In the Pit with Piper: Roddy Gets Rowdy Reviews

• Great Book of the ICON, that is "Rowdy" Roddy Piper

  
  By A2IZSYRGGP95T0 on 2002-11-23
  If you're a true wrestling fan, ths is a must have. Piper talks about:
  *his days on the street, literally homeless
  *being stabbed numerous times
  *Alot of great funny road stories. REALLY amusing stuff!!
  *Wrestling on the indys in Portland, Charolette, and L.A., and overseas
  *Talks abot his bad experience with Ole Anderson and Jim Barnett, a promoter while working in Atlanta.
  *Being "ribbed" (practical joke) on his first WWF appearance in New York City and returning 10 years thereafter.
  *Piper also talks about how he met his wife and talks about his family.
  *His dog-collar matches that are still remembered with Greg Valentine.
  *Talks about his dislikes and a real shoot with Mr. T. and where Mr. T messed up at WM2.
  *The creation of Piper's Pit (and he gets in detail of how the infamous coconcut incident with Jimmy Sunka appeared).
  *His WrestleMania 3 farewell match against Adrian Adonis.
  *Being stabbed in the back by some of "the boys" (wrestlers).

  *Steriod charges on WWF and how the FBI was looking for him.
  *Broadcasting with Vince McMahon and doing voice overs.
  *From WWF, going hollywood, and later going to WCW --he touches alot of these subjects.
  *This and MUCH more.

  --When I purchased this book, it seemed as if it was not enough pages to cover the legendary status of a man who's been on top for so many years. However, he was completely honest and he was very accurate w./in detail of the life he led and what made him a superstar. He also talks about the tricks of putting on a memorable interview an segments (especially with Hulk Hogan). Its only [a price], so don't be cheap.. you won't regret it. Also has black n white and color pics in the book of his family and his wrestling years. GREAT READ and a 10++++. Hot Rod, you are a true icon in the sport. Thank you!
  
  

• Fantastic book

  
  By A3TY689UW9FUYZ on 2003-01-05
  When I was a kid-living in the east-Roddy Piper was just one of those characters you would see on the cover of wrestling magazines with his head all bloody. Then he moved up east and became a super legend. Reading this book was like replaying the whole scene on a television set in my mind. The interview with Frankie Williams, rock n wrestling,the coconut,the steroid scandel and on and on! I could not put the book down. I even took a little extra time to read this slower than usual,taking every bit of it and letting it soak in. I loved the old W.W.F. days and all my favorite wrestlers are all talked about in this book.
  Also it was cool to read about the dropout piper making a living of wrestling and how the old school wrestlers took him under there wings. Great Job Roddy!
  
  

• somewhat of a let down

  
  By A2FEGRJQNU51P9 on 2003-10-14
  I've been a fan of wrestling autobiographies since I first read Mick Foley's book "Have a Nice Day". Since then I've tried to get my hands on every new biography that has been released. I finally got a chance to read Roddy Piper's book. I only saw the tail end of Piper's career in the WWF (back when it was the WWF), missed the WCW era, and was disappointed with his latest brief run with WWE. I knew the Piper was a legend of the ring and had a long standing feud with Hogan back when the WWF was just starting up with Wrestlemania. What I didn't know much about was his prior success.

  Roddy Piper takes us on a little trip starting from when he first broke into wrestling as a teenager. We follow young Piper as he rises in the ranks and starts bringing in the crowds in territory after territory until he finally lands in the WWF. Since I have no knowledge of Piper's past, and I do know of his skill on the mic, I can believe it. It was a different era for wrestling. Shortly after Piper writes about Wrestlemania II, he talks about the "sickness" in wrestling that has infected the wrestlers and has influenced their self-destructive lives. I respect the fact that Roddy Piper did not let himself off the hook in being better (morally) than he was, but it also felt like he was puffing himself up quite a bit, too.

  Unlike some of the other wrestling biographies, this one did not flow very smoothly. The quality of writing felt lower than in other books. The tone fit Piper very well, but the execution made the book feel a little choppy and this made it somewhat less engaging to read. While I respect the impact that Roddy Piper made on the business, and I remember how entertaining he used to be in the ring and on the mic, I cannot recommend this book. It just wasn't as interesting as it could have been and after such a long wait to get a chance to read it, it was a let down.
  
  

• An entertaining, if somewhat overblown read

  
  By A1BOM2RAUYVJ5P on 2003-11-05
  I USED to have all the respect in the world for Roddy Piper. That is, until I read this book. Whether or not the various anecdotes to be found within are true, false, honest or embellished upon is immaterial when you consider the sheer egotism of the man behind the pen.

  If 'In The Pit With Piper' is taken seriously, then it must be wholly believed that Roddy Piper - and not Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, nor any other number of wrestling luminaries - was solely responsible for the wrestling boom in the eighties, and that he's the only man in the business with enough clout and experience to save it today.

  Roddy Piper is perhaps the last of the true old-school veterans; the ones who refused to move with the times. This book exposes Piper as a selfish anachronism of a man; trying to make waves in a pool that's outgrown him beyond his own scope and expectations.

  Perhaps Piper could be viewed in a more sympathetic light if someone else had dug up the dirt and splayed Piper's attitudes and opinions all over the pages of this book. But as the words, revelations and ego all belong to Piper himself, it's hard to feel sorry for what he has become.

  The actual content is interesting enough, with Piper's life covered in close detail from his childhood streetlife to the professional void that he was trapped in at the time of the book's completion - some time before his failed attempt at a WWE revival. Naturally, he'll blame Vince McMahon for that, too.

  Overall? A fair read with some interesting stories spoiled only by the arrogance of the man telling the tale, and not a patch on Mick Foley's fair and honest account of how pro wrestling really is. Piper's mistrust and paranoid point of view sours what could have been a memorable reading experience
  
  

• Hot Rod at his best

  
  By A3QQN0BL6DB132 on 2006-01-29
  Roddy Piper is one of the most colorful people alive. This book is a great look at his life. The book is a fascinating read about an interesting man.
  
  This book doesn't tell much about his childhood nor about his private life, but it does give a good look at his public life. As an admitted Piper fan, I absolutely loved this book.
  
  I had the pleasure of interviewing Roddy after the book was published. His regret was that too much was left out due to circumstances beyond his control. My only hope is that Roddy comes out with another book and tells more of his story.
  
  
• From Wrestling to Sport entertainment
  By AADFRUKFQKO46 on 2002-11-02
  Piper's book make for a fast read and educating insight into the wrestling world. It helps seeing the emergence of WWF through the wrestler's eyes rather than through the promoter's as was mostly the case in Shaun Assael's book.

  Some affirmations by Piper sounded presumptuous but I will leave to the Meltzers of this world the task of critizing the accuracy of the book since I don't have the knowledge to do so.

  I enjoyed reading it for that frank and honest look at the world of wrestling and at the changes that happened with the rise of WWF. It is also nice to learn about all the other wrestlers through Piper's account of his interaction with them.

  Chapter 12 is particularly interesting since Piper takes head-on what he calls "the sickness": the overwhelming bearing on the life of wrestlers that wrestling has, mainly because of the promoters manipulations and the lifestyle according to him.

  It is definatly worth reading.
  
  

• Disappointing with a few good stories
  By AJEOXSDLEX18K on 2003-10-28
  Let me start off by saying that I was HUGE fan of Rowdy Roddy Piper in the 1980s. He truly is one of the greatest characters in the history of wrestling.

  That being said, I was pretty disappointed in this book. Wrestling is obviously not "real". I've always looked at wrestling as a performance art, where the actors and the stunt-men are the same people. When wrestlers perform for audiences they're "in character", just like a movie actor would be when the camera's rolling. When this Autobiography came out, I assummed it would be a Non-Fiction piece, like other wrestling biographies. However, this wasn't really the case.

  In this book, I believe Piper mixes reality with Fiction. I'm sure many of the stories written in this book really did happen, but Piper throws his own "wrestling character" into the mix often. The reader can't help but think that many of the stories were embellished to make them more interesting, and to make Piper, himself, seem more rebellious.

  A couple of examples:

  One of Piper's most memorable wrestling moments was when he hit wrestler Jimmy Snuka in the head with an actual coconut, splitting it (the coconut) wide-open. I was expecting to read about how the idea arose. Instead, I was fed the story that the incident wasn't planned and that Piper just happenned to see a coconut next to his chair. He decided, in impromptu fashion, to hit Snuka in the head with it. Come on!

  I also didn't care for Piper's account of his meeting with "They Live" directory John Carpenter. It was obviously fabricated and was designed to make Piper look cooler than Fonzy from Happy Days.

  There were a lot of contradictions in the book as well. Piper often referred to his fellow wrestlers as "frat brothers", and that he would do anything for them. Then, he would talk about how he only looked out for himself, refusing to lose matches, even to his friends. I don't think Piper was lying here. I just think he's a hypocrite, and many of the stories he tells convey this.

  On the plus side, there were some stories I found entertaining, including his thoughts on Rick Martel and a few others.

  Again, I felt there was a lot of embellishment in the book, which really shouldn't be the case in a Biography.

  Unfortunately, I don't think die-hard Piper fans will even enjoy this book as much as they're probably hoping.
  
  

• Excellent and honest
  By A200N9Y14SM4LI on 2004-02-13
  There are so many awful books coming out which cater to Vince McMahon and dance around the truth and Roddy Piper does not go that route. He is honest about everything in his career. He doesn't hold back. This is an incredible read that really takes you into the ongoings of every major part of Roddy's career.

  He tells it like it is. You really learn all about Piper's life, his career and all the controversy of drug abuse in the wrestling business that Vince McMahon likes to censor from his books. This isn't Jerry Lawler or Hogan's puff piece. This is one of the best wrestling autobiographies to put in your library. It is definitely one of the best books I have ever read and I recommend it to all real wrestling fans, not the casual fans.
  
  

• ROWDY -- I CAN BELIEVE YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!
  By A12UTXKZN1Q2WE on 2002-12-09
  I'm a casual wrestling fan having watched it on and off for the last thirty years. "In the Pit" is a VERY easy read with insight in the world of wrestling but mostly its about him. I have a great deal of respect for Rowdy Piper because its clear he didn't compromise his integrity!!!! His story goes into great detail about the extensive good times, the bond between fellow athletes and quick behind the scenes look (i.e. lack of health benefits and how controlling the promoters are) -- which I wish he would have expanding on. Yet the story is very compelling and revealing, as his stories are positively hysterical. The book is entertaining but it does to jump around a bit. It is indeed written in true in Rowdy fashion, its as if he and I were sitting in bar and him recounting his roller coaster life. After I put I down, I was left with two thoughts -- 1) God Bless His Wife Kitty and 2) I hope he writes another book soon.
  
  
• This book is the Real Deal!
  By A2DFORQXAH3N3S on 2002-12-22
  "In the Pit with Piper" is probably one, if not the best wrestling autobiography ever written. In this day and age of "ghost writing", it's hard to find a decent wrestling biography that is actually written by the real wrestlers. Books like "The Rock Says" and "It's True, It's True" are clear examples of ghost writing, in other words, stories that are not written by the wrestlers as indicated on the title page but actually written by authors that may have never even met the wrestlers but just go by a 10 minute voice recording done by the wrestler about his or her life.

  That's where this book is set apart from all the others, you can tell that Roddy Piper actually sat down with an author and told the author word by word what to write.

  The book is about "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who is a famous pro wrestler from the 1980s(and is still popular today). This book spans his life from age 15 running away from home until the final days of WCW. In this book, he talks all about the "Sickness" that goes on in wrestling when the promoters back in his day used manipulation on wrestlers and how hard business was back then. I strongly suggest this book to any fan of pro wrestling or just a person trying to find a great read
  
  

• Wrestling fan or not, -it's a good read.
  By A3U6Y69FF7W3LW on 2003-03-25
  Even if you have only a cursory exposure to pro wrestling [maybe you have heard of Piper and a few others] I will risk stating that you will find Rowdy Roddy Piper's story an entertaining look behind the scenes of pro wrestling's early years to the marketing monster success it is today.

  If I had to compare Piper's 'voice' in this book to anyone else's it would be to John Madden, in his book "One Size Does Not Fit All." It's conversational in tone and pace, and that makes you feel at home listening to Piper tell you himself. I have no doubt that was part of the design when he decided to write this. In some ways, the book is a lot like his Piper's Pit segments on television.

  The skinny: You will get a close up look at how 'real' wrestling was in those days; about how a match might be scripted, but the 'loser' would beat the hell out of the 'winner' just to make him earn it. It's one thing to admire a wrestler's athleticism, but Piper tells you how it was [and is] to risk injuries night after night because you wanted to give the fans a great show. That's one of the beautiful things about this book. Piper doesn't pat himself on the back about that, he states it as matter-of-fact, exactly like a professional who actually cares about his fans would state it.

  The only times that Piper goes a bit overboard is on his mic-work and character presence. Not that he wasn't great or innovative, -he certainly was, but he almost takes credit for intentionally creating the entire practice of it. Still I can't blame him for shorting Vince McMahon Jr., he clearly still dislikes the guy. But nobody can deny McMahon's genius at gathering wrestling stars under one banner. Without that foresight individual promoters would've run pro-wrestling into the ground a decade ago with their greed and limited vision.

  In the Pit with Piper is a very good book. Better than the Rock's book by far; an interesting and real look at Piper as he talks openly about himself, his humble beginnings, the pain and joy [in front of and behind the camera] and the grandeur of pro wrestling then and now.

  Buy it and get to know the man they call "Rowdy".
  
  

• Everybody pays the Piper
  By A1WSHNA5S614BP on 2002-11-18
  Before there was Hulkamania, Roddy Piper was selling out arenas where ever he went. Roddy Piper's new Biography gives you the in's and out's of the World of Professional Wrestling, and doesn't pull any punches while he reveals it's darksides including the "P". Roddy's insight isn't about stabbing anyone in the back, it gives us insight from someone who has been there for 30+ years in his sport. Roddy has a passion for wresling and his "Frat Brothers" who have bled, sweat, sacrificed body mind and soul for the sake of Pro Wrestling. It is very well written and Roddy has you sitting front row and center and grabs your attention. I think anyone who is thinking of becoming a Pro Wrestler should buy the book. It's an eye opener. Once again Roddy Piper tells it like it is. You won't be disappointed.
  
  
• Roddy�s bagpipes generate much noise and some music.
  By A6KC62CITSUA8 on 2003-01-12
  Whether on the side of good or evil, Roderick Toombs's professional persona always had the reputation of saying exactly what was on his mind.

  Roddy Piper's autobiography demonstrates that this persona was very much based on his real personality. But to the extent that he intended this book as another "tell-all" about the business of professional wrestling, he only partly succeeds.

  The book has three focal points. One is the evil and exploitative nature of the wrestling promoters, including Vince McMahon. Once you see that Bret "Hitman" Hart has written the forward to this book, you can guess that "Junior" is going to take a beating. Piper compares wrestling promoters to houseflies, and it's not clear whom he prefers at his dinner table.

  Another focal point is the "sickness" that drives wrestlers to push their bodies and their psyches past the limits of normal endurance just to stay on top in their professions. It's a sickness that apparently is responsible for a mortality rate and a morbidity rate greatly in excess of the average profession or of the average entertainment field - or so Piper would have us believe. He dedicates the book towards those wrestlers who died recently, and the list is a long one. This actually ties in with the first point - promoters incite and exploit that "sickness" in a way that makes one think of cockfighting.

  And the third focal point that comes in very clearly is the bonding that takes place among the wrestling talent, though this is obviously not without conflict and ego clash. Nevertheless, the reverence with which Piper often blesses his older colleagues as his fathers and his contemporaries as his frat brothers is moving. The bonding is clearly all the more real and all the more poignant because of the unique risks associated with the profession and with the "sickness" that it is responsible for.

  Still, this is Piper's chosen profession, and he admits that it beat playing his bagpipes for change on a street corner. It's an entertainment profession, and he doesn't talk enough about the entertainment. He does talk about some of the famous events that he participated in, such as Wrestlemania I (McMahon and Hulk Hogan, the "good guy" and the winner, attended a publicity-saturated victory banquet; Piper and Paul Orndorff who worked just as hard in their roles as heel losers were abandoned and not even provided with transportation back to their hotel) and the famous "coconut" incident involving Jimmy Snuka (it was real!).

  But what was it like to work with and feign intense hostility towards "enemies" who were his good friends in real life - Rick Rude, Ric Flair, and Adrian Adonis (Keith Franke), at whose funeral Piper delivered the eulogy?

  What happened on the set when that first WWF album was cut - the one in which Piper's tirade breaks up the wrestlers' version of "Land of a Thousand Dances" and in which he sings an insane solo called "For Everybody"?

  What was the story behind the creation of "Monday Night RAW" and the WWF/WCW Raw/Nitro ratings battles? Behind the creation of the New World Order (NWO), which caused Hulk Hogan to turn heel (!!!) and which led to a rematch of the Piper/Hogan wars from the 1980's with the "good guy"/"bad guy" roles reversed?

  And, most of all, with his big mouth and his brashness and his bratty mannerisms, Piper was born to be a heel. So why did he waste almost the last fifteen years of his career as a babyface? Roddy Piper as a "good guy" was about as convincing as Michael Dukakis in an army tank.

  It's not even clear from this book how much is "real" and how much is "fake" in the industry. The outcome of a match is determined in advance, Roddy tells us, but the blows that are delivered in the match and some of the shots delivered in the promos (such as the attack on Snuka) are real.

  Yet, the mutual contempt between Piper and Mr. T, before the boxing match at Wrestlemania II, was real and there was apparently no predetermined outcome - the other wrestlers bet on the result. And yet Piper also claims to have pulled his punches. Was this truly a "shoot", and are "shoots" commonplace? I have a hard time believing that he intentionally took an honest-to-God piledriver onto a solid surface from the Undertaker without losing his life or the ability to move below his neck.

  Piper is too busy giving us the lowdown on the "dark" side of the profession to talk about the fun side.

  And for a streetwise guy, he's remarkably naïve. Having been willing, by his own admission, to do almost anything to anybody in order to promote himself, does he realize how silly it sounds for him to say that he objected to a particular staged segment of "Piper's Pit" as being offensive to his sensibilities as a Christian?

  He's also naïve about the world outside his own. For all of the unique risks and sacrifices undergone by professional wrestlers, they are not EXTREMELY different from those undergone by others, even in (maybe ESPECIALLY in) the white and blue-collar worlds that Piper has never seen. The corporate CEOs, the corner-cutting entrepreneurs, and the pink-collar dominatrices that run so much of our lives are no less pernicious than the wrestling promoters that Piper swats.

  And for every wrestler who died or suffered disability from a dangerous stunt or an overdose of painkillers in a frantic attempt to feed his family, there are thousands of workers with families who died or suffered disabilities from industrial accidents, coronaries, ulcers, and their own form of substance abuse - many of whom paid money to watch Piper perform.

  Having drawn heat from the fans for over a quarter century, Piper spends too much time now asking for our sympathy - and not enough time applauding us for a change.
  
  

• From The Heart AND The Gut!
  By A2D7DP3K60PS3N on 2003-03-29
  So Far I have read 5 books written by Wrestlers. Piper's TAKES THE CAKE!!! The last one before this was Hogan's and let me tell you...Hogan Needs to be locked in a room by himself so he can listen to himself BRAG about himself and drive himself CRAZY. Piper on the other hand tells it LIKE IT IS. From McMahon to Flair he talks about just about everyone in wrestling. The only one I was disappointed about was him not talking about Bad News Brown. I really wanted to know who was behind him painting his face half black and pissing Bad News off. As for "the sickness",it REALLY makes you think about how some of these guys really ARE treated like circus animals. Wrestlers NEED a union!!! They need to tell Mcmahon to go get health insurance coverage for them. Will they? Probably not. Piper leaves no stones unturned in this book. It's more honest than F Lee Bailey and Johnny Cocharan combined!!!!! BUY IT!!!! You WILL love it!!!
  
  
• I got mine autographed!
  By A2INX8B6VXUVW6 on 2003-08-02
  I really liked this book a lot. Roddy tells the fascinating story of his career. He doesn't try to make himself out to be a great guy, and he is honest about bad behavior on his part. The book is written conversationally and I, for one, could hear Roddy's voice in my head while I was reading. The only disappointment to me was that it should have been longer. He didn't talk much about his time in WCW, and there were other topics that he didn't spend much time on. Fans of '80s wrestling should really enjoy this book. By the way, I met Roddy at a book signing, and he was super nice. He was gracious and friendly to everyone, and happy to talk to everyone and pose for pictures. Really a class act.
  
  
• sounds like a bunch of bs to me!
  By A32JKNQ6BABMQ2 on 2005-01-28
  now heres a guy who kod superfly snuka with a coconut,beat adrian adonis with a ball bat,headlined wrestlemania 1,boxed mr t,chucked cyndi lauper,was one of the all time best announcers on wrestling,came back to the ring after a very very long absence to fight hulk hogan and kod him.he even had his own talk show.he had a big mouth.he was funny.WHY THE HECK DOES THIS BOOK SUCK THEN?its full of very hard to belive bs about being attacked by bears in a port a jon on numerous occasions,wrestling a bear and being mauled for 5 minutes,and doing 100 shots of kamikazes with ric flair every night round after round after round.100 each time!YEAH RIGHT!thats not even close to belivable.theres a game where you have to take 100 shots of beer .a new one every minute to a hundred.no one has ever done it that i know of.now how are you gonna tellme old ric flair nailed 100 shots of whiskey hundreds of times every night?can you say cirrohis?liver damage?betty ford clinic?bleeding ulcer?or alcohol overdose??and a sanctioned match with a bear?come on!i guess hes had extensive plastic surgery to cover all the teeth marks from the bear mauling him.maybe hes got superman like steel for skin.once again heres a story of a really cool wrestler who cant write a book[see my foley review].so im daring a wrestler to write a good book!heres the key.tell the good stuff.drop the bs and enter-damn-tain already!
  
  
• Good with the Bad
  By A1D702T7C8VDBL on 2005-02-05
  On the whole, I've been enjoying the wrestling profession biographies ranging from Foley to Flair to Edge to Dynamite Kid and, yes, even Chyna's books. Roddy Piper's is certain easily readable and you can tell his flavoring in it but it's simply not as great as he thinks it is. Now admitting I have read Lawler's book and enjoyed it to some small extent, I also enjoyed Piper's many anecdotes and straight forwardness in regards to his life.
  
  My problem with this book is that the sheer magnitude of Piper's egotism shreds the book on nearly every page. Piper seems to think that everything was/is as good as it is because of him, wrestling territories suceeded or failed depending on whether he was wrestling for them or not. Piper makes it out to look like everything in the modern wrestling era (1980s to present) revolved around him. Hogan's popularity - Piper's doing, Flair's legend status - Piper's doing, wrestling becoming mainstream - Piper's doing, McMahon's success - Piper's doing, WCW's fall - a result from not listening to Piper's ideas, wrestler's great mic skills - Piper's doing, Wrestlemania - Piper's doing, the Steroid Grand Jury case results - Piper's doing. Basically, everything he talks about in his book is a direct result of something he did and nothing would be as popular or successful if he didn't touch it. Just the sheer volume of his egotism makes me think less of him as a person. He is so caught up in himself that he doesn't seem to be able to distinguish that persona of Rowdy Roddy Piper from his actual Roderick Toombs self. He is so absorbed into this creation of Piper that he stays 'in character' throughout the book (although he claims that's who he really is).
  
  Overall, this book is certainly likeable and enjoyable, but Piper just can't help going over the top and cramming himself down your throat with his self-proclaimed greatness and influences.
  
  
• An Eye Opening Read
  By AB01KN37ABSKQ on 2006-08-31
  In the Pit With Piper: Roddy Gets Rowdy does not disappoint. Raither it educates the reader with Piper not holding back. Remember, Piper is not under contract when he wrote this book so he did not pen this book out of fear of upsetting a promoter. Piper lays the wrestling business all out for the reader and the reader sees an unwritten message about the wrestling industry: "all that glitters isn't gold."
  What Piper does best in this book is he freely admits he's not perfect. He admits he did some stupid things during his time on the road. However, Piper does has a redeeming quality about his views of life on the road. In the end it was all about supporting his family and finally getting home to his family.
  Piper also shows how so many wrestlers were responsible for the boom of the WWF in the 1980s but only a select few were justly appreciated. Case in point read Piper's take on the aftermath of treatment he and Hogan received before and after Wrestlemania. Also, Piper lets the reader in on how shady promoters can be. A few saying Piper uses to illustrate this point: "if you can walk you can wrestle," and "if you're going to die die in the ring its good for business." Piper's stories about his less than friendly relationship with Mr. T is worth a look. You can't but help but understand Piper's reasons for refusing to take a dive to a movie star, they're not in his business and don't know anything about how to improve wrestling.
  Piper's book does bring up a hard fact, wrestling has changed for the worse. Piper lets the reader know how wrestling has declined and the best thing Piper does is hold out hope that improvments will come in time. In the end pick up Piper's book and be prepared to never look at the wrestling industry the same when you finish. Piper not only relates the rigors of his life in wrestling, he teaches you the two contrasting views of the wrestling business and himself. Wrestling: money comes first and to Hell with you and your family. Piper: his wife and kids come first. Piper has the better view!
  
  
• Must have book for any wrestling fan
  By A3972HPW5BDHGP on 2002-12-02
  This is a tell all book from a man that is known for being highly controversial and has seen just about everything first hand that the average wrestling fan of this generation can remember. In it's entirety, 280 pages, there is hardly ever a dull paragraph. In fact, I picked this book up one Saturday morning, spent the entire day reading till my eyes were burning, then finished it up on Sunday.

  I'm a huge wrestling collector myself. I have boxes and boxes of wrestling videos, and out of the books, I have both of Foley's, Dynamite Kid's, Missy Hyatt's, Bobby Heenan's, Gary Michael Cappetta's, Ted Dibiase's, Lou Thesz's, etc. I only read the books that were not ghostwritten by other authors, or in any way affiliated with the WWF (who only lets out the material that they want to get out). The only way I can describe this book is as being for this generation what Thesz's book did for the past history of the sport. None of the other books in my collection can compare to Piper's book in any way other than Thesz's.

  So do yourself a favour and pick this book up. You'll be glad that you did.
  
  

• If you think you know Piper
  By A2077KT8X7V4V8 on 2002-12-06
  There's alot of things that could be said of this book in reference to wrestling. But, I think that Roddy depicts what these men go through for us the fans. He tells us about his struggles and about "the sickness" in the wrestling world. Sometimes he comes off alittle high and mighty, but, he deserves to. He's earned his position in this industry, by blood, sweat and injuries. At times you could swear to hear his voice reading to you. Don't expect this to be a literary experience, but for the hardcore wrestling fan, you will throughly enjoy it. And it has some information that is unknown to the fans as well. Really enjoyed this book read it in two days....
  
  
• I honestly expected more from Roddy....
  By A3KLQCALI6TJGJ on 2003-04-15
  I just finished reading Piper's book, and I have to say, I was extremely disappointed. Following Hot Rod's career as I have, and knowing that he was, and will always be, one of professional wrestling's most colorful and entertaining characters, I found his book somewhat... dull. His experience, his insight, his intimate knowledge of the "sport" all come through in the pages of his book, but are buried by the repetition, aimless direction, and obviously ghostwritten style that doesn't even try to sound anything like him! Especially distracting was Piper's willingness to get off on seemingly numurous tangents that only he found interesting, such as the "sickness" passages... Surely, I understand his disdain and contempt for the "sickness", as he calls it, but I still don't understand what it means! I expected to read a book that chronicles one man's rise from obscurity to greatness, carving a niche in history in his own inimitable style, a la Mick Foley. Instead, what I read was a muddled, confusing, bitter collection of stories by a man who has made millions in this sport for himself and his family, and who still feels he needs to be mad at the world. I'm sorry and disappointed, Roddy, that you weren't able to get your story across to me in a more interesting and captivating fashion. I guess Mick Foley, whose first book is still the gold standard for wrestling autobiographies, has spoiled me.
  
  
• Best book i read by a wrestler.....if not the best book ever
  By on 2003-05-17
  If your think about buying this book then buy it cause I myself dont like reading but when I started to read this book I couldn't stop. He really does paint a picture for you like you wouldn't believe. He shares stories you just can't make up it. I feel like I know the guy personal. If you want to know more about Roddy Piper or how life is as a pro wrestler, then take my word for it this is the book for you.
  
  
• Roddy is Rowdier than ever--and that's why we love him!
  By on 2002-11-05
  I have been waiting for this book for--oh--pretty much my entire life. This guy was the BEST wrestler ever and it's such a shame that he's not in the ring anymore. I am so glad to read his life story and to know that he's survived, he's still larger than life and he's still shooting off his mouth--he's the same guy I loved to watch when I was 12 years old. I still have the action figure! Welcome back, Hot Rod. We've missed you, man.
  
  
• real reality check
  By on 2002-11-07
  In this book you will find out wrestling is very REAL and so is Roddy Piper
  
  
• Piper Tells It Like It Is and Doesn't Have Any Regrets!
  By AJD19G5MV7ABU on 2002-11-16
  To start I loved this book and could not put it down! I rarely read books but this one just clicked with me.
  Roderick Toombs takes you back to the infancy of professional wrestling when it wasn't [poop] like it has become today. He let's you understand how hard it is to make friends outside the business and how impossible it is to keep them inside Roddy and his wife Kitty made a discorvery about wrestling and they dubbed it "the sickness" which you can read about in chapter 12. I believe their theory to be 100% true. His stories about ribbing on the square and the ruthless P's and everything inbetween are rather explicit and entertaining to read. None the less scary to think about happening to yourself. I have always overlooked Mr. Piper. I am 17 and my room is filled with loads of wrestling stuff, and only one Rowdy Roddy Piper item his book In The Pit With Piper. Piper's one item is the one thing that changed my most recent thought's about pro wrestling the most and also about wanting to become a wrestler, I will add though I still have the desire in me to become one and help change wrestling back to the former existence. His book will take you on a journey and make you realize the pain that every wrestler has to endure. His book also let's you know how serious things can get behind the curtains. I will tell you one thing a wrestlers life isn't as grand as you may think. Also never ask Mr. Piper if wrestling is fake...

  R.I.P
  Frat Brothers
  Piper has 33 years under his belt and 33 beloved frat brothers resting in peace.
  
  

• The funniest book I've read in a while
  By on 2002-11-18
  Piper's conversational style makes this book a quick read. The many behind-the-scenes anecdotes (and his colorful way with words) carry the book. Most will enjoy the second half, which covers his WWF days, back when the Roman numerals after the "Wrestlemania" were I and II, and "Piper's Pit" was the hottest thing going in the sport. But I enjoyed the first half, which focused on his days in the much smaller federations. The "Mexican national anthem on the bagpipes" story alone is worth the price of the book! It wasn't until after I read this book that I realized that my interest in pro wrestling waned at about the same time that Piper faded away.
  
  
• The Hot Scot is On a Roll
  By on 2002-12-21
  Excellent book. Roddy Piper is old school wrestling thru and thru. This is as close to a shoot interview on the life of a wrestling superstar as your going to get. Roddy doesn't hold back in this book just like he never held back in the ring. I was glad to see roddy pay tribute to some of the wrestlers who passed away way to young. Roddy tells one funny/revealing story after another about his years on the road, dealing with various promoters, his movie career, pipers pit, and wrestlemania. A must for any pure wrestling fan.
  
  
• Some CRAZY stories told IN THE PIT!
  By A1SCMISCYV2KGV on 2002-12-26
  In The Pit has some of the most crazy stories you will ever hear. Piper tells how Killer Tim Brooks saved Piper's life by cutting part of Piper's penis off. Roddy also tells stories of being sexually harmed by wrestlers when he was a teenager. (some of them later worked for the WWF in the 1980's) In the Pit also answers some good behind the scences wrestling questions like "Why Sid was fired by the WWF the first time around?". Hint: it was not due to steriods or anything related to it!!
  My only problem with the book is Piper protects the name of a wrestler that was blacked balled from wrestling for stealing money from WWF superstars in the lockeroom during their matches. Piper tells the story perfectly but protects the name of the wrestler. Book is also too short! (230 some pages) Should have been close to 400 pages. Great read even if you aren't a wrestling fan because Piper was apart of some historic nonwrestling events. The Mount ST Helen's Volcano eruption and the killings sprees inflicted by the world famous Hillside Strangler are two major events Piper was involved in!!! Hope this is helpfully!!!
  
  
• A TRULY GREAT READ
  By on 2002-12-28
  RODDY GIVES US A VERY HONEST, DETAILED, HUMOROUS, AND TOTALLY INTERESTIMG LOOK INTO THE WEIRD AND MYSTERIOUS WORLD OF PRO WRESTLING. I THINK RODDY IS ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMERS OF ALL TIME. HIS PIPER'S PIT AND BATTLE WITH GREG VALENTINE IS LEGEND. RODDY HAS GIVEN ALOT TO PRO WRESTLING AND DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT. HIS TELLING OF THE BEAR IN THE WOODS, THE CIGAR AND KILLER BROOKS, AND ANDRE IN ELEVATORS ARE TOTALLY HILARIOUS. I LOVED THIS BOOK AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TO ALL WRESTLING FANS. A MUST READ.
  
  
• He not only changes the questions, but history, too
  By A1HBNXG26NTS9M on 2003-01-01
  During the 1980's, Rowdy Roddy Piper was one of my favourites, second only to King Kong Bundy. Even though in recent interviews, details of his career have been made sketchier, I was still excited about the prospect of his autobiography and snatched up a copy the first time I saw it on sale.
  However, this book was beyond disappointing. For starters, he only covers his glory days in the business, and a slanted opinion of them at that. For years, I thought Hulk Hogan was the top draw in the business, not Piper. According to ``Hot Rod'' I was wrong. This is one of many mistruths he fires off.
  From that point on, the stories of his early days just become harder to believe. Sure, I wasn't watching wrestling back then, and I certainly had no `inside' information about the business, but I find it hard to believe he escaped death so many times, and stories that he escaped Mt. St. Helen's erupting to make it to a wrestling show (just who was attending that night, anyways?) are farfetched to say the least.
  I was hoping to hear about the real Rod Toombs in this book, the one who by all accounts is generous towards his fellow wrestlers and a very charitable family man. Very little of this came out in the book, which was disappointing.
  Piper makes it sound like he was, is and always will be wrestling's brightest star. While he certainly was important to the business, I think he needs to get one of those `Reality Checks' he hyped so often in his WCW days.
  
  

• Ric Flair: To Be the Man
• WWE - Born to Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story
• Bobby the Brain: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All
• The Hardcore Diaries
• Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks