Sgt. Slaughter Comments on Roddy Piper, Today’s Wrestling Product, and More

WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter was recently interviewed by the Baltimore Sun, as he was promoting “Military Appreciation Night” at the Potomac Nationals minor league baseball game this past Saturday evening.

Slaughter covered many topics, including his memories of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, the current WWE product, and more.

Below are some highlights from the interview:

You just returned from the funeral of Roddy Piper, someone who was very close to you. What was the funeral like?

“It wasn’t a fun time. He was one of my best friends. It’s still hard to believe that Roddy Piper is no longer with us. It’s a very sad time in my life.”

While his death is undoubtedly sad, is it somewhat uplifting to see how many lives he touched as the memorials are held for him, and people are telling all of their stories?

“Yes. It’s amazing to see how many people he touched. His death is something that you weren’t prepared for, and it’s something that you thought would never happen, but life sometimes throws those curveballs at you. To see the outpouring of calls and messages from people toward his family was certainly uplifting, though. Roddy was a very well-liked man.”

What are some of your favorite memories that you have of you and Roddy?

“Every moment that we were together is a memory when you’re with Roddy Piper. The first time I met him, we were on a double-shot in North Carolina. We had a flat tire, and he was pretty bummed about that. I asked him, “What’s so bad about a flat tire? We can fix that.” He tells me that he had a flat last night, so there was no spare. So the first time I was with Crockett, I have a flat tire with no spare. Roddy somehow, though, manages to get it up, put the air into the tire and patch it himself, and off we went. Won’t forget that.”

What would you say his legacy in the wrestling business is? 

“He’ll never be duplicated, that’s for sure. He paved the way for many superstars of today and tomorrow, with Piper’s Pit and the way he prepared himself for his promos and matches. He just was the type of athlete who gave everything he had every night that he performed. He just wanted to have the best match, and give the best promo, and he worked very hard at that.”

Did his death feel even harder because Dusty Rhodes had died so shortly beforehand?

“It definitely wasn’t easy. Dusty was the American Dream. Before we even started to really feel his loss, we lose Roddy a month later. It’s a sad time. It’s the entertainment business though, so the show must go on. We all grieve in our own ways and there’s no time limit on grieving. I know that both Dusty and Roddy will take a while for me to let go of.”

Moving to a happier topic, do you still regularly watch today’s WWE?

“Yes I do. I’m the ambassador for WWE and part of my job is to watch the show and give my input, what I like and don’t like. I look out for talent, and give recommendations, and even help scout talent sometimes. While sometimes you want to keep wrestling forever, eventually we get to a point where we can’t continue doing what we did. Now we all have roles in trying to keep the product going. We want to keep WWE as the top in the industry. You’re always working, it’s a 24/7 job. I shouldn’t say job, though. It’s something that you always want to look after it, and help it improve.”

What’s your thoughts on today’s product? Would you change anything at all if you could?

“It’s a really amazing product. Look at how many matches there are a week. One thing I’m really happy about is that the divas are starting to make their mark now. They’re showing that they can be right there with the guys. … These days you have to stay in great shape. Back when I was coming up, you didn’t have the trainers and doctors and all the people that assisted you. You just had to take care of yourself. It’s great that now if you have a strain or something, there’s someone there for you, instead of just jumping in the car and getting to the next show. I tip my cap to everyone involved, from the writing and production team to the guys, because it’s an amazing product.”

“I wouldn’t really change anything. It’s a new era now. This is the way they’re trained from when they go down to Orlando by the producers and trainers. That’s the way that the product is now. You have to keep up with the changes. I will say it’s a faster pace than I would really like to see it. But that’s the way the product is these days.”

You can find the full interview here.

Editor’s Note:

Always great to hear from “The Sarge.” He always has wonderful insight into the business, and you should look forward to reading the interviews that he conducts.  AND THAT’S AN ORDER!!!

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