A Rowdy tale

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This article was published 03/10/2016 (3260 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It never gets easier; it just loses its power over you.

That’s how Colt Baird Toombs describes the lasting impact of the death his father, wrestling legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

Toombs was speaking with The Lance on the phone from Las Vegas ahead of a book tour that will make a stop in Winnipeg on Oct. 7 at McNally Robinson (1120 Grant Ave.), when he will launch Rowdy: The Roddy Piper Story.

The hardcover book, which is co-written by his sister and Piper’s daughter, Ariel Teal Toombs, is published by Random House Canada.

Piper, who died in July 2015 of a heart attack at the age of 61, was one of the most iconic professional wrestlers of the 20th century, winning dozens of titles and engaging in a long feud with Hulk Hogan that launched the WrestleMania era. He also appeared in numerous films and television shows.

The wrestling legend was born Roderick George Toombs in 1954 in Saskatoon. He was raised in the Prairies, ending up in Winnipeg, where he went to Windsor Park Collegiate. His father was an officer with the CN Rail Police. Piper was a champion amateur wrestler in high school before he started to wrestle professionally in Winnipeg.

Piper had started writing a book about his life just before his death, and his daughter and son subsequently decided their father’s story couldn’t be left unwritten. And all in all, Toombs said the process of writing has been a cathartic one.

“I think about him every day, and since he passed, I’ve gotten so many memories back I didn’t remember I had,” said Toombs, who was an undefeated MMA fighter and is now a professional wrestler.

“We decided we needed to write the book because dad always helped us with anything we needed. We call ourselves the Toombs clan — we’re a very close family and we needed to understand who he was and where he came from.”

“We’ve learned so much about our father and his incredible journey. It’s been really, really helpful in the grieving process and we’re still learning things since he passed. Writing the book has given us small pieces of daylight in a dark time,” he added.

Toombs, who was raised in Oregon, said there was a distinct separation between Piper the famous wrestler and Piper the family man.

“When I watched wrestling on TV as a child, and I’d see my dad get hurt, I’d be bawling my eyes out. But then you get to an age when you understand it,” Toombs said.

“People thought my dad was this rough character the whole time and even teachers at school would ask me if I was OK, sometimes. My dad didn’t have a great life growing up and he had it very, very rough, but his priority in life was his family. After a professional bout, he would put himself in a hotel for two days, as he needed the time to transition to be dad again. He truly was the best dad in the world. He had a black belt in judo and he really could handle himself, but with us he was the gentlest man in the world.

“At the height of his fame, I think he dealt with it very well. As kids, we couldn’t go out with him to the movies or a restaurant, because he’d be mobbed and he wanted to protect us — that’s why we moved to Oregon. But he’d tell me ‘The fans are the ones that are paying us and without them, there wouldn’t be us.’ He was very grateful for everything he had and I try to keep dad’s lessons close to heart and be the man he wanted me to be,” he added.

In terms of Piper’s perspective on wrestling, Coombs said he viewed it as his life’s work.

“Many wrestlers are in it for five, 10 or 15 years, but my dad was a lifer.” 

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com

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