Anarchy is a word that Rowdy Roddy Piper knows pretty well, having given promoters more than a few grey hairs over the years with his antics.
Yet here he is about to promote his own show on Friday, May 11 in Eugene, Oregon entitled ‘Anarchy at Piper’s Pit’.
The show is a fundraiser for the University of Oregon Ducks football team, and Piper was asked to be involved, lending his years of wrestling knowledge, and marquee name, to the local team.
“They came to me, and I wasn’t really interested in it,” Piper explained to SLAM! Wrestling. A number of things changed his mind.
That the show was meant as a benefit meant a lot to Piper, as did the fact that University of Oregon grad Josh Wilcox, of the XFL champion Los Angeles Xtreme, wanted to be involved. Wilcox, who is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Dave Wilcox, has dabbled in pro wrestling over the past few years, working out with Dory Funk Jr. and having a couple of matches in ECW. That got Piper thinking about his emotional time at the Cauliflower Alley Club banquet in Las Vegas in February, and how moved he was to see all of his heroes, the men and women who helped him break into wrestling.
And finally there was the state of pro wrestling today, with the WWF having a virtual monopoly and the wealth of talent available. “There’s great talent out there that are free agents,” Piper said.
It all added up for Piper, and soon he was on the phone talked to some old “frat brothers”.
Calling Anarchy at Piper’s Pit “a reunion” isn’t far off. Piper contemporaries like Curt Hennig, Hacksaw Duggan and Greg Valentine are on the show, as well as Piper protege Maniac Matt Borne. Younger stars like Dan Severn and Sabu, whom Piper admits that he doesn’t know very well, are also on the show.
It was important to get big-name talent. “If we’re going to put a card on, let’s do it with all the class and quality that I would want if I was on the card … a first class production,” Piper explained. “The talent isn’t a bunch of broken down guys like me.”
Piper himself, at this point, doesn’t have plans to wrestle on Friday. “I wanted to have a Piper’s Pit with Vince Russo. We’ve tried to get a hold of him with obviously no message back,” he said with a laugh, recalling his tortuous final days in WCW.
The show is in McArthur (Mac) Court, home to the Ducks basketball team, and has an 8 p.m. start. It will be taped for potential video sales, or even as a pilot of sorts for a pay-per-view deal.
Promoter Piper is trying not to think too far ahead. “If this works, I’m not looking to compete against anybody, I’m just saying that if every once in a while we can put a card of this calibre together and have it in this type of a facility with this kind of a production, I would love to this this. It’s my life, it’s what I love. The goods just kind of fell into place.”
The card
- Miss Pittsburgh vs Honkytonk Man
- Dan Severn vs Big Mike
- 20-man Gang Green Rumble Royale main event, one man every minute, with football players, first two men are Curt Hennig and Josh Wilcox
- Greg Valentine vs Matt Borne in a dog collar match — Starrcade ’83 dog collar will be used
- Sabu vs Tony Kozina
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