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When we first heard of Roddy Piper’s death, it was attributed to a heart attack. Now, thanks to the folks at TMZ obtaining a copy of the death certificate, we know more details.
Piper suffered from a blood clot in his lungs that triggered the heart attack. The blood clot is a result of years of chronic high blood pressure. To watch Piper perform was to see a guy going 100 miles an hour at all times, so the idea of him being a bit wired shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s just a shame it got to be this severe.
Another thing of note about the certificate is that Piper is listed as a “professional wrestler” in the profession category, which is simply badass to me. I think they could have also gone with “one of the best heels of all time” or “alien-killer with awesome catchphrases.”
I haven’t done any writing about Piper on here since his death. So, I do want to say that while I wasn’t too incredibly high on his work as a wrestler (yeah, I know), They Live has always been one of those movies that I’ll never forget. I remember my cousin and I getting shades and pretending we saw aliens when I was a kid. And I made my family huddle around and watch the movie a couple of years ago.
Thanks, Hot Rod.
Rest well.