Two down, one to go. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, one of
the most hated
wrestlers of the modern era, is now cheered across the country, if not the
world, from Connecticut to California, and all points in between. He's operating
as a lone wolf under the World Championship Wrestling banner, but not as a WCW
supporter. Nor is he a New World Order product. Piper is Piper, an aggressive,
fearless, determined brawler with a stone cold stare. He could care less about
anyone or anything in the ring that might step in his way. He's Chris Benoit
with
about 15-plus years of experience on The Crippler.
Piper is The Icon of our sport, a title he's earned,
not something
that's just self-implied. Since the bagpipes first played in WCW last
Halloween Havoc in Las Vegas, Piper has gone on to defeat
"Hollywood" Hulk Hogan twice and, at the mid-July Bash At The Beach
"Nature Boy" Ric Flair. The only legend left for Piper is "Macho Man" Randy
Savage.
"Most folks don't understand that I'm a little more
premeditated than
they think. They think I'm very impromptu. But, believe it or not, I think
quite a bit. Yes, I do have more than one brain cell," Piper said, smiling.
"If I have to prove myself against every successful wrestler, then I will
do that.
"The reason I came to the forum of WCW was not to
become a
WCW-ite, although I have nothing against them nor anything for them.
It was to prove my own agenda and that (agenda) is, who is the best
in the history of pro wrestling?"
Is it Hulk Hogan? Piper beat him at Starcade last
December in
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Nashville, then again at SuperBrawl in February in San Francisco.
Score one for the Hot Rod. Is it Ric Flair? Piper beat him at Bash at the
Beach. Score two for Piper.
Where's "Macho Man" Randy Savage? "Hogan was
hanging out in his
30-foot limos or his private dressing room, gloating about how great he is.
Well hang on, pal. Who started this whole escalation of wrestling in the
beginning?
If it wasn't for 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, the person everyone loved to hate,
who would
Hulk Hogan be?" Piper said. "I got tired of listening to Hulk Hogan his claims
that he
is the reason all of the wrestling fans are there.
In reality, it's the reverse. The reason Hogan is what
he is today is
because of the wrestling fans. I realize that, Hogan doesn't. "I'm not
sure I want a shot
at Randy Savage. The word 'Madness' on his tights isn't just a catchy name or
something
Randy just made up; that's for real. Randy Savage is a real intense guy and, so
far, hasn't
given me any problems. He has his hands full with Diamond Dallas Page
anyway."
Piper added, "let's face facts,
It's about ego between
all of us. We've all
got enough money to survive on for the rest of our lives. What we're doing
now is securing our place in the history of this sport. Piper, Flair, Hogan,
Savage... that's how the sport will remember us, in that exact order."
(After that, Piper tabbed Andre The Giant. "God bless his soul."
So, Roddy, do you need a win over Savage to secure
your Icon crown in
this sport?
Piper paused, then spoke, "Savage and I are very much
the same kind
of fighter. It would be a brutal match, I'll tell you that. There are times
when you have two proud individuals with proud reputations... well, they
don't wanna go against each other. That may be the case with Piper
and Savage. Regardless, it would be the kind of fight that you come
in a whole man and leave a half of man; you'd leave in pieces,"
Piper has won twice over Hogan, the World Heavyweight
Champion, yet
failed to claim the gold. In fact, his days with a title around his waist are
few and far between. Piper's best victories have been street fights, not
necessarily title matches. But that should change. Piper has proven
himself, proven he's worth of a no disqualification cage match with
Hogan, or whoever the World Heavyweight Champion is. Piper is
getting up there in age and he's operating on a titanium hip; his active
wrestling days have to be numbered. So, perhaps for that reason
alone, Piper deserves a final shot at the gold. A match with no interference
from The NWO. A match with no shenanigans from the likes of Eric Bischoff.
"So one thought of the word icon until I came along,"
Piper is quick
to point out. "Hogan and I then had a match last year to determine who
was/is the real icon. I won. After that, everyone wanted to be an icon."
Let's see, Savage writes ICON on the tape on his fist, Hogan has ring
entrance music claiming he is The Real Icon. Piper, though is the real
deal,
the real ICON.
All that's left for him now is to retain icon status.
