RIP Rowdy Roddy Piper
- Thread starter LJSA
- Start date
I attended high school with "Hacksaw Jim Duggan".
Duggan had an interesting path to the WWE.
Duggan was big time college recruit out of high school who had offers to pretty much all of the major colleges. His Dad was the longtime Chief of Police in Glens Falls, NY.
He committed to SMU (think: illegal payments that lead to the NCAA death penalty). Duggan was also NYS high school wrestling champ. While at SMU Duggan played OT and earned 1st team all Southwest Conference during his sophomore and junior years. He was injured the last few games of his junior year.
Duggan was never quite the same after his injury,. He played some time in the CFL. He returned home where he worked security until he attended "pro wrestling school" and thereafter enjoyed a profitable career in "pro wrestling.
You will recall that during the Iranian crises in 1980+/- Duggan regularly wrestled the "Iron Sheik" who were portrayed as mortal enemies by the WWF. Duggan and the Sheik were arrested riding together between matches in NJ and Sheik was charged with possession of drugs. Rumor has it that that incident, in which Duggan was not charged prevented his advancement in the WWF.
Duggan had an interesting path to the WWE.
Duggan was big time college recruit out of high school who had offers to pretty much all of the major colleges. His Dad was the longtime Chief of Police in Glens Falls, NY.
He committed to SMU (think: illegal payments that lead to the NCAA death penalty). Duggan was also NYS high school wrestling champ. While at SMU Duggan played OT and earned 1st team all Southwest Conference during his sophomore and junior years. He was injured the last few games of his junior year.
Duggan was never quite the same after his injury,. He played some time in the CFL. He returned home where he worked security until he attended "pro wrestling school" and thereafter enjoyed a profitable career in "pro wrestling.
You will recall that during the Iranian crises in 1980+/- Duggan regularly wrestled the "Iron Sheik" who were portrayed as mortal enemies by the WWF. Duggan and the Sheik were arrested riding together between matches in NJ and Sheik was charged with possession of drugs. Rumor has it that that incident, in which Duggan was not charged prevented his advancement in the WWF.
Admit it Otis. You are Hacksaw
Speaking of the Iron Sheik. When I was maybe 12 or 13 I was a huge Bob Backlund fan and my friends and I were at the garden when he lost the title to the Iron Sheik. Oh man when Sheik put him in the camel clutch we were devastated when I think it was his manager that threw in the towel
Spocky Ramone
Well-known member
HOOO!
Admit it Otis. You are Hacksaw
Speaking of the Iron Sheik. When I was maybe 12 or 13 I was a huge Bob Backlund fan and my friends and I were at the garden when he lost the title to the Iron Sheik. Oh man when Sheik put him in the camel clutch we were devastated when I think it was his manager that threw in the towel
IRAN! NUMBER ONE! USA... paah! That towel tosser would be the Golden Boy, Arnold Skaaland. Of course, the "timely" demise of the chicken wing champion paved the way for Hulkamania, which was last seen running wild on a pornographic video.
L J S A
Well-known member
Admit it Otis. You are Hacksaw
Speaking of the Iron Sheik. When I was maybe 12 or 13 I was a huge Bob Backlund fan and my friends and I were at the garden when he lost the title to the Iron Sheik. Oh man when Sheik put him in the camel clutch we were devastated when I think it was his manager that threw in the towel
Backlund really got the shaft with the way he lost, all because of Vince's Hulk Hogan fetish.
I remember watching the next wrestling program on what was probably Channel 9 after the loss, and Backlund was bawling like a baby that he let the fans and America down. :lol:
before that lost maybe a year or maybe less I forget the wwf used to do wrestling matches ( smaller ones with a headline match ) in high school gyms. We saw Bob Backlund defend his title against Iron Mike Sharpe at Glen Cove High School. That was awesome to see them literally feet from our seats. And afterwards Bob did an autograph session and we stayed till the end and he hung out and talked with us on the bleachers for maybe 30 minutes. I think he said he lived in CT at the time but I'm not positive. But he was seriously our hero since I had already converted to a met fan and they still stunk so we were monster backlund fans and he was the nicest guy in person.
Admit it Otis. You are Hacksaw
Speaking of the Iron Sheik. When I was maybe 12 or 13 I was a huge Bob Backlund fan and my friends and I were at the garden when he lost the title to the Iron Sheik. Oh man when Sheik put him in the camel clutch we were devastated when I think it was his manager that threw in the towel
Backlund really got the shaft with the way he lost, all because of Vince's Hulk Hogan fetish.
I remember watching the next wrestling program on what was probably Channel 9 after the loss, and Backlund was bawling like a baby that he let the fans and America down. :lol:
Words can't even really describe how devastated we were that day at MSG. That was seriously like the worst day of our sporting lives back then other than Munson dying ( I was a yankee fan when that happened )
L J S A
Well-known member
I remember they'd always advertise events in Smithtown. My mom said it was too far of a drive from Elmont to go to. :lol:
I did get to see Andre the Giant beat Hulk Hogan at Nassau Coliseum during Hogan's first WWF run as a bad guy, though. I was probably in 4th grade. Sat next to Pat Patterson's nephew at another Coliseum show once, and he told me that along with Backlund, Hogan was actually a super nice guy, which shocked me, and that Tony Garea was a huge dick. :lol:
And from Aucklund New Zealand. Tony Garea. LOL. didn't he do well as a tag team with someone ? He won some tag team championships back in the day. I forget with who
There were those retreads that always took up the middle matches. SALVATORE BELLOMO !!
And the tag team The Invaders.
Afa and Seika the somoans used to crack me up too
L J S A
Well-known member
And from Aucklund New Zealand. Tony Garea. LOL. didn't he do well as a tag team with someone ? He won some tag team championships back in the day. I forget with who
There were those retreads that always took up the middle matches. SALVATORE BELLOMO !!
And the tag team The Invaders.
Garea was partners with Rick Martel for a few championship runs, and Martel then went on to big success in the AWA.
And looking back on the WWF when I first started following, I actually can't for the life of me figure out how they stayed in business. :lol: There were a ton of Bellomo-type guys on the roster. My grandfather used to insist that Dom DiNucci was actually a good wrestler at one point, but I never believed him. :lol:
And from Aucklund New Zealand. Tony Garea. LOL. didn't he do well as a tag team with someone ? He won some tag team championships back in the day. I forget with who
There were those retreads that always took up the middle matches. SALVATORE BELLOMO !!
And the tag team The Invaders.
Garea was partners with Rick Martel for a few championship runs, and Martel then went on to big success in the AWA.
And looking back on the WWF when I first started following, I actually can't for the life of me figure out how they stayed in business. :lol: There were a ton of Bellomo-type guys on the roster. My grandfather used to insist that Dom DiNucci was actually a good wrestler at one point, but I never believed him. :lol:
DiNucci was technically quite good. No mic skills, which weren't quite as important back then, and no charisma. Needed tag team to pair him with someone fans could care about. Managers took the mic most of the time and many wrestlers never spoke. I remember a guy named wolfman who only growled while Blassie or the Wizard did all the talking and had him on a leash.
Back in those days they did 6 nights per week. Mostly squash matches. Most of the wrestlers didn't make a lot of money I assume and villains traveled between promotions to threaten, dominate and eventually succumb to the top faces before moving on.
MarkRedman
Well-known member
In my youth, I loved Wild Red Berry and the Fabulous Kangeroos
I remember when NFL players wrestled in the off season
Guys like Big Cat Ernie Ladd and NY Jet Chief Wahoo McDaniel
I remember when NFL players wrestled in the off season
Guys like Big Cat Ernie Ladd and NY Jet Chief Wahoo McDaniel
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
After his death, one of the networks ran an old interview with Piper. He said flat out that the way he lived, no way he would be alive much past 60. Prophetic.
redfan259999888
Active member
Piper was an all time fav.
Was there a thread about Dusty, if there was then i missed it.
Here he talks about hard times
Was there a thread about Dusty, if there was then i missed it.
Here he talks about hard times
And from Aucklund New Zealand. Tony Garea. LOL. didn't he do well as a tag team with someone ? He won some tag team championships back in the day. I forget with who
There were those retreads that always took up the middle matches. SALVATORE BELLOMO !!
And the tag team The Invaders.
Garea was partners with Rick Martel for a few championship runs, and Martel then went on to big success in the AWA.
And looking back on the WWF when I first started following, I actually can't for the life of me figure out how they stayed in business. :lol: There were a ton of Bellomo-type guys on the roster. My grandfather used to insist that Dom DiNucci was actually a good wrestler at one point, but I never believed him. :lol:
I'm trying to think of some of the other Bellomo types from the early 80's
SD Special Delivery Jones
Tiger Chung Lee
Iron Mike
Jose Luis Rivera
Other names escape me now because my brain so fried