Piper v Bret (Roddy's Last Hurrah...for like three weeks)

Roddy Piper v Bret Hart (WWF Wrestlemania VIII, 4/5/92) - EPIC

Ten years ago I'd probably have called this Piper's best match ever. Since then I've rewatched the Valentine feud and that stuff's definitely a rung up, but this is still really good and if nothing else it's one of his best performances. I know he'll never blow you away with his technique and Piper throwing a hip toss isn't the most crisp thing you'll see, but I love how he does everything like a wildman and even those hip tosses have an element of frenzy. I've always loved the story of him reverting back to some of his saltier ways as the match goes on. I actually watched this and Bret/Perfect from King of the Ring '93 back to back earlier, and I thought Hennig was a little more overt in his heeling than Piper was in this, which I wouldn't have said based on memory alone. I know there's the ring bell spot and this had the blood, but Hennig was way surlier and I'd have expected him to actually hit Bret with the bell given the opportunity ("Remember the old saying: what the hell, use the bell!"). It may be hokey WWF-style melodrama, but I thought that ring bell stuff came off great and puts most spots of its ilk these days to shame. Maybe it was because the commentary wasn't trying to ram it down our throats, maybe it's because Piper's a decent actor; either way it totally worked for me. Although I'm a shameless geek for a good bit of inner conflict so take that for what it's worth. I also forgot the set up to Bret getting cut open, but it totally ruled. You're thinking Piper holding the ropes to let Bret back in is always ending up with Bret getting suckered, but Piper actually lets him in clean. Maybe we're underestimating Piper's strength of character. To be fair to him, Bret's been trying to get under his skin all day and that bit earlier where he faked the shoulder injury only to roll him up was a bit of a dick move in its own right. It's no wonder Piper slapped him. But hey, it's all good now and we'll no doubt see a clean contest from here on out. Piper telling Bret his lace is undone and popping him with an uppercut was amazing and he never looked back from there. Bret was a perfect foil for him, but Piper listening to the devil on one shoulder while the angel on the other tried to rein him in was a super fun story. The part where he unloads with a flurry of jabs to the eye was where you had to stop and go, "yep, that's the Roddy Piper we always knew was in there." Or maybe it's the part where he was biting Bret in the cut and I guess I'll retract that horse shit about him not being surly. Finish is fairly iconic in WWF lore and there's one guy in the crowd with a Hot Rod t-shirt who's just distraught when a) Piper decides against bludgeoning Bret with the bell, and b) when Bret reverses the sleeper. Piper's become a huge favourite of mine in recent years and this held up really well. Long live Hot Rod.


Complete & Accurate Hot Rod