What do you think?
Rate this book
In the Pit with Piper
Here, in his own words, is the story of one of the greatest wrestlers ever-Rowdy Roddy Piper. The bagpipe-playing legend gets down and dirty about the world of professional wrestling-and his own career.
He takes readers back to his life as a teenage runaway and his first match, when he stepped into the ring for $25. He recalls his triumph as the youngest World Light Heavyweight Champion, and how he helped make the World Wrestling Federation the phenomenon it is today with little more than a microphone stand and a bow tie.
From a man who joined the game long before it emerged as big-time entertainment comes a story that tells it like it is-and that's filled with as much excitement as the jam-packed arenas where he fought his fiercest foes.
He takes readers back to his life as a teenage runaway and his first match, when he stepped into the ring for $25. He recalls his triumph as the youngest World Light Heavyweight Champion, and how he helped make the World Wrestling Federation the phenomenon it is today with little more than a microphone stand and a bow tie.
From a man who joined the game long before it emerged as big-time entertainment comes a story that tells it like it is-and that's filled with as much excitement as the jam-packed arenas where he fought his fiercest foes.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2002
23 people are currently reading
573 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 25, 2017
As the third greatest sports entertainer in the realm of professional wrestling in the 1980s, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper puts forth a compelling autobiography in "In the Pit with Piper." Though I rank Piper as the third greatest performer of the '80s following Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan, Piper's book ranks slightly above Hogan's two autobiographies though both fall far below the threshold that Flair set with the masterpiece "To Be the Man." However, Piper stands alone among these legends as his book was created outside the authority of any wrestling federation; thus, the true feelings of a man in the wrestling scene of both the territorial and WWF-takeover eras of the 1970s and '80s is finally shared with the public! Piper proves that he, indeed, was the biggest rebel in the history of professional wrestling.
Piper does a fantastic job in detailing his early wrestling career on the West Coast and his significant role in the main event of the first Wrestlemania. He is also quite successful in covering his experiences with various promoters like Vince McMahon and Jim Crockett, wrestlers such as Adrian Adonis, Andre the Giant, and Ric Flair, and the institutional-wide plague which he calls "The Sickness." However, "Rowdy" fails his readers in some areas of his life - such as his childhood and acting career - that lack details or any coverage whatsoever; however, as he is writing this book from pure memory and not a print or audio journal such as Bret Hart, Piper gets a small pass in my eyes. (Sometimes, though, it would be nice for Piper to add more details rather than assuming the reader knows the entire background of the situation - I got lost several times when Piper went from point to point with little to no explanation.) Nonetheless, as both a avid reader and wrestling fan, Piper's repetitiveness throughout the book - even in consecutive paragraphs!, inconsistencies or over-exaggerations on recalling well-known events such as "kicking" Cyndi Lauper, never once identifying the year a certain event or chapter occurred in, and finally, the lack of a good, fulfilling conclusion, all hurt Piper's book in my eyes.
Piper proves himself as an old-school wrestler who was dedicated to all aspects of this profession, especially upholding its pride and realism. "Rowdy" truly lived the ultimate rags-to-riches story, though he never sacrificed his moral composition to further himself in any way. More than anything else, Piper's message to both potential wrestlers and wrestling fans alike regarding promoters and his unique perspective on the very real epidemic of "The Sickness" remains the greatest contribution of this entire book. Unfortunately, "Rowdy" also became a victim of the thing he so accurately observed, though not before he put the whole world on alert. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper may have cherished being the biggest rebel in the history of professional wrestling, but he also truly had a heart of gold who stood up for both his personal and professional family in even the most dire of circumstances. "Hot Rod", thank you for the memories!
Piper does a fantastic job in detailing his early wrestling career on the West Coast and his significant role in the main event of the first Wrestlemania. He is also quite successful in covering his experiences with various promoters like Vince McMahon and Jim Crockett, wrestlers such as Adrian Adonis, Andre the Giant, and Ric Flair, and the institutional-wide plague which he calls "The Sickness." However, "Rowdy" fails his readers in some areas of his life - such as his childhood and acting career - that lack details or any coverage whatsoever; however, as he is writing this book from pure memory and not a print or audio journal such as Bret Hart, Piper gets a small pass in my eyes. (Sometimes, though, it would be nice for Piper to add more details rather than assuming the reader knows the entire background of the situation - I got lost several times when Piper went from point to point with little to no explanation.) Nonetheless, as both a avid reader and wrestling fan, Piper's repetitiveness throughout the book - even in consecutive paragraphs!, inconsistencies or over-exaggerations on recalling well-known events such as "kicking" Cyndi Lauper, never once identifying the year a certain event or chapter occurred in, and finally, the lack of a good, fulfilling conclusion, all hurt Piper's book in my eyes.
Piper proves himself as an old-school wrestler who was dedicated to all aspects of this profession, especially upholding its pride and realism. "Rowdy" truly lived the ultimate rags-to-riches story, though he never sacrificed his moral composition to further himself in any way. More than anything else, Piper's message to both potential wrestlers and wrestling fans alike regarding promoters and his unique perspective on the very real epidemic of "The Sickness" remains the greatest contribution of this entire book. Unfortunately, "Rowdy" also became a victim of the thing he so accurately observed, though not before he put the whole world on alert. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper may have cherished being the biggest rebel in the history of professional wrestling, but he also truly had a heart of gold who stood up for both his personal and professional family in even the most dire of circumstances. "Hot Rod", thank you for the memories!
March 27, 2024
I didn’t really know shit about wrestling or think I’d care about wrestling before reading this book. I knew Roddy Piper was a famous wrestler from around the Hulk Hogan era but I mostly knew him from various movies and shows like They Live and his episodes of It’s Always Sunny. The creators of It’s Always Sunny were who I first heard this book recommended from so I gave it a blind shot and I’m so glad I did. This might be the most entertainingly fast paced autobiography I’ve ever read while still being incredibly informative and at times oddly poignant. Piper says in the beginning it’s all from memory so I’m sure there’s a grain of salt element here especially with his built up ego but damn is it fun. Anecdote after anecdote after anecdote in a mostly chronological order. This dudes life and career were insane.
Even if you think you don’t care about wrestling at all (like I thought) I highly recommend giving this a shot. It’s so well paced and accessible that you’ll know by 10-15 pages in if you’ll be into it or not
Even if you think you don’t care about wrestling at all (like I thought) I highly recommend giving this a shot. It’s so well paced and accessible that you’ll know by 10-15 pages in if you’ll be into it or not
August 28, 2017
Along with comedians, another genre of stories I love are the lives of professional wrestlers. Having been a fan for over 30 years, I grew up watching a lot of them in their prime, as they aged and sadly, as they die way too soon.
Rowdy Roddy Piper was my absolute favorite. Loved everything about him, and the fact that he reveled in being the bad guy. Wrestling stories are only as compelling as the villain in the equation. That being said, while I liked this book a lot, when I was done I couldn't help but feel there was something missing and there were many stories that could have been told but weren't.
I was legitimately sad when he passed. The common thread of all of these stories is how the lifestyle takes years off of their lives. He was a legend in the business, and wrestling's popularity is owed in large part to him.
Rowdy Roddy Piper was my absolute favorite. Loved everything about him, and the fact that he reveled in being the bad guy. Wrestling stories are only as compelling as the villain in the equation. That being said, while I liked this book a lot, when I was done I couldn't help but feel there was something missing and there were many stories that could have been told but weren't.
I was legitimately sad when he passed. The common thread of all of these stories is how the lifestyle takes years off of their lives. He was a legend in the business, and wrestling's popularity is owed in large part to him.
October 3, 2020
THIS IS A REVIEW FOR IN THE PIT WITH PIPER (2002) as well as ROWDY: THE RODDY PIPER STORY (2015) THERE ARE MANY SIMILARITIES, BUT ALSO SOME QUESTIONABLE INFORMATION in the first book. Up for you to decide...
In the Pit with Piper was an autobiography written by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in 2002. He had left home at the age of 13 and lived on the streets of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in Canada (unlike Scotland as was always announced prior to matches. His name wasn't even Roddy Piper--it was Roderick George Toombs--but, while living in an Indian reservation called La Pas in Manitoba when he was only 5-6 years old, he was taught how to play the bagpipes. Heading out on his own at age 13, he hitchhiked and played the bagpipe for loose change so he could pay to spend the night in a youth hostel. One of the youth hostels had an amateur league coach and Piper excelled.
Needless to say, Roddy's life was a difficult one, but a memorable one and he became quite the legion: "the man people loved to hate" since he was good in the ring, but even better on the microphone-adlibbing his lines and getting everyone worked up.
This, of course, led to Piper's Pit--a brief "talk show" where he "interviewed" other wrestlers using his sharp wit and rapid-fire banter without letting them get a word in edgewise, and then often getting violent. But the audience loved hating him!
He talks about his life wrestling, about his family--his wife, Kitty, and his four children--and how difficult it was to balance the two--and the dreaded "P" [the promoters). He also delved into some very dark places like "The Sickness" as he coined it and how it caused the untimely deaths of so many dear friends and other wrestlers who the promoters insisted that they wrestle--sick or injured--or find anther job .
Roddy's body was physically and emotionally taking its toll as the wrestling day and after was getting to him--as was the death of his friends and colleagues ("Frat Brothers" they called themselves), and he was running out of steam. Even taking some time off to so do a few movies like "Hell Comes to Frog Comes to Frogtown" and John Carpenter's "They Live", he was always drawn back to wrestling. But so much had changed since he'd been gone and now he was seen as "the good guy" while the now all-in-black "Hollywood Hogan", leader of the NWO--the New World Order had gone "to the dark side".
And, although he wrestled several more years, time catches up with everyone and the enormous damage done to his body (numerous broken bones, uncounted concussions, a plane crash, knife wounds, car accidents, titanium hip replacement, busted eardrum... and so much more...) although his heart wanted to continue, his body finally had to call it quits.
Roddy started writing a second book in Feb 2015-- called "Rowdy: The Roddy Piper Story", although he had stopped using "Rowdy" and had given the namesake of "Rowdy" to UFC star Ronda Rousey. The first book he had written had a lot of "cover story" in it--the things you're not supposed to say--and he wanted to set things straight.
And without wrestling, he still kept busy with the book, but also doing doing podcasts, even some standup comedy, and charity work involving hospitalized children that he had been doing for decades. And he had been enjoying spending time with his wife and 4 children on their farm in Oregon.
Unfortunately, Roddy never got to finish the book he started. On Friday, July 31, he died of a heart attack in his sleep in his home in Orgeon. It was then that two of his children, Colt--a professional wrestler--and Ariel--a wrestler, actress and singer--decided to complete the book in his honor. As it says on the back cover: "Piper knew how to keep fans hungry, just as he'd kept them wishing for a complete portrait of his most unusual life. He wanted to write this book for his family, now they have written it for him."
I have loved Roddy Piper whether he was "bad", "good", wrestling, acting, or doing his ad-lib promos. He was truly a "bad guy you loved to hate". Although most of his movies aren't easy to find (or impossible) except for They Live, I think he does a pretty good job as wrestler turned actor. (Not to say he's The Rock turned Dwayne Johnson...) but he did well considering the movies they kind of strapped him with. (Hell Comes to Frogtown comes to mind... what was he thinking?) Whatever the case, I started watching wrestling, and Piper in the '80s when I was just in my t'weens but I loved his fearlessness, his attitude, his... his everything. And after reading his books, and seeing the DVDs about his life, they make me love him even more to know what a gentle man he really was, considering the life he had to live. May you rest in peace now, Roddy. Blessed be.
In the Pit with Piper was an autobiography written by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in 2002. He had left home at the age of 13 and lived on the streets of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in Canada (unlike Scotland as was always announced prior to matches. His name wasn't even Roddy Piper--it was Roderick George Toombs--but, while living in an Indian reservation called La Pas in Manitoba when he was only 5-6 years old, he was taught how to play the bagpipes. Heading out on his own at age 13, he hitchhiked and played the bagpipe for loose change so he could pay to spend the night in a youth hostel. One of the youth hostels had an amateur league coach and Piper excelled.
Needless to say, Roddy's life was a difficult one, but a memorable one and he became quite the legion: "the man people loved to hate" since he was good in the ring, but even better on the microphone-adlibbing his lines and getting everyone worked up.
This, of course, led to Piper's Pit--a brief "talk show" where he "interviewed" other wrestlers using his sharp wit and rapid-fire banter without letting them get a word in edgewise, and then often getting violent. But the audience loved hating him!
He talks about his life wrestling, about his family--his wife, Kitty, and his four children--and how difficult it was to balance the two--and the dreaded "P" [the promoters). He also delved into some very dark places like "The Sickness" as he coined it and how it caused the untimely deaths of so many dear friends and other wrestlers who the promoters insisted that they wrestle--sick or injured--or find anther job .
Roddy's body was physically and emotionally taking its toll as the wrestling day and after was getting to him--as was the death of his friends and colleagues ("Frat Brothers" they called themselves), and he was running out of steam. Even taking some time off to so do a few movies like "Hell Comes to Frog Comes to Frogtown" and John Carpenter's "They Live", he was always drawn back to wrestling. But so much had changed since he'd been gone and now he was seen as "the good guy" while the now all-in-black "Hollywood Hogan", leader of the NWO--the New World Order had gone "to the dark side".
And, although he wrestled several more years, time catches up with everyone and the enormous damage done to his body (numerous broken bones, uncounted concussions, a plane crash, knife wounds, car accidents, titanium hip replacement, busted eardrum... and so much more...) although his heart wanted to continue, his body finally had to call it quits.
Roddy started writing a second book in Feb 2015-- called "Rowdy: The Roddy Piper Story", although he had stopped using "Rowdy" and had given the namesake of "Rowdy" to UFC star Ronda Rousey. The first book he had written had a lot of "cover story" in it--the things you're not supposed to say--and he wanted to set things straight.
And without wrestling, he still kept busy with the book, but also doing doing podcasts, even some standup comedy, and charity work involving hospitalized children that he had been doing for decades. And he had been enjoying spending time with his wife and 4 children on their farm in Oregon.
Unfortunately, Roddy never got to finish the book he started. On Friday, July 31, he died of a heart attack in his sleep in his home in Orgeon. It was then that two of his children, Colt--a professional wrestler--and Ariel--a wrestler, actress and singer--decided to complete the book in his honor. As it says on the back cover: "Piper knew how to keep fans hungry, just as he'd kept them wishing for a complete portrait of his most unusual life. He wanted to write this book for his family, now they have written it for him."
I have loved Roddy Piper whether he was "bad", "good", wrestling, acting, or doing his ad-lib promos. He was truly a "bad guy you loved to hate". Although most of his movies aren't easy to find (or impossible) except for They Live, I think he does a pretty good job as wrestler turned actor. (Not to say he's The Rock turned Dwayne Johnson...) but he did well considering the movies they kind of strapped him with. (Hell Comes to Frogtown comes to mind... what was he thinking?) Whatever the case, I started watching wrestling, and Piper in the '80s when I was just in my t'weens but I loved his fearlessness, his attitude, his... his everything. And after reading his books, and seeing the DVDs about his life, they make me love him even more to know what a gentle man he really was, considering the life he had to live. May you rest in peace now, Roddy. Blessed be.
March 19, 2020
Back in the 1980s, during the Hulkamania craze, I was one of the few that cheered for the opposite corner--shouting praise to the usually loud, often obnoxious, and most definitely rowdy, fear-no-one, kilt-wearing bagpipe playing, take-no-prisoners contestant. The "commentator" of (and often demolisher of) Piper's Pit. The guy the fans loved to hate. The true original ICON ("I Cover Over Nothing") The one and only--Rowdy Roddy Piper.
But he wasn't always that way. In fact, he started out as Roderick George Toombs, born on April 17, 1954 in Saskatoon, Saskachewan. For a number of years, he lived on an Indian res called The Pas in Manitoba and it was, somehow, there, that he found the bagpipes (or they found him?) He left at age 13 and hitchhiked from place to place, playing "the pipes" in hopes for a quarter so he could spend the night at a youth hostel. But there were many nights that young Roddy went to bed, cold, hungry and alone. The occasional attempts to get him into schools were failures since he wasn't interested, and wasn't particularly any good at reading or writing, so he went back to youth hostels or the streets. But it was one of these hostels that changed his life forever.
This particular hostel had a Police Athletic League and an amateur wrestling coach. And by age 15, Roddy naturally excelled at the mat and had even went on to win his first Championship belt (amateur and below minor league that it was). But it helped give the usually shy and reserved kid who had learned to avoid attention the beginnings of confidence, experience and self.
One of his friends happened to be enrolled in school for pro-wrestling and invited Roddy to visit. Roddy had already dealt with enough con men to recognize one, but he signed the contract with the promoter and then carefully stole it back from the man's briefcase. Now he could fight in real matches. After all, he "had a contract"!
And, the rest, they could say, was history, as he worked his way from promoter to promoter until finally, years later, WWF and Vince McMahon. But McMahon wasn't ready for the Rowdy One. For one thing, Roddy had not been trained the "professional" way. He learned "on the job", traveling around with a bunch of old wrestlers who had taken him in and drove him from show to show, teaching him, using him, but loving him all the same. His Forefathers, he called them. The ones who found a direction for the delinquent to focus his energies on--and he was damned good at doing it. This was a man that would never kowtow to the likes of McMahon for the peanuts he was offering.
He speaks briefly about his wife (of over 25 yrs) Kitty and where they met, where they married, and mentions the names of his four children, Anastasia, Ariel, Colton, and Faron. But other than that, the book is about wrestling. The good, bad and the very, very ugliness of it.
I kind of wish he had spend a little more time talking about him and his home life, about the number of movies he made, about who *he* truly was, but I don't think he actually knew. Or perhaps wasn't prepared to share with just anyone who picked up the book. At home on his ranch in Oregon, he was father and husband, and on the road, he was "Rowdy Roddy Piper". He says in the Foreward that he had to cobble together much of his memories along with help of others who had been there because it was all a bit hazy, and having read the book, I understand. No matter what anyone says, wrestling is a grueling sport, both physically and mentally, as well as emotionally. I don't think he was prepared to go there at that point in this book back in 2002.
Unfortunately, Roddy died in July of 2015, and I know he regrets some of things he did, but I pray that he was mostly proud of what he had accomplished. For his friends, for his family, and for himself. Rest in peace, Hot Rod.
But he wasn't always that way. In fact, he started out as Roderick George Toombs, born on April 17, 1954 in Saskatoon, Saskachewan. For a number of years, he lived on an Indian res called The Pas in Manitoba and it was, somehow, there, that he found the bagpipes (or they found him?) He left at age 13 and hitchhiked from place to place, playing "the pipes" in hopes for a quarter so he could spend the night at a youth hostel. But there were many nights that young Roddy went to bed, cold, hungry and alone. The occasional attempts to get him into schools were failures since he wasn't interested, and wasn't particularly any good at reading or writing, so he went back to youth hostels or the streets. But it was one of these hostels that changed his life forever.
This particular hostel had a Police Athletic League and an amateur wrestling coach. And by age 15, Roddy naturally excelled at the mat and had even went on to win his first Championship belt (amateur and below minor league that it was). But it helped give the usually shy and reserved kid who had learned to avoid attention the beginnings of confidence, experience and self.
One of his friends happened to be enrolled in school for pro-wrestling and invited Roddy to visit. Roddy had already dealt with enough con men to recognize one, but he signed the contract with the promoter and then carefully stole it back from the man's briefcase. Now he could fight in real matches. After all, he "had a contract"!
And, the rest, they could say, was history, as he worked his way from promoter to promoter until finally, years later, WWF and Vince McMahon. But McMahon wasn't ready for the Rowdy One. For one thing, Roddy had not been trained the "professional" way. He learned "on the job", traveling around with a bunch of old wrestlers who had taken him in and drove him from show to show, teaching him, using him, but loving him all the same. His Forefathers, he called them. The ones who found a direction for the delinquent to focus his energies on--and he was damned good at doing it. This was a man that would never kowtow to the likes of McMahon for the peanuts he was offering.
He speaks briefly about his wife (of over 25 yrs) Kitty and where they met, where they married, and mentions the names of his four children, Anastasia, Ariel, Colton, and Faron. But other than that, the book is about wrestling. The good, bad and the very, very ugliness of it.
I kind of wish he had spend a little more time talking about him and his home life, about the number of movies he made, about who *he* truly was, but I don't think he actually knew. Or perhaps wasn't prepared to share with just anyone who picked up the book. At home on his ranch in Oregon, he was father and husband, and on the road, he was "Rowdy Roddy Piper". He says in the Foreward that he had to cobble together much of his memories along with help of others who had been there because it was all a bit hazy, and having read the book, I understand. No matter what anyone says, wrestling is a grueling sport, both physically and mentally, as well as emotionally. I don't think he was prepared to go there at that point in this book back in 2002.
Unfortunately, Roddy died in July of 2015, and I know he regrets some of things he did, but I pray that he was mostly proud of what he had accomplished. For his friends, for his family, and for himself. Rest in peace, Hot Rod.
August 11, 2020
Most wrestling fans will probably enjoy this book, although I found it to be a somewhat unintentionally sad indictment of the wrestling business by someone who has seen and experienced it's highs and lows. I can't help but wonder if Roddy was subtly trying to dissuade would-be wrestlers from the business at point. Either way, he focuses mostly on his career, from a homeless teen dabbling in wrestling in Canada to his superstardom with the WWF. Roddy barely touches on his personal life, such as repeatedly thanking his wife for her patience through their lives and briefly mentioning the birth of his children. Other than that, he keeps it strictly professional, which is fine, I guess, considering most people are here for the backstage dirt, which he delivers by the truck full. It's a shame the book stops around 2002, just before WWF bought our their competition WCW, as I'm sure Piper would have had much to say about that, not to mention his career from that point forward. Anyway, In the Pit with the Piper is a fine read.
January 7, 2021
Biased as a fan of Roddy Piper, even when I grew up and found he was one of the biggest heels ever. (Was more baby face when I first knew of him).
This however is a great book, not just about his hardships and the gritty side of what wrestlers put up with, it also shows insights into how the industry changed from when he was a teenager learning the ropes for a several dollars to a huge entertainment industry.
Reading this about a guy travelling all over, getting in scraps, getting into mishaps inside and very much outside of the ring. Becoming family, earning respect, dealing with pain and the promoters and you wonder why anyone would do any of this-Roddy Piper coined it 'The Sickness' and you see it with a lot of these older wrestlers who shouldn't be in the ring but they just cannot stay away. In some shape or form they are still around the squared circle.
R.I.P 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper
This however is a great book, not just about his hardships and the gritty side of what wrestlers put up with, it also shows insights into how the industry changed from when he was a teenager learning the ropes for a several dollars to a huge entertainment industry.
Reading this about a guy travelling all over, getting in scraps, getting into mishaps inside and very much outside of the ring. Becoming family, earning respect, dealing with pain and the promoters and you wonder why anyone would do any of this-Roddy Piper coined it 'The Sickness' and you see it with a lot of these older wrestlers who shouldn't be in the ring but they just cannot stay away. In some shape or form they are still around the squared circle.
R.I.P 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper
June 17, 2023
Wonderful story by one of true greats
Rowdy Roddy Piper is in a class all by himself he is truly a remarkable story teller. The wrestler that we loved to hate and loved to loved to love. This is a behind scene look at professional wrestling as well as what made Roddy Rowdy.
From his early life on the streets to the heights and very top of sport he help build at the expense of own well-being. This book reads like Piper is in the room telling you his story.
Rodrick we miss you and thank you
Rowdy Roddy Piper is in a class all by himself he is truly a remarkable story teller. The wrestler that we loved to hate and loved to loved to love. This is a behind scene look at professional wrestling as well as what made Roddy Rowdy.
From his early life on the streets to the heights and very top of sport he help build at the expense of own well-being. This book reads like Piper is in the room telling you his story.
Rodrick we miss you and thank you
August 20, 2022
An enjoyable read, although there is some grandstanding that gets overbearing at times. I enjoyed the candidness (sometimes it gets a little too personal though), and have a much deeper appreciation for what Piper brought to the industry and his contributions at such a turning point in the popularity of pro wrestling.
December 26, 2022
What a character, and what a guy!
I love wrestling biographies, and I quite like Piper as a wrestler, but what I wasn’t expecting was the story of the formation of the WWF/WWE brand.
I’ve always known Piper was iconic but I never knew how instrumental he was to the rise of Vince MacMahon Jr’s business.
I love wrestling biographies, and I quite like Piper as a wrestler, but what I wasn’t expecting was the story of the formation of the WWF/WWE brand.
I’ve always known Piper was iconic but I never knew how instrumental he was to the rise of Vince MacMahon Jr’s business.
February 16, 2023
Streams of Thought
A series of fun tales from the road by one of the best psychologists the wrestling world has ever seen. A little too much input from his ghost writer I believe but still a really fun read.
A series of fun tales from the road by one of the best psychologists the wrestling world has ever seen. A little too much input from his ghost writer I believe but still a really fun read.
January 23, 2022
Harrowing.
June 4, 2025
May have been the most poorly written book I have ever read, but Rowdy was a wrestler, not a journalist. Amazing how ridiculous and foolish that world is, and I loved it.
RIP, Hot Rod.
RIP, Hot Rod.
July 16, 2023
Self-aggrandizement has never been so entertaining.
January 14, 2010
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper is one of the loudest and biggest names in professional wrestling. He's wrestled huge stars like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and even boxed Mr. T. "In the Pit with Piper" details all those events and much more.
I've read some great wrestling biographies i.e. Mick Foley and some bad ones i.e. Ted Dibiase and I would have to say that this is one of the better ones.. Roddy Piper never bit his tongue in front of the camera and he doesn't hold back here either.
We learn about how Piper got involved with wrestling in the first place, as well as when and why he added the kilt and bagpipes to advance his character. He talks about the highlights and lowlights of his career in the squared circle. All of which is pretty interesting, humorous, and often depressing.
Its not all has glamorous as it seems in front of the camera and the details given in the book do a great job in showing that. Wrestlers in general back then often didn't get paid a lot and didn't have the best living conditions. Its amazing some of the stuff Roddy has been through.
My only complaint is that it seemed like they went over a few things to fast and didn't touch upon some of Roddy's more controversial moments. I really would have liked to hear more about his match with Bad News Brown at Wrestlemania, which saw Roddy paint half his body black. I also would have liked to hear him say more about Owen Hart, besides his confrontation with Vince Russo about the subject.
If you are a wrestling fan, I think you'll definitely enjoy reading this biography. As I mentioned before, it really is one of the better wrestling biographies that is available to read. I hope that he does come out with another one as a follow up that details his battle with cancer and some other stories of his career.
I've read some great wrestling biographies i.e. Mick Foley and some bad ones i.e. Ted Dibiase and I would have to say that this is one of the better ones.. Roddy Piper never bit his tongue in front of the camera and he doesn't hold back here either.
We learn about how Piper got involved with wrestling in the first place, as well as when and why he added the kilt and bagpipes to advance his character. He talks about the highlights and lowlights of his career in the squared circle. All of which is pretty interesting, humorous, and often depressing.
Its not all has glamorous as it seems in front of the camera and the details given in the book do a great job in showing that. Wrestlers in general back then often didn't get paid a lot and didn't have the best living conditions. Its amazing some of the stuff Roddy has been through.
My only complaint is that it seemed like they went over a few things to fast and didn't touch upon some of Roddy's more controversial moments. I really would have liked to hear more about his match with Bad News Brown at Wrestlemania, which saw Roddy paint half his body black. I also would have liked to hear him say more about Owen Hart, besides his confrontation with Vince Russo about the subject.
If you are a wrestling fan, I think you'll definitely enjoy reading this biography. As I mentioned before, it really is one of the better wrestling biographies that is available to read. I hope that he does come out with another one as a follow up that details his battle with cancer and some other stories of his career.
June 10, 2015
This was maybe the most self-serving book I've ever read. This was not really the autobiography I was looking for. It was really a collection of wrestling stories, some from the "old days" and some from the WWF. Quite often it seemed like just a platform for Piper to rip certain people he didn't like, mainly promoters. I've no doubt his feelings are justified but it seemed like there was probably another side to most of his stories that would be quite different from how he remembers it. I think a little more personal responsibility and less self promotion would have gone a long way.
Like most other 12 yr. old boys in the 80's I was into WWF and Piper was a big part of that for sure. I've heard interviews w/ him where he mentions his tough childhood in Saskatoon, living on the streets as a kid, etc. I was really hoping for him to get into that since it seemed so interesting. Either he wasn't comfortable getting into that part of his past and family or thought people only wanted to hear about wrestling. Also, there is really no discussion of his movie career. By and large the stories he does tell are great but I got the feeling you could write a book out of the stuff that was omitted from this book.
Finally, the writing is just pretty bad. Many things aren't written clearly, things were obviously written out of sequence and things not explained initially, are revisited again later, etc. I put the blame for all of this on the book's ghost writer and editor. Piper's personality and gregariousness certainly comes through and it's the only thing that saves the book.
Like most other 12 yr. old boys in the 80's I was into WWF and Piper was a big part of that for sure. I've heard interviews w/ him where he mentions his tough childhood in Saskatoon, living on the streets as a kid, etc. I was really hoping for him to get into that since it seemed so interesting. Either he wasn't comfortable getting into that part of his past and family or thought people only wanted to hear about wrestling. Also, there is really no discussion of his movie career. By and large the stories he does tell are great but I got the feeling you could write a book out of the stuff that was omitted from this book.
Finally, the writing is just pretty bad. Many things aren't written clearly, things were obviously written out of sequence and things not explained initially, are revisited again later, etc. I put the blame for all of this on the book's ghost writer and editor. Piper's personality and gregariousness certainly comes through and it's the only thing that saves the book.
June 27, 2019
It's hard to describe how I felt about this book. I chose specifically to read this because I wanted something non fiction to read. I prefer novels, and often find non fiction tough to read, boring for me. However, I figured Piper's autobiography would be entertaining.
And it was.
Piper writes in a rambling sort of way. His stories start and wander and then eventually end. They are mostly entertaining and full of bravado, and yet he is incredibly charming and can be very sweet. The love he has for his family, the respect and appreciation he has for many of his fellow wrestlers, and his love and respect for wrestling all show through. He is very honest about his own faults and his own failings which is refreshing to read. He is very open about being a hated wrestler and feuding with other entertainers, addmittknf often that he was at fault. Overall, you feel like he was a decent person in addition to being this great entertainer.
However, the book does have spelling errors and sometimes the tangents he goes on are long winded and feel unconnected. It can also run slightly tone-deaf in language (very much a product of it's time). Additionally, good or bad, it feels like the book has no real ending. It starts off traditionally with the start of his life and then abruptly ends with a chapter about the "sickness" and a take-away chapter.
While I won't say it's a great book, I will say that it was interesting. Piper was an fascinating man who lived a very full life. I don't know how much of what he wrote was true, but he shared it in a unique way.
And it was.
Piper writes in a rambling sort of way. His stories start and wander and then eventually end. They are mostly entertaining and full of bravado, and yet he is incredibly charming and can be very sweet. The love he has for his family, the respect and appreciation he has for many of his fellow wrestlers, and his love and respect for wrestling all show through. He is very honest about his own faults and his own failings which is refreshing to read. He is very open about being a hated wrestler and feuding with other entertainers, addmittknf often that he was at fault. Overall, you feel like he was a decent person in addition to being this great entertainer.
However, the book does have spelling errors and sometimes the tangents he goes on are long winded and feel unconnected. It can also run slightly tone-deaf in language (very much a product of it's time). Additionally, good or bad, it feels like the book has no real ending. It starts off traditionally with the start of his life and then abruptly ends with a chapter about the "sickness" and a take-away chapter.
While I won't say it's a great book, I will say that it was interesting. Piper was an fascinating man who lived a very full life. I don't know how much of what he wrote was true, but he shared it in a unique way.
April 23, 2008
This was a self-indulgent book that did nothing for my sympathy for Mr.Piper. As a fellow Canadian, I would expect a better criticism of the wrestling world, not just a critic of the P, or McMahon. I am no way, a mark for McMahon but Roddy started the book off really good, and then kind of dwindle off on these tirades, littered with side stories that made me feel completely misdirected. Overall, just very disappointing.
March 4, 2009
I promise, I'm reading all these wrestler autobiographies as research.
My favorite line: “I have never backstabbed anybody in my profession, but I’ll be the first to admit to front-stabbing them right in the face!”
Otherwise, not so great, and not all that interesting. Mediocre writing and it overlooks the most compelling aspects of the story in the way that most celebrity autobiographies do.
My favorite line: “I have never backstabbed anybody in my profession, but I’ll be the first to admit to front-stabbing them right in the face!”
Otherwise, not so great, and not all that interesting. Mediocre writing and it overlooks the most compelling aspects of the story in the way that most celebrity autobiographies do.
September 6, 2015
Great story, poorly produced Kindle version.
Roddy Piper was an arrogant, opinionated loud mouth. He was also one of my favorite wrestlers. He wrote a great book, didn't hold back. A great read for any wrestling fan.
The Kindle version of the book contains the pictures advertised on the cover, however, they display on my Kindle Fire HDX as black (mostly) and white photocopies.
Roddy Piper was an arrogant, opinionated loud mouth. He was also one of my favorite wrestlers. He wrote a great book, didn't hold back. A great read for any wrestling fan.
The Kindle version of the book contains the pictures advertised on the cover, however, they display on my Kindle Fire HDX as black (mostly) and white photocopies.
July 7, 2008
I was rather disappointed with this book. Roddy Piper is one of the most creative and innovative characters whoever entered the squared circle, but his book was rather uninteresting. It seemed as if Roddy had a chip on his shoulder and didn't lose it throughout the whole book.
April 28, 2010
A rollicking tale of one of the greatest wrestlers & entertainers of the modern era of wrestling. For those who are used to seeing the glitz, glamor, & goofiness of what's called wrestling today, Piper's story shows how much hard work & paying one's dues went into his career.
January 1, 2011
A highly-entertaining read for wrestling fans, especially those who know the call-it-as-he-sees-it style of Hot Rod. Some inflammatory comments are certainly questionable in their accuracy, but true fans of wrestling know that half-truths and allegations are part of the charm.
August 3, 2011
This is a book that probably should have been bigger, and maybe some day he'll come out with another that will tell even more stories....if Foley can three, this guy should be able to have about eleven.
April 15, 2014
Fascinating story about the life of a very fascinating man. You don't much need to be into pro wrestling to appreciate this bio. What a character, and one of my biggest childhood heroes. My only complaint is that I wanted it to be longer.
August 31, 2008
It flew through 1987-1992, peak years in WWF.
September 12, 2008
Hey, I know I gave "Catcher in the Rye" and this book the same amount of stars, but growing up with Rowdy Roddy and WWF I could relate more than some outcast rich kid. Sorry.
Read
September 24, 2008Not really a book; more like a guy talking into a tape recorder and another guy writing it down into paragraphs.
June 20, 2009
Hilarious! If you love funny wrestling stories, you'll love this one!
June 11, 2010
An okay autobiography, but as I've written about many old-school wrestlers' books, it's hard to believe everything that's written in it. That said, the story itself was entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews