Piper dead at 61

Roddy Piper

Legendary pro wrestling heel "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (born Roderick George Toombs) has passed away at the age of 61.

He died of cardiac arrest in his sleep Thursday night in Hollywood, CA.

Piper was the key foil for Hulk Hogan during the national expansion of the then-World Wrestling Federation in the mid-1980s. He and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff teamed against Hogan and "A-Team" star Mr. T in the main event of the first Wrestlemania.

“Roddy Piper was one of the most entertaining, controversial and bombastic performers ever in WWE, beloved my millions of fans around the world,” said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “I extend my deepest condolences to his family.”

Piper, much like Dusty Rhodes, who also passed recently, was known as one of the great promo men in wrestling history, and also faced Mr. T in a boxing match at Wrestlemania II, as well as Adrian Adonis at Wrestlemania III.

While most know Piper for his work in WWE, he was also a legend in a number of the old territories, namely Portland, Los Angeles, Mid-Atlantic and Georgia Championship Wrestling.

Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and also has some success as an actor, most notably in John Carpenter's "They Live."

Piper is survived by his wife, Kitty, and four children.