“Rowdy” Roddy Piper died in his sleep at his home in Hollywood at the age of 61, according to a report.
The wrestling icon was found dead at his Hollywood home on Friday, TMZ says.
“I am devastated at this news. Rod was a good friend as well as a client and one of the most generous, sincere and authentic people I have ever known. This is a true loss to us all,” Piper’s rep told TMZ.
Roddy Piper has a wife and four children, including a son who is pursuing a career in wrestling. He previously battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma but was said to be cancer-free at the time of his death.
Just last week, Piper did a radio interview with “The Rich Eisen Show” and made headlines for his comments defending Hulk Hogan. A week later he’s dead.
Piper has a connection to another prominent athlete in the world of combat sports. Ronda Rousey’s nickname is “Rowdy,” which was adopted from Piper. Rousey, who is a huge wrestling fan, says she asked Piper for permission to use the nickname. He granted it to her, and she now wears it proudly.
Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
