Ronda Rousey didn't start calling herself "Rowdy" without any say-so from the WWE Legend Roddy Piper. Ronda transitioned from a career in mixed martial arts to performing for WWE in 2018. She debuted officially at the company's Royal Rumble premium live event and from the moment she stepped through the curtain, "Rowdy" was attached to her name. This, however, wasn't the first time Ronda had used the moniker nor was it the first time WWE audiences had heard it to aptly describe a superstar.
WWE Legend and Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper redefined the term throughout the 80s. His feuds with 16-time World Champion Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and even Mr. T would make for some of the most exciting moments of that era. Piper was venomous with a microphone in his hand. He was memorable in the ring, too, thanks to his fiery passion and a wrestling style that leaned into his willingness to brawl.
It was Roddy Piper himself who awarded Ronda Rousey with the "Rowdy" namesake, provided she earned with her in-ring and real-world attitude. Some WWE viewers might not know that Ronda's "Rowdy" reputation began in the eight-sided ring, not in the four-sided one seen in professional wrestling. While Piper didn't make a name for himself as a WWE Legend criticizing modern athletes, there were still standards to abide by. In Ronda's time as "The Baddest Woman on the Planet," UFC's first female champion, she exceeded every one of those standards. Ronda Rousey didn't pull punches in the octagon or in the media as a build-up to her fights. By the time she walked down a WWE ramp, Ronda and "Rowdy" were synonymous.
Roddy Piper Wasn't Afraid To Support Ronda Rousey
At the 2018 Royal Rumble, Ronda Rousey made her WWE debut actually wearing one of Roddy Piper's jackets. Piper had passed in 2015, but that didn't break the connection he shared with Rousey. Roddy's family continued to extend his blessing by bringing Ronda a piece of Piper's wardrobe so that she could take him with her the first time she was billed as a WWE superstar. However, that isn't to say Ronda's time as a wrestler hasn't come with its share of setbacks.
Fortunately, Ronda Rousey's performances have improved since Triple H's WWE takeover. While a margin of her professional wrestling career has been marred by controversy - most notably in her support of conspiracy theories regarding the Sandy Hook tragedy, and in her willingness to bash wrestling as a sport - her accolades cannot be denied. Even as she crudely trash-talked her opponents, not unlike Piper himself in his heyday, Ronda was recognized as wrestling's 2018 Rookie of the Year, and she has since won both the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championships.
Ronda's willingness to take on all-comers, referees and security members included, precedes WWE. That attitude has certainly reminded wrestling audiences of what Roddy Piper saw in Ronda Rousey. After memorable feuds with WWE stars like "The Man" Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, the Baddest Woman on the Planet has cemented her place in the annals of WWE history. Regardless of how much longer Ronda's wrestling career might be, what is clear is that she will continue to fight with the memory of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper at the forefront of her inspiration.