Last night at WrestleMania Axxess, WWE officially unveiled their latest bronze Hall of Fame statue, which depicts the legendary Rowdy Roddy Piper in his classic “Hot Rod” T-shirt and kilt, holding his bagpipes under one arm. Grinning with his proud 1980s mullet, the statue does look very much like the Piper we all remember (even me, and I wasn’t watching wrestling at the time).
Check out the unveiling itself thanks to WWE’s YouTube channel:
Jimmy Hart, Ricky Steamboat, Sting, and 2019 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Brutus Beefcake were all in attendance. Roddy’s widow Kitty Toombs was also there, smiling as she looked over the statue from all sides. Some of his grown children were in the ring as well.
Unveiling a statue for the WWE Hall of Fame (which currently doesn’t have a permanent location) has become a staple of WrestleMania weekend. Previously unveiled statues included André the Giant, Rick Flair, and Dusty Rhodes. Roddy Piper is certainly a worthy addition, as one of the best-remembered WWF wrestlers of the 1980s, with a prominent role in the first few WrestleManias.
Rowdy Roddy Piper also has a connection to the main event of WrestleMania 35. His legacy of immense anti-hero charisma has been carried forward by Becky Lynch, while Ronda Rousey has taken his nickname and dresses like him.
