December 4, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Roddy Piper, WWE Survivor Series
Roddy Piper released on his web site on 11/20 that he was diagnosed with Hodkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer, after a biopsy was done on a growth found in his back when he was undergoing disc surgery.
The growth was removed in surgery, but it was found the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes.
Piper, 52, real name Roderick Toombs, had been in great pain while on the WWE’s European tour, thought at the time to be from kidney stones. He and Ric Flair were scheduled to do a longer-term role as a “Cinderella” tag team champions. While the title reign was only going to be a few weeks, the WWE had bookings with Flair & Piper as a tag team at house shows past Christmas. Piper’s inability to wrestle led to an abrupt title change on 11/13 in Manchester, England. In the match, Piper was jumped before the match, so he never actually wrestled, and Randy Orton & Edge beat Flair quickly in a handicap match.
Piper will begin radiation treatment for cancer immediately, and this is a very serious situation.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.