The older I get I still can’t believe the people I know or related too or I looked up too or watched on TV die. It is still a weird concept to me. Hard to explain I just have that weird frame of mind that everyone is going to live forever so it’s always a surprise when someone dies. I mean honestly did anyone see this one coming? Hell fucking John Carpenter out lived him! It wasn’t even what a month or two ago we were all talking about the death of Dusty Rhodes and Christopher Lee. That was a surprise also and not just to me. But I think the biggest surprise about hearing the news of Roddy Piper dying is it was cardiac arrest. What? Not cancer, not partying with Ric Flair, not being on the list of wrestlers that abused steroids and died at a young age, not being attacked by a crazy wrestling fan because he pushed peoples’ buttons in the heyday of 1980s, not cancer a second time… That is just wrong. It does not seem fitting for the wrestler, turned actor, turned back to wrestler, turned great family dude. Roddy was a rare breed: he started wrestling professionally when he turned 15, didn’t finish school, went up and down the road with the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, The Road Warriors, and many others and took a beating to learn the ropes. And then someone gave him a microphone and it was history. Roddy was not only able to be considered a pioneer with his Piper’s Pit segments but was able to survive the heyday of rock and wrestling days and have an acting career. Mr. Piper was able to do things his way whether people liked it or not but the one thing he got was respect of everyone. To be able to live a hard life like he did, beat cancer twice, be known as one the biggest villains in wrestling of all time, star in an iconic John Carpenter film, and to have a good family life after wrestling is just amazing and I admire Roddy Piper for that. And for starring in the B-film “Hell Comes to Frogtown” and the 80s classic “Body Slam”… Go ahead laugh but after standing line at a convention two years to meet the ‘Rowdy One’ he proved to me why I admired him so much as a person. Mr. Piper not only signed my copy of “They Live” but I show him a copy of “Hell Comes to Frogtown”. Piper shows it to his kid, laughs hard, and starts telling a story of how bad it was on set. Piper said “he would not change anything” and admires me for just enjoying the movie for what it is and explains this is why he enjoys meeting fans. Mr. Piper where ever you are in the afterlife I hope people are thanking you for making the eye gouge famous in wrestling and people are lining up to be hit in the head with coconuts. But Rowdy Roddy Piper thank you for making an impression on a young wrestling fan in the early 80s for just being you, living the way you wanted, and enjoying every second of it. I don’t get upset too much but sorry people I shed a tear when I heard this earth would no longer have the “Rowdy One”. Wrestling and Frogtown will never be the same may you live forever in our memories sir. Rest in Peace.