Exploring the Early 1990s WWE Rivalry Between Ric Flair and Roddy Piper

Diehard wrestling fans in their 50s or older likely recall the National Wrestling Alliance of the 1980s as a hotbed of feuds and one of the wildest pitted the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper against Ric Flair. In the NWA, though, Flair starred as the golden boy All-American hero, while Jim Crockett Promotions made Piper a heel, as he recalls in an interview with Title Match Wrestling.

As one of the baddest of the bad, he’s most remembered for his violent attacks on Flair on national television and beating him for the NWA U.S. title in 1981. But that’s not what WWE fans remember.

Flair and Piper Move to the WWE

Wrestling fans who picked up following the sport in the 1990s probably recall bad guy Flair attacking Piper as he worked as a commentator in the WWF on September 28, 1991. Vince McMahon, Jr., then-head of the WWF and later, the WWE, created an alternate universe of sorts where the bad guy got to become the hero and vice versa.

Both wrestlers brought with them their name recognition. As established characters, Flair retained his moniker, “The Nature Boy,” and his trademark “woooo.” Piper retained his Scottish character, bagpipes, kilt, and all. The pivotal thing that McMahon changed was setting Flair as the villain and Piper as the maligned hero.

In addition to their athleticism and stunt training, every wrestler hones acting skills. Piper crossed genres, working in wrestling and feature films. The opportunity to diversify their characters appeals to many wrestlers, Flair and Piper included.

Building a Rivalry

So, how did McMahon build the new reverse rivalry after that initial attack? He knew their history, so when both men came into the WWF/WWE, he planned a major match around them. The week before Flair attacked Piper on TV, on September 21, 1991, the organization had announced they would meet in a match in Madison Square Garden (MSG). That major card received the publicity, but the two wrestlers traded barbs and fisticuffs before the MSG pay-per-view match.

October 1991

• Flair and Piper fought on the October 3, 1991, card as two entrants in the Battle Royal at the Albert Hall match, according to Retro Wrestling Archive. They’re joined by 19 other wrestlers vying for battle royal bragging rights.

• The following week, Roddy Piper, now also known as Hot Rod, taped a message for Flair and fans for the week’s WWF broadcast. Piper sets the stage for what grew into a long-lasting WWE rivalry in this October 5, 1991, clip.

• On October 7, 1991, an irate Piper confronts Flair’s manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan on Sean Mooney’s Prime Time Wrestling interview segment. McMahon’s storyline completely turned the tables on what wrestling fans knew of both wrestlers. Piper gives a Flair-esque speech, while Heenan speaks for the normally super-vocal Flair.

• On October 19, 1991, both men appeared in WWF Superstars of Wrestling, filmed at the Wheeling Civic Center in Wheeling, WV, according to Blog of Doom. Flair defeated Ron Cumberledge with his trademark figure-four leg lock in a quick match. Piper turned his back on the match, literally, forcing McMahon and Randy “Macho Man” Savage to handle the commentary.

• A fan filmed their October 24, 1991, match in Sacremento, California at a WWF/WWE live event. The match started sedate and heated up as the minutes passed. About 11 minutes into the match, Flair grabbed a metal chair and attacked Piper with it in the ring.

• That provides the context for Piper’s threats three days later, taped for TV. On October 27, 1991, Piper unveils the chair he set aside to use on Flair in their upcoming Madison Square Garden match, set for the following day. He wasn’t harping on September’s events, but something Flair had done days earlier.

• Flair triumphed against Piper in the Madison Square Garden match on October 28, 1991. The Garden match didn’t end the feud, which continued and grew.

Fall 1991 Marked the Beginning

The wrestlers confronted each other at the famed WWF Survivor Series ’91 on November 27, 1991, each joined by three partners. They met again in a dark match (non-televised bonus match) on December 3, 1991, at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas.

About 8,000 wrestling fans watched the live match, according to Pro Fight Database. None of the 1991 matches between Flair and Piper ended in a win for the Canadian fighter. It took until March 28, 1992, for McMahon to script a tag-team win for Piper against Flair, according to Pro Fight Database. Piper tag teamed with Hulk Hogan, while Flair joined Sid Justice.

Flair and Piper End as Friends

All of this might surprise younger wrestling fans, because during the first decade of the 2000s, Piper and Flair formed a dominating WWE tag team. Most of today’s wrestling fans remember their friendship and fabulous tag team bouts, but the many matches from the 1980s and 1990s deserve a re-watch to recall this fun feud that spanned across decades and wrestling organizations.