Roddy Piper’s Greatest Career Highlights

Putting his Hair on the Line in the Silverdome

WrestleMania III was one of professional wrestling’s most memorable shows in its extensive history, with over 90,000 people packing into the Pontiac Silverdome to witness the biggest stars in WWE collide. Obviously, the night is best remembered for Hulk Hogan bodyslamming Andre the Giant in the main event, and the epic technical contest between Ricky Steamboat and “Macho Man” Randy Savage, which is considered by many purists as arguably the greatest match ever. But Roddy Piper also took his bow on this grand occasion, in a match which was billed as his retirement match before transitioning to acting full-time.

The intrigue surrounding his retirement was added to a heated feud between Piper and Adrian Adonis, an effeminate superstar who had usurped Piper’s Pit with his own talk show, “The Flower Shop”. Adonis recruited the support of Bob Orton and Don Muraco to assault Hot Rod, and leave him lying in the tattered remnants of his former segment. Piper would therefore put his hair on the line in pursuit of revenge against Adonis, as they collided at WrestleMania III. Whilst the match itself was not especially amazing, the story leading up to it and the belief it was Piper’s final time in a wrestling ring was all the interest it required to make it a renowned part of the Scot’s career.