's convinced himself he could fight now. I say this...why don't you just put Roddy Piper & Vince McMahon in the ring. Put a million dollars in a Halliburton in the corner & Cobra Shelby to drive away. And the guy that can walk away and take that Halliburton & that Cobra Shelby is the winner. The other guy don't get nothing."

In recent weeks, Piper's long-time friends/colleagues/fellow WWE Hall Of Famers, Bret "Hitman" Hart & "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, have been involved in a "war of words" about each other, their respective legacies in the business, as well as their drawing power. Piper is close friends with both superstars, and he was about the situation by MNM's "Chairman Of The Board" Todd Vincent for his candid takes. "Obviously I have an allegiance to both those fellas...Ric Flair & I have been together some. So as Bret Hart & I. I find that I have many, many things inside me that have gone wrong that I've harbored & been angry about in the business for somebody, against somebody else or a promoter or a situation. I think if I was doing an intervention I would have to say that both Ric Flair & Bret Hart were two of the greatest wrestlers in our business, they both had their unique styles, they both have made a lot of money. Whatever the original difference of opinion was, you know what, let it go... Life's too short. Stop it."

In just mere days, World Wrestling Entertainment will be releasing "The Rise And Fall Of WCW" DVD, which is eagerly being sought after as one of the most-anticipated DVD release in recent history for wrestling fans, both past & present. Piper was in World Championship Wrestling during the heyday of "The Monday Night Wars," and he was asked by Mosh & Blade for his feelings about the promotion (looking back on his time there) & whether, to this day, the company has received a bad rap overall, with not enough positive memories about it & most people focusing on the negative end of what went down. "First of all, an interesting piece of math: When WCW was going out of business, they were getting a 2.2 share, and the WWE was getting a 3.5. The last Monday, and it collapses. Come the next Monday, you go look at the WWE ratings, their ratings went up to a 3.7. And then the next week, came back to settle at a 3.5. The point of the matter is you got 2.2 out there that didn't want WWE...not even when WCW was gone. They just went away. So WCW had a fan- following of its own. There's a population out there that loved WCW, and when it went away, they went away with it according to the numbers." And whether he will be watching the DVD and if some of the good of WCW will be shown: "I think it would be a shame if it didn't. You can't take a look at WCW & tear it apart. If you're doing that & just tearing it apart, I don't it escalates the WWE at all. I will be taking a look at it, and I would hope, if the WWE has the class to portray it exactly how it happened, then good for you WWE. You need to be able give someone a pat on the back."

Piper went on to add his thoughts on the way World Championship Wrestling was run during that time. "Crime....They were something like 80 million in the good one year & next year 60 million in the bad...whatever it was. What happened there was the tail started wagging the dog. They were doing things like booking by committee. You can't book by committee. There's gotta' be a chief, and the chief has to know what he's doing."

Blade asked Roddy about the young crop of current superstars/wrestlers that are performing today & who he follows closely in both the WWE & TNA. "I think Jeff Hardy is outstanding, not only as a man but as a athlete. Randy Orton, he'll be talking to you like this someday. People that excite me...I'll tell ya, Jeff Hardy is hard to beat. Cena...I think Cena's too company. I don't mean he is personally, I think they whitewashed him too much. I think if they let Cena go a bit, he would do even better than he's doing."

As many long-time fans of Piper are very well aware of, Roddy is a proud member of the "Class Of 2004" in the WWE Hall Of Fame. Fans have suggested over the years, including many loyal members of The Mayhem Nation, that the current inductees into the WWE HOF should have a vote in future classes, as to who gets selected. Piper was asked if he had three votes, who would he choose to go in & join him in the WWE Hall Of Fame. "I think Bruno Samartino should be in the Hall Of Fame. Whatever you think about him, the guy sold-out Madison Square Garden so many times. Trying to pick three in really tough for me." He mentioned that "it's a crime that Ted DiBiase ('The Million Dollar Man') is not in the Hall Of Fame." He added, "You can't make that Hall Of Fame a piece of commercial. Something's gotta' be pure. Howard Finkel: I love him to death, but he's not a wrestler. What's he doing in the Hall Of Fame? I'm not knocking Howard, I'm just saying some things have nothing to do with business. It's about your honor, your grace, & your class. And that's what this Hall Of Fame should stay as." He mentioned that maybe not having the Hall Of Fame one year would keep it pure & mean more.

More is contained in this exclusive 90+ minute interview with the legendary "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, including his uncensored comments on TNA establishing themselves as something different to the WWE, why him & Mr. T are still at odds, what he feels are/have been the differences between SummerSlam & WrestleMania as an event, why he strongly believes that Ted Turner was good for the wrestling business, the impressions ECW gave him during their "Glory Days," how important Pat Patterson was to the WWE's success, & his thoughts about unions in wrestling (and if there's any chance whatsoever of one still forming, & so much more. Indeed the very best interview in the near eight-year history of "Your Home Of Wrestling Radio." This is one interview that The Mayhem Nation will be talking about for weeks, months, & years to come! The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network turning into "Piper's Pit."

Once again, be sure to check out "The Rowdy One" at the forthcoming "Wizard World" convention (this Friday through Sunday) in Chicago, IL (appearing courtesy of Turnbuckle Promotions), where he will be making an appearance & signing autographs, along with his son (Colt) & his daughters (Ariel/Falon). For more information on the weekend's festivities & which other celebrities/superstars will be joining "The Hot Rod," log onto www.WizardWorld.com & www.TurnbucklePromotions.com.

Tags: Roddy Piper, WWE, Ric Flair, WCW, TNA, Ted DiBiase, ECW, Pat Patterson