Plot: What’s it about?
If you’re looking for a controversial figure, few in the world of sports entertainment could fit the bill like “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. The fans have hated him and loved, but they always turned out to see Piper, even if he isn’t on the card. As a wrestler, Piper usually riled up fans across the world, battling such legends as Bret Hart and Greg Valentine, not to mention his storied feud with Hulk Hogan. His war with Hogan headlined Wrestlemania and is still considered one of the greatest feuds of all time. He did fall into the role of fan favorite later in his career, but even then, he was still controversial. He was never afraid to say or do whatever he wanted, such as painting half of his skin black for his match against Bad News Brown. But Piper wasn’t just skilled inside the ring, as his ability to use the microphone was second to none. In addition to his sharp interviews, he hosted his own segment on WWE television shows, the infamous Piper’s Pit. There he would invite various guests, but not to talk, usually to berate them, as when he broke a coconut over Jimmy Snuka’s head. In this three disc collection, you’ll learn all about Piper and his incredible life. In addition to a feature length documentary, you’ll find bonus stories from Piper, a wealth of his matches, and an entire disc of his greatest Piper’s Pit segments. In short, this is the kind of release fans dream of, so this one is highly recommended. I have included a rundown of the matches included, as I know those will be of great interest to fans.
Disc 1
1. Roddy Piper & Mike Popovich vs. Buddy Rose & Rip Oliver (Portland Wrestling)
2. Roddy Piper vs. Buddy Rose (Portland Wrestling)
3. Roddy Piper vs. Jack Brisco (7/7/1982)
4. Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine (11/24/1983)
Disc 2
1. Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff & Hulk Hogan & Mr. T (3/31/1985)
2. Roddy Piper vs. Paul Orndorff (10/5/1985)
3. Roddy Piper vs. Mr. T (4/7/1986)
4. Roddy Piper vs. The Iron Sheik (10/4/1986)
5. Roddy Piper vs. Bob Orton (11/29/1986)
6. Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis (3/29/1987)
7. Roddy Piper vs. Hulk Hogan (2/18/1985)
8. Roddy Piper vs. Rick Rude (12/28/1990)
9. Roddy Piper vs. Bad News Brown (4/1/1990)
10. Roddy Piper vs. Bret “The Hitman” Hart (4/5/1992)
11. Roddy Piper vs. The Mountie (1/19/1992)
12. Roddy Piper vs. Goldust (3/31/1996)
13. Roddy Piper vs. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan (12/29/1996)
Video: How does it look?
All of the material is presented in full frame, as intended. The documentary is a new production, so of course it looks superb and shows no real flaws. The new interviews look sharp and well detailed, with a slick presentation. The footage spliced in might not look as good, but it looks good enough. As far as the matches and other bonus footage, it depends on the age of the elements, but none look less than acceptable. The newer clips look better of course, but all look more than decent.
Audio: How does it sound?
The soundtrack for the documentary feature is excellent, very crisp and clean, as you’d expect from a new production. The sound is crystal clear, though it does include some footage from various sources, so those clips aren’t quite as impressive. The footage still sounds good however, just not up to the same level as the documentary itself. Not much else to talk about here, the documentary sounds great and the rest of the footage is as good as we could want.
Supplements: What are the extras?
In addition to the matches listed above, you’ll find an entire disc of Piper’s Pit segments and some bonus stories from Piper and those who know him well. I loved seeing the Piper’s Pit segments again and I am so glad they’ve been included here.
