How tall was Roddy Piper

Roddy Piper's Height

6ft 1 (185.4 cm)

Canadian Wrestler and Actor best remembered for films such as They Live and Hell Comes to Frogtown. In his book he described his own height and weight as such: "Six-foot-one-and-a-half-inch, 232-pound[s]".

How tall is Roddy Piper
Roddy & Sgt. Slaughter
Photo © ImageCollect.com / GTCRFOTO
New York was a big man's territory, where there were people like Andre the Giant, who was seven-four and weighed in at 520 pounds...there wasn't anybody there wrestling under 280 pounds, so basically I was a midget going into a giant's world.
I was six-foot-one and my weight at this time was 210 pounds, so I knew I had to start training in a different way to put a little bulk on.
-- In the pit with Piper, 2002

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Add a Comment360 comments

Average Guess (125 Votes)
6ft 0.55in (184.3cm)
Slamo said on 19/May/23
Did he really shrink from 6-1 to around 5-9? Wow.
184guy2 said on 10/Mar/23
@Frank R

Roddy went from 6'1 to no more than 5'9 at the time of his death
Given the circustances, not so tall stature and "young" age 61, he has to be the most severe height loss from Wrestler in this site
Frank R said on 10/Jan/23
It's interesting that a pro wrestler who described himself as 6'1.5" would ever be billed at 6'1"(like he was in the WWE), considering the carnival-like environment of pro wrestling, where heights & weights are usually exaggerated up. I believe that Piper was probably 6'1.5" in his early 20s, and he gradually shrunk down to about 6'0.75" by the time he died at age 61.
Johnny G said on 8/Jan/23
I believe I posted before… I met Roddy in 1999 working out at my local gym .. at that time 6’1 like me also .. his weight 230lbs but in the movie The Live he told me he weighed 195 lbs
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 26/Dec/22
Piper looked a solid 6ft1 in the 80’s. Likely got measured 6ft1½ earlier in the day as he claimed. Another time he claimed 6ft2, will keep an eye out for the quote.
berta said on 23/Dec/22
it would have been interesting to see him and cena back to back and also harrison ford. ford would of course be the shortest. Piper and cena would be very close. i think piper would be the tallest after all. Piper could have been the full 6´1 but i think there is very big posibility that he was 6 3/4.
Editor Rob said on 24/Oct/22
Wrestlers used to have to fill in an application for Wrestling, and here is Roddy's early Height & Weight claim.

This was at age 25, when he put down 6'2" and weight of 230 pounds. Was also claiming from the very beginning to be born in Glasgow!

Click Here
berta said on 31/Jul/22
could look in the 184-185 range. i give him the full 6´1 but not taller.
Savo said on 4/Apr/22
Taller than 6 feet Bret Hart, taller than Hercules Hernandez, slighty shorter than 6ft2 Bob Orton and 6ft3 Beefcake. Seems a legit 6ft1.5 here Click Here
datacipher said on 4/Mar/22
Yes....Piper looked A LOT shorter in his last days standing beside others...but he was as tall or taller than Bret when he was in his prime, and Bret was a solid 6+ feet. I stood toe to toe with Owen Hart and he was 5'10.5.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 3/Jan/22
Rob, here's a shot of Slaughter with Hogan back in the day.

Click Here

Odd angle for sure but Slaughter is hunched and his legs are bent, easily dropping an inch or so. 6ft6 barefoot is still a stretch but 6ft4 range peak is feasible which is what he also got billed by WWE. 6ft6 is wrestling boots stuff most likely while Hogan I reckon was clearing 6ft7, possibly approaching 6ft8 in his boots from about 6ft6 barefoot.

Both guys have lost quite a bit of height as you can see in the more recent photo I showed you. There's quite a few guys who claim than Andre was 7ft4-5! Not one confesses to him being a more modest 7ft....wanna mythologize him
Editor Rob
I should really give him a page!
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 31/Dec/21
Rob, how tall do you reckon Sgt. Slaughter was peak?


I imagine he'd lost a fair bit of height by the time of that photo. But here he is in 2003 holding up reasonably well opposite a young Orton Click Here

Click Here With Hogan in 2020 who many argue is struggling with 6ft3

He's been billed 6ft6 which is absolute rubbish...but maybe near 6ft4 peak? Today looking 6ft1-2 zone but might make the 6ft2 if measured. Like a lot of his peers, a guy that's suffered some serious loss through injuries in the ring
Editor Rob
I'm still laughing at the right hook from Orton there.

But they looked quite close, although I would even say Sgt might have lost a fraction by that point.

I mentioned in one of my videos a quote from Slaughter. It was funnier than Orton's right hook. He claimed 6ft 6 and Andre was a 7ft 5 guy 😅
Njp said on 22/Aug/21
The majority of Pipers height loss as with everyone as they age, happens in the lumbar spine due to lack of abdominal support; the telltale signs are the lower ribs flaring out as they sink around the internal organs giving that bloated stomach look. It’s happening to Stallone and to Schwarzenegger now. Despite not being fat they’re developing a belly as their spines compress. Piper was only around 5’11.5 to maybe a week six foot. He looked a good two inches shorter than Keith David (peak 6’1”) so in the end his height loss seemed more dramatic as he went down to around 5’9” because he’d already been billed at 6’1” during his early wrestling career. You only have to look at him opposite Mr T, Paul Orndorff, Bret Hart to know that he wasn’t anywhere close to being over 6ft at any point in his career.
Ben Bell said on 19/Jul/21
Looking back at some pics of Piper with Orndorff who has consistently said he was 5’11 and peak Piper does look 2” taller. Really surprising as when I met piper in 08 he was 5’9. Injury took a serious toll on his height.
@6ft 1 in the morning said on 21/Jun/21
Keith David towers over him in They Live and he is supposed to be around the same height that 6 to 6’1 range. I assumed he was around 5’10 to 5”11
Chaos Control 6'2.5 said on 17/Feb/21
@Height King it’s highly possible he was just keeping kayfabe when he called Andre 7’4. Also I can understand how he may have struggled to tell Andre’s exact height
Height King said on 15/Feb/21
This website is generally on point... EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES TO PROFESSIONAL WRESTLERS! First of all they’re baby boomer generation. (Ya, the same generation that spent years walking around in platform shoes to make themselves look taller.) They’re also from a time when lying about height was easier to do, no cell phone cameras, no internet, etc.
The surgery (back and hip) height loss myth. Is it possible to loose height, sure, BUT IT IS VERY, VERY RARE. Majority of the time a person will actually gain a slight amount of height after these procedures. What does change is a persons ability to wear lifts in their shoes, DUH!
Which brings to the most important point... these are professional wrestlers!! They spend their lives playing roles that are bigger than life. Everything is exaggerated. Why are people taking their word when it comes to their height!? RIDICULOUS! I mean he says he’s 6’1” in the same sentence that he says Andre was 7’4” and you take his word and list him at that height!?🤦🏻‍♂️ 5’10”/5’11” peak.
Kylo said on 11/Feb/21
Probably lost a decent bit of height near the time of his death Click Here with Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney when he was on always sunny, two guys in the 5’9-5’10 range.
Editor Rob
yeah, he really did lose a significant chunk by his last few years.
Tizwaxxx said on 3/Feb/21
Strong 6-0 peak
Ben Bell said on 4/Jan/21
Been watching a lot of Piper stuff recently.
I’d say stood tall
6’1 peak
5’9 at the time of his death. Two hip replacements and bad posture.
I met him in 09 and he looked 5’9 that day but he was very stooped.
Dayshaen said on 22/Dec/20
I’ll say 6’0 in the 80s then around WCW mid 90s he was about 5’11 then 5’10 around 2000s then closed to death probably 5’8
Johnny G said on 3/Dec/20
I met Roddy 1990 .. we worked out together Harrisburg, pa .. he was wrestling at Hershey.. I was at the the same height 6’1”. I said to Roddy he looked so lean in the movie They Live .. Roddy said he was 195lbs. , but like being 230lbs. As I whom is 67yrs old lost height from surgeries & just getting older .. Roddy in prime 6’1.5 .. Time of death 5’11”
Ali said on 24/Nov/20
Click Here

Paul Orndorff has said in interviews he was 5'11 in his prime, so taking that into account here is Paul in his prime with Roddy in his prime. Pause at around 04:04 to 04:05 and you will see Piper edges out Paul by at least an inch and a bit. It does look like Piper isn't even stood straight but could still edge out Orndorff. Therefore I say Roddy Piper in his prime could reach 6'1 on a good day and then post injuries and hip surgeries, was a weaker 5'10.
TheDon1528 said on 27/Oct/20
6'0.25" in his prime around my height, now he's probably around 5'10"
Wrasslinfan said on 13/Jul/20
As I recall in 2005 (Mania 21) he was about the same height as Austin but looked thinner
Richie said on 13/May/20
I think Piper was a strong 6', Keith David was slightly taller than him in "They Live" and David was 6'1".
6'4 and a half leperchaun said on 21/Apr/20
He seemed in inch shorter than 6'1'' Keith David, so Roddy Piper 6'. RIP and They Live was creepy and a told the truth.
berta said on 13/Apr/20
i dont think he would be taller than john cena at peak. maybe 184 guy peak and was 186 put of bed and rounded up. before he passed he looked 175-177 range
Njp said on 29/Nov/19
snesgenesis said on 29/Oct/19
No way was Piper ever 6'1". I met him in 2014 and I say he was 5'10". I'm 6'3"

He lost a lot of height by the early 2000’s through injury, surgery etc. He WAS just over 6ft in his prime.
snesgenesis said on 29/Oct/19
No way was Piper ever 6'1". I met him in 2014 and I say he was 5'10". I'm 6'3"
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 14/Aug/19
6ft1 range is fine for his peak and could look 6ft1½ at times
Sotiris Gravas said on 1/Aug/19
Fan w/ Piper... (2015) Click Here , Click Here

Same fan w/ 5'8.5" Ralph Macchio (and 5'11" William Zabka) in 2015... Click Here

W/ 5'8" AJ Styles... Click Here

W/ 5'5" Henry Winkler (2018)... Click Here
The Ben said on 30/Jul/19
Had some shrinkage over the years. 5'9-ish when I met him in 09. Possible 5'10 if he stood straight, he head bad posture.
Certianly hipe replacements would hurt his height.
He didnt have th proportions of a 6ft guy though, in person Hogan has super long arms, bug hands, looks like he was once pushing 6'6.
I'm 6'0.25 and I felt I was just a physically bigger guy naturally than Piper. I was 190lbs at the time.
Seeing him face to face with Bret in 92 he must have been taller at one time. Bret was a flat 6'0 back then I'd say and Piper looked taller.
Its always difficult to tell with wrestlers, some stoop, some stand tall, with different imjuries, boot thicknes and other issues it can be hard to tell.
Sotiris Gravas said on 30/Jun/19
Fan w/ Piper (2011)... Click Here , (2008) Click Here

Same fan w/ 5'9" Ric Flair (2008)... Click Here

W/ 5'9" Chris Jericho (2012)... Click Here


Piper was never more than 6'0" peak.
Sotiris Gravas said on 25/Jun/19
W/ 5'8.25" Mamun (2011)... Click Here

Standing straight w / 5'9" Ricky Steamboat... Click Here
184guy2 said on 27/Jan/19
@Rob
How tall do you think Uncle Elmer looks with Piper ?
Click Here
I wouldn't put any less than a solid 6'7
Editor Rob
Elmer could look over 6ft 6 there.
Tellem said on 13/Jan/19
David keith was 6'1" supposedly but in the film LARGER THAN LIFE he was about.5-1 inch shorter than 6'1" bill murray. David keith did look a tad bit taller than roddy in THEY LIVE. i think piper was in tje 6 foot range peak.
berta said on 29/Dec/18
i just saw They live again. Roddy looked shorter than the 185 cm black guy in the first half of the movie but in the end when they walk inside on flat ground they actually looked the same height. He really could have been somewhere in the 6 foot3/4-1 range at peak and before death maybe 5 foot 9 but could look even shorter than that.
Sotiris Gravas said on 19/Nov/18
Dramatic height loss next to a now 6'1" Duggan... Click Here ,
Click Here WOW.
Sotiris Gravas said on 14/Nov/18
Nice pic I never saw before: Piper w/ 6'1" Ultimate Warrior and 6'4" DDP... Click Here

Nice BIG pic of Piper trying to look as short as Steamboat... Click Here
The Ben said on 1/Oct/18
Eric Bischoff has just said on his podcast that 96 Piper was 5'10 1/2. The same as him.
RP said on 13/Jul/18
Sandy Cowell...Peak Roddy was indeed a weak 6’1” to 6’0.75” barefoot ...6’2” in his wrestling boots. Was 6’0.5”-ish by the time he made They Live.

FYI...I can buy his own personal claims of a peak 6’1.5”...if that measurement was taken early in the morning, fresh out of bed. Or possibly an in shoes measurement at one point.
Sandy Cowell said on 23/Jun/18
I am watching 'The Live' at this present moment in time, which is debuting on the 'Horror Channel'. I was going to agree with the 6ft1, but there are some interesting comments written about him, including one on the 1st of May from y2flu, who met him in 1992, four years after this film was made, and disputes that Roddy is as tall as 6ft1, being 6ft3 himself and seeing Roddy as 4" shorter.

Then Rampage Clover and FrankR1 see him as at least the listed height.

Now it's up to me to take a good look for myself. I'll be back later with my conclusion. I have seen clips from said film, and it looks pretty scintillating, so concentrate I must!
y2flu said on 1/May/18
I was literally 6 inches from Piper in 1992 after his steel cage match vs. Ric Flair and I couldn't believe how short he was. I'm 6'3" and and I was at least 4 inches taller than him. No way is he anywhere near 6'1" or even 6'.
berta said on 20/Apr/18
his proportions made him ook 184 peak. with cena before his death he really looked 173 cm( taller if he could stand tall) could he have lost about 10 cm? he was like 60 years old.
Kane said on 18/Apr/18
In 2014 on a segment with the shield looks about 5ft 11
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 30/Mar/18
Piper in prime condition would have edged out Cena, Miz and Ambrose.


Looked every bit 185/186cm
FrankR1 said on 29/Mar/18
Roddy Piper was no shorter than 6’1” (peak). In ‘They Live’ (1988), Piper appears very close in height to his co-star Keith David who’s 6’1” peak. Standing eye-to-eye with the 6’1.5” Randy Savage, Piper looked almost exactly the same height.
John barrett said on 14/Feb/18
Lost a lot of height by the time he passed on was looking around 5'9 a big drop from 6'1.
Bradly said on 5/Feb/18
5' 10" tops (maybe 5' 9") when he was in front of me at a Burbank Ray Courts show. Told me a great Andre story of 2 ladies escaping Andre's room and hiding in his and his door was pounded so hard the security came. "They are mine, gimmie them back Piper". Wham wham wham. Funny.
Josh Jeffords said on 5/Feb/18
Love this guy but his stuff was so campy big guy 215 plus most times doubt he was ever 6 1.
He was shorter than keith and most 6 1 guys shrunk a lot after 90s.
As with most 80s wwers he suffered numerous health problems sad seemed a good fellow.
R.I.P.
Marc Bonemero said on 4/Feb/18
Piper shrunk a ton from 1982- 2012. He was around 6'1 peak and down to 5'8 when he died. It was very drastic.
Joe Joe said on 3/Feb/18
I would have pegged piper at 6ft. Along side 182.9 listed Keith David on they live, piper always looked an inch shorter to me. I'm guessing David would have been around 185cm back then
Sandy Cowell said on 27/Dec/17
I have just been reading through Roddy's comments only to discover that he has died. He had a rough time as well, what with hip and knee replacement operations, causing height loss, and far worse maladies than that. In one comment, someone met him and reckoned on his being no more than 5ft9 at the time they met. In another comment, someone reported what a nice guy he was. That's one of the things I really like about celebheights. It remembers those who have departed this life.

RIP Roddy xxx
Sandy Cowell said on 27/Dec/17
Last night I found myself watching the film 'They Live'! It was completely unarranged by me; the film had a very mediochre write-up, but once I caught sight of those frightening mask-like faces, which only Roddy's character was able to suss thanks to a special pair of spectacles, I found myself compelled to watch on.
The creepy-faced people were, in fact, invaders from Space and looked quite normal to the average member of the human race. Roddy's character's height looked way above average, and I was thinking as I watched it that if he was say, 5ft4, he wouldn't be as successful when the time was nigh for him to make a stand against these creatures! He did have a physical fight with the first man he tried to use the glasses to see what the Aliens really looked like, but our 'hero' did win and showed the other guy what they were all up against.
I actually expected to find that Roddy's height would be about 6ft3, but I have overestimated a tall man again, for the second time today! I put it down to my own below-average height, because a pattern seems to be forming here! I am regularly overpricing the tall, and I reckon it's partly down to my height and partly down to the lies I've been told in the past, but then, haven't we all? The trouble is with me, I have a tendency to believe them, but not any more!
Don't ask me what happened in the end. I fell asleep! 👹

Roddy can have 6ft1.25.
Robert Senecal said on 11/Dec/17
Maybe he was 6 or 5'11 back in the eighties, but no way 6'1. He was 5'10 tops when I met him a few months before he died.
berta said on 14/Nov/17
in they live = piper 184 and the black guy 185,5.
Junior said on 14/Oct/17
Look about 6'0 before he pass on.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 21/Sep/17
Sting is/was at least 6ft2
Nick Carpellotti said on 13/Sep/17
What does matter. Rod Toombs was my pal. He was a family man. Rod was a good bagpiper, and a tough street fighter. I'm 5 foot 10.5 x 230 & Rod was six foot x 235 back in November 1996.
Nick Carpellotti said on 13/Sep/17
I'm a bagpiper, I was always proud to call Roddy May pal. I knew Roddy personally for twenty years. I can tell ya in November, 1996 when I meet Mr. Toombs for the first time, he was six foot in barefoot. I'm 5 foot 10.5 x 230 and my shoe made me 5 foot 11. Rod still was slightly taller. Rod was six foot strong, and around 235. Remember, the problem is most of the other wrestlers your comparing rod against are false height measurements. And what does it ****ing matter away. Rod Toombs was a bad ass street fighter, and a great family man. God bless Roddy. Nick the Piper, Pittsburgh,Pa.
Danimal said on 22/Aug/17
Roddy was down to about 5'8" before his death:
With 6'0.5" John Cena: Click Here
With 5'9" Henry Rollins: Click Here
With 6'1"-6'2" Sting: Click Here
With 6'0" Steve Austin: Click Here
With an older shrunken Ric Flair: Click Here
With 5'11" Bret Hart: Click Here
With 6'2"-6'3" Hogan in 2014: Click Here

Roddy measuring at least 6'1"-6'1.5" in his prime (before MAJOR back and hip surgeries):
With 6'5" Hogan in 1992: Click Here
With 5'11" Bret Hart in 1992: Click Here & Click Here
With 5'11" Bobby Heenan in 1987: Click Here
With 5'11" Macho Man in 1985: Click Here
With 5'10" Bruno Sammartino in 1985: Click Here
With 5'11" Mr. T: Click Here &
With 5'10" Ricky Steamboat: Click Here
With 6'0" Paul Orndorff: Click Here & Click Here
With 5'8" Mean Gene: Click Here & Click Here & Click Here & Click Here & Click Here
With then 5'11" Ric Flair: Click Here & Click Here
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 7/Aug/17
Nothing under 6ft1 for an 80's Piper. He just looked like an average height guy because he was regularly standing with guys 6ft5 and over...
ArniesLifts said on 22/Jul/17
Roddy was easily 6'1 in the early days. Wrestlers take tremendous punishment. There's no doubt he lost height over the years with his injuries
@HeightcrazyRed6ft said on 18/Jul/17
Click Here
this vid posted by ****sock some time ago and other stuff made me think he wasn´t that strong 6´1" guy.

I think his evening height at peak was 184cm/ 6´0.5" and his 6´1.5" claim either a right out of bed height or his height in wrestlingboots.
Dave said on 4/Apr/17
An interesting picture, Roddy's wrestlers license from 1979 where he listed himself 6'2 and 230 pounds at 25 years old. Click Here Interesting to see the wrestlers probably used the size their billed at to do these
John said on 3/Apr/17
Peak: 6'2.25
Now (time of death): 6'1
firecracker said on 11/Feb/17
hogan and piper at their best: Click Here

hogan in the 6'4" range. piper in the 5'11" range.
berta said on 3/Feb/17
187 in the morning maybe but over all he looked like an almost 185 guy
S.J.H said on 15/Jan/17
I agree with Alan hamel. From at least 2 to max 5 inches shorter than reality height and weigh max 40 pounds lesser. But i did think Andre the Giant was close to 6'11 peak and might loss some height before death
Alan hamel said on 24/Dec/16
All wrestlers are approximately 2 - 3 inches shorter than we are told. Most weigh 30 - 35 pounds less as well. Examples are ... Andre the Giant was 6'10" tops. Ivan Koloff was 5'7" tops.
berta said on 29/Nov/16
i think he was close to 6 foot 1 and a half just out of bed and in the efternon the was 184,5-185. only time he looked 187 was in they live. before his death he looked short like 174 maybe but could have been 176
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 21/Nov/16
A peak Piper would be similar to Warrior I think
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 21/Nov/16
Shocking to go from tall to below average
Robert Senecal said on 26/Oct/16
When I met Piper right before his death, he was around 5'9 to 5'10. I am about 5'11 with shoes on.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 17/Sep/16
Looked more 186-187cm range than 185cm in his prime
dicksock said on 15/Sep/16
I think he was about 6'0.5" in his prime and maybe 5'9.5" max by the end. He definitely had about 2" on the solid 5'10" Mr. T.
Click Here

By the end, he still looked about the same height as the 5'9"/5'10" guys from It's Always Sunny.
Click Here

Dennis has a bit of a camera advantage and is also 5'10". But, Mac is listed on here as 5'9" and he and Piper are clearly the same height. For those questioning his height loss, just look how much taller he was than Mr. T in the 80s and consider that he was shorter than 5'10" Glenn Howerton (Dennis) by the end. He definitely lost at least 3" and that is a fact. To lose so much height by such a relatively young age is scary and must have sucked for him.
184guy said on 15/Sep/16
Here he is looking too much tall to be just a max 6'1 guy
Click Here
heightchecker34 said on 13/Sep/16
RIP Hot Rod... a true legend of the business and host of one the greatest talking segment, Piper's Pit! I believe he was a 6'1 guy... maybe 6'1.25 at his tallest. Crazy to think how surgeries and replacements can cause great height loss.... anyhow hard to believe its been a year since he's been gone, but never forgotten! btw... i really could use some bubblegum.
@HeightcrazyRed6ft said on 3/Aug/16
straightahead said on 1/Jul/16
T-Squared, i would estimate them as followed: Bulldog 5'10 3/4, bret 5'11 1/2 - 3/4, Piper 6'0 TOPS

In cm - Bulldog a solid 180 cm, Bret 182, Piper 183.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I agree with Bulldog and Bret, Piper was taller.
IMO peak Piper was 6´1.5" for a morning measurement and 6´0.75"-6´1" evening.
In 1992 he still edged Bret and was 6´0.25"-6´0.5"
When I met him in 2013, he was barely 5´9" and was in big soled boots wich made him 5´10.5"-5´10.75", he was still one of the nicest guys I´ve ever met.


I totally agree with this:

aaronious said on 6/Jul/16
piper had hip and knee replacements, and had spinal cancer, as well as several natural spinal fusions.

you can tell how much his torso shrank, because all of his internal organs became highly compressed in later years after leaving the ring, and his belly hugely distended, even though he himself is skinny. it wasnt simply a "beer belly", it was his shrinking spine
184guy said on 12/Jul/16
@Rampage I believe he was something like 6'1.25-5 but not a full 6'2 He was defo taller than Hart and not shorter than macmahon ( who i believe uses heeled shoes and Hád a perfect posture and a very thick hair . He also wasnt much shorter than 190-191 Jesse ventura
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 10/Jul/16
British Bulldog looked a good 1in or more shorter than Bret. He was once billed a ludicrous 6ft3! I think near 5ft11. Bret could look a strong 6ft in the 80's and Piper could look near his billed 6ft2 at times. Strong 6ft1 is very believable for him.
184guy said on 9/Jul/16
@Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 5/Jul/16
I donno but I feel that The British Buldog was taller.Like 180-181
Hart is about 6ft,possibly a tad over like 6ft 0.25
Piper before 1991 when he suffered an bike accident was for sure over 6'1.There is no way Hogan had 5' on him.More like 4' and a bit change
aaronious said on 6/Jul/16
piper had hip and knee replacements, and had spinal cancer, as well as several natural spinal fusions.

you can tell how much his torso shrank, because all of his internal organs became highly compressed in later years after leaving the ring, and his belly hugely distended, even though he himself is skinny. it wasnt simply a "beer belly", it was his shrinking spine
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 5/Jul/16
Davey Boy Smith - 5ft10½(179cm)
Bret Hart - 6ft(183cm)
Roddy Piper - 6ft1¼(186cm)
T-Squared said on 28/Jun/16
I have a signed pic from a con that has Bret, Piper, Virgil and Davey Boy Smith circa 1991 and they all seem suspiciously close in height. I would have never pegged Piper as taller than Bret but it's definitely possible.
Alan Hamel said on 26/Jun/16
I met Piper several times and we were close in height with me being slightly taller. Roddy is approximately 5'11". I am 6 feet. Roddy is around 218 pounds. We worked out together and both weighed in.
berta said on 1/Jun/16
same height as cena peak
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 9/May/16
Around 6ft1-1½ range peak
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 11/Apr/16
Honestly, Rob?

I'd have chosen C maybe even edging toward B on a good day.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 10/Apr/16
Rob, which fits best for a peak Piper?

A) 188.5cm/186.5cm
B) 188cm/186cm
C) 187.5cm/185.5cm
D) 187cm/185cm
E) 186.5cm/184.5cm
Editor Rob
since Jenny hadn't seen Hell Comes to Frogtown I watched that not too long ago and thought he looked near 6ft 1 in it...that was late 80's, did he lose anything by that or They Live? Hard to tell really.

I'd stick with more a D range for him.
HeightcrazyRed6ft said on 12/Mar/16
JB said on 17/Feb/16
...How is that much height loss possible? Illness? Surgery?

Yes, he had parts of his spine removed due to cancer and other surgery.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 9/Mar/16
He could have been 186cm range peak. I think he may have claimed 6ft2 also on another occasion
JB said on 17/Feb/16
He def lost a lot of height in his later days. On It's Always Sunny he didn't seem any taller than Mac and Dennis, and they're like what 5'9" 5'10"? In They Live he's described as tall, so he must have been tall in his prime. How is that much height loss possible? Illness? Surgery?
pablo77bar(184cm) said on 26/Jan/16
Rob,what height do you think here of Barry Windham with Piper ?
Click Here
Editor Rob
could look 4 inches when standing up there
pablo77bar(184cm) said on 21/Jan/16
Click Here
Here he also calims 6ft 1.5
Rob,don't you think 6ft 1.25 it's a better shoot than just a flat 6'1 ?
Editor Rob
186 is arguable yes
pablo77bar(184cm) said on 12/Jan/16
Roddy Piper at 1985 looked the same height as Muhhamed Ali
FIVE NINE said on 3/Dec/15
Saw him at a convention maybe 5 years ago. I was surprised to see he was slightly taller than myself. I say 5'10"
Kevin said on 2/Dec/15
Piper really lost alot of height towards the end of his life, met him in late 80's and he was a solid 6'1 and change then, in movie They Live he was strong 6'1, in honor of his great career glad we have kept his height at 6'1 instead of what easily could be 5'10 or even 5'9 at the very end...
Yoyo said on 2/Dec/15
Rob, some time ago you had Hot Rod at 177 cm, so I'm assuming when someone dies you stick with their peak height, am I correct?

Probably a 6'1" guy in his prime, RIP Rowdy one.
Editor Rob
You may leave this earth behind, but you'll always be given your peak height on celebheights.
The Ben said on 21/Nov/15
Met him a couple of times (08 and 2014) and he was 5'9 max. It's really hard to see him at over 6ft but there's plenty of photo eve since to suggest he was. Maybe a lift wearer?
andre said on 8/Nov/15
Rob with chris jericho he looks like 5ft6 how can he loss so much height?
pablo77bar(184cm) said on 7/Nov/15
Rob,186,6(6ft 1.5) is not impossible
He was about the same height 6ft 1.5 Mcmahon,same height as 6ft 1.5 ultimate warrior,same height as 6ft 1.5-2 Jack Tunney(coo at 80's of wwf)
Piper and Tunney:Click Here
Piper and Mcmahon: Click Here
Piper and Warrior:Click Here
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 29/Oct/15
Rob, maybe 186cm?

I thought in the 80's he could from 6ft1 to near 6ft2. Now that he's passed...discussing his dramatic height loss is beyond pointless. So many trolls want to muddy the waters by exaggerating it...that he was 5ft6 when he died.
Editor Rob
I think 6ft 1 or around that, I'm not so sure he really was 6ft 1.5 range
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 21/Oct/15
Rob, how likely is 6ft1½ as a peak for Hot Rod?
Editor Rob
I think nearer 6ft 1 than 1.5 is more likely, although he may well have measured near 1.5 earlier on a good day.
NewHorror said on 19/Oct/15
He looked 5'10 or maybe even less next to 6'0,5 Dean Ambrose at the beginning of 2014. 6'1 in his prime maybe, but before his death he was nowhere near even 6'0.
andre said on 18/Oct/15
In the picture with 5ft8 chris jericho he looks 5ft6

how the hell he lost from 6ft1 to 5ft6 all this rob ?
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 14/Aug/15
Looked 6ft1-2
Brad said on 6/Aug/15
6' 1" figure is like 1984. I was shocked how smaller he was a few years ago in front of me in Burbank.
Sammy Derrick said on 5/Aug/15
R.I.P
Roddy Piper 5'10 legend.I hope there is bubble gum in Heaven.
Bill said on 4/Aug/15
Either his billed height was a bunch of crap or he lost 4-5 inches in height because I have seen plenty of photos where he looks 5' 10" tops.
Aza said on 2/Aug/15
Roddy Piper RIP.
richie said on 2/Aug/15
Roddy Pipers peak height was a good 6'1", definitely over 6', he had a good two inches on John Carpenter who was 5'11"
Mike said on 2/Aug/15
RIP.
Peak: 184-185 cm
Tarinator said on 1/Aug/15
Should be around 187 before at his prime. Now 177. RIP
Danimal said on 1/Aug/15
RIP PIPER!! Even though he was Canadian Rob, I'm sure you were prowd of him to represent Scotland in his wrestling heyday?

Btw, to the poster below who said he's 5'11", I'm sorry, but here is a TRUE RECENT pic of Rod with 5'8" Chris Jericho: Click Here

Even Mean Gene Okerlund and Bill Apter (both around 5'6" today) were around the same height as him recently. People don't realize that he wasn't a well man. He had major hip replacement in the mid-late 90's and then had cancerous tumor in his SPINE and they had to remove major portions of it, which took off many inches of his height. He was every bit 6'1" PLUS in his prime, having had 2" 5'11" Bobby Heenan, 2-3" on Paul Orndorff. Was around the same height as Vince McMahon (in the 1980's). He had at least 2" on a PRIME Ric Flair.
Editor Rob
I thought he was a good wrestler and decent actor for the roles he took on, although I'd sink 3 beers before watching Hell Comes to Frogtown...
Danimal said on 1/Aug/15
RIP PIPER!! Even though he was Canadian Rob, I'm sure you were prowd of him to represent Scotland in his wrestling heyday?

Btw, to the poster below who said he's 5'11", I'm sorry, but here is a TRUE RECENT pic of Rod with 5'8" Chris Jericho: Click Here

Even Mean Gene Okerlund and Bill Apter (both around 5'6" today) were around the same height as him recently. People don't realize that he wasn't a well man. He had major hip replacement in the mid-late 90's and then had cancerous tumor in his SPINE and they had to remove major portions of it, which took off many inches of his height. He was every bit 6'1" PLUS in his prime, having had 2" 5'11" Bobby Heenan, 2-3" on Paul Orndorff. Was around the same height as Vince McMahon (in the 1980's). He had at least 2" on a PRIME Ric Flair.
linke said on 1/Aug/15
Just heard the news of him passing away. RIP Hot Rod.
Sal said on 31/Jul/15
Just saw a more recent pic of my friend who is 5'9" and piper was looking at least 5'11"
sam2 said on 31/Jul/15
He is listed as 6' even.....230 lbs prime.
pablo77bar(184cm) said on 31/Jul/15
RIP Hot Rod,You'll be remembered !
pablo77bar(184cm) said on 20/Jul/15
Look Rob,Piper and Adrian Paul(who you have met and Said 6ft tall)
Click Here
very Hard to see Piper only as 6ft ranger
*OBS:This episode is from 1993 when Piper was 39years old
pablo77bar said on 2/Jul/15
@Rampage(-_-_-)Clover
I'm making the comparsion using the eyeline and shoulders,not the top of the head.
Danimal said on 1/Jul/15
Roddy in the late 90's (AFTER his first hip replacement) still taller than The Ultimate Warrior: Click Here
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 29/Jun/15
@pablo77bar: Both Piper and Honky Tonk Man are closer to the camera and most in ring gear. Also, Piper is wearing a santa hat.
pablo77bar said on 28/Jun/15
Looks Roddy with Vince(6FT 1 AT LEAST IN THE PEAK) AND Honky Tonk Man(probably no less than 6ft 0.5 at the time)
The footage is from 1990 when he was 36
Piper looks 6ft 1.25 or 6ft 1.5(like he claimed)
Click Here
Danimal said on 20/Jun/15
For those who don't believe how much wrestlers can shrink. Here's Roddy standing next to 6'0" Steve Austin today. Roddy in his prime was minimum 6'1". Today he's lucky if he can squeeze out 5'8" on a good day. Click Here
Frank R said on 1/Jun/15
His WWE profile listed him at 6'1" in the and the 1980s and 90s, but the WWE has historically given wrestlers at least 1 inch in their "billed height."
pablo77bar said on 11/Apr/15
For those who think that Piper never was over 6ft 1,look this match of him against Jake ''the snake'' Robert who was a solid 6ft 5 in that tall and even today,is no less than 6ft 4

I can't see a diference of more than 8 cms between them
pablo77bar said on 16/Jan/15
His peak never was 6ft0.5 No chance
He looks like at that time 6ft 2
There are inumerous stuff in the youtube from that time
He was clearly taller than Bret Hart ( just look his WM 8 match)
He lost a lot of height after later 1999
For example : in 1996 piper was taller than Mcmahon
7 years later mcmahon towers over Roddy
Silky said on 15/Jan/15
I think Roddy was a real 6' footer barefoot. Which you have to remember in wrestling they exaggerated height a great deal. He may have been slightly over 6' like 6' 1/4"
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 10/Jan/15
Really did look 6ft1-2 in the 80's
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 28/Dec/14
He was always billed 6ft1 in the 80's.
I think 6ft2 could be nearer for him though. Randy has at least 2in on him
pablo said on 26/Dec/14
Piper with 6ft 5.75 at time (Hogan)
and 6ft 1.5 Mcmahon
Click Here
He does look 1.89
Click Here
pablo said on 26/Dec/14
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover says on 24/Dec/14
Cowboy Bob Orton is 6ft1-6ft2

Maybe now but look some pics of him stand next to Randy who is probably 1.94
In the 80's Bob Orton was huge. Maybe 1.92
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 24/Dec/14
Cowboy Bob Orton is 6ft1-6ft2
pablo said on 23/Dec/14
I think Roddy was 6ft 2 in hi prime
He was taller tha Flair,Hart,Mcmahon and a little bit smaller than Bob Orton who was 6ft 3-4
Shredo said on 21/Dec/14
Roddy was a weak 6'1 in his prime
A6'1Guy said on 7/Dec/14
@Danimal He is leaning forwards... He looks about the same height as him if he stood back and with good posture.
pablo77bar said on 1/Dec/14
His peak probably was 188/187 in the 80's and early 90's
Today he is probably with 180
Sean said on 21/Nov/14
There's nothing to compare him to in this Nov. 2014 commercial, but still, looks short and weak. 5'8" might be generous. Might he have a degenerative disease? Sad.
Click Here
SAMMY DERRICK. said on 15/Oct/14
FROM 6'1 TO 5'9!FOUR INCHES LOST!At least he has a net worth of 4 million dollars,a million dollars per inch.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 4/Oct/14
nothing cool about his height loss...at all
james said on 20/Sep/14
Feel kind of bad for Piper .man he has shrunk .6'1 to 5'9 all that hip surgery I guesd
Height181 said on 7/Sep/14
I agree with the 5'8'' range. It's strange to think that he was as tall as 6'1''. 5 inches of height loss! Wow..
Danimal said on 5/Sep/14
Sadly, Roddy has lost even more height. Here he is next to 5'9" Henry Rollins. Piper is MAX 5'8" today. Was easily 6'1"+ in his prime:

Click Here
Chuck said on 21/Aug/14
Peak 6'0.5
Today 5'9 max
Carmbo said on 12/Aug/14
Peak 6'1
Today 5'9.75, can look 5'10.75 max in footwear
AMK said on 14/Jun/14
Man is no 5ft 9.5in here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oicMce07s8
Marcus Hickman said on 4/Apr/14
hard to believe i'm now actually taller than Roddy Piper. I'm 5' 10 1/2" (179cm). and 205 lbs. i'm musclebound with only 4%-5% body fat
Jeff said on 27/Mar/14
Met him today and he is definitely not 6'. I'm 5'11" and I'd say he was about 5'9.5" or maybe just under 5'10".
Marko said on 24/Mar/14
He was exact same height as the two 5'9 guys in his ITs Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
The big man clearly lost alot of height.
Listing him as 6 feet today is off. Season 5 episode 7.
I loved him in they live.
Mastro said on 13/Jan/14
Funny was just talking to a friend yesterday who met him at an airing of They Live! He was shocked that Piper was basically his height- 5'9".
jonny g said on 1/Jan/14
I worked out with Roddy in 1990- he was tall as me & we were just a year difference in age - I was 6'1.5" - we both maybe lost an inch in height, but 5'9" come on be real - apparently I posted this before - like for this site to be legit - he told me he weighed for the film They Live he was 195lbs. but like being 230lbs when he wrestled
Tuga said on 13/Nov/13
Red183 says on 6/Nov/13
Piper is 5´8.5"-5´9"max today, so he lost 4 inches or more!
Hogan lost about 2 inches imo

Agreed, hogan was IMO around 6'5 1/2 to 6'6 max and now 6'3 1/2 to max 6'4.
Piper I do believe 6'1 peak.
MD said on 11/Nov/13
Wow, I had no idea anyone could lose this much height short of having all of their discs dissolve or something.
Tuga said on 31/Oct/13
Red183 says on 23/Oct/13
Yeah I´m not against the 6´1", I think at least 6´0.5" peak after a long day.
It´s still a weird thing, looking at my pics with him and thinking about that he would´ve edged me as a young man by 1-2 cm.

That´s sad, but considered all the health problems he had it makes sense, him and hulk hogan have lost quite some height, but IMO Piper has lost more.
Tuga said on 22/Oct/13
Nice posts Red, looking at piper there its obvious (again) he was a tall man, easly 6'1 IMO.
Brah said on 30/Sep/13
About the same height as 5'10" Dennis in the recent episode of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, maybe a half inch taller
jimmy said on 22/Jul/13
i dont htink theres anyway Piper was ever 6'2. i just watched an interview with him and Bret Hart in the early 90s and Bret Hart who is 6 feet even was taller than him by a couple inches. i would say Piper was 5'10 or 5'11 in his prime and even shorter nowadays.
Johno said on 14/May/13
5'8.5 max, i got a feeling he might be shorter then this still.

The guy has lost alot of height.
juju said on 4/May/13
he looked 6 foot next to 5 foot 10 ricky steamboat and next to 6 foot bret hart.
Dub said on 20/Apr/13
he was listed 6ft flat when he wrestled in portland back in the early 1980s
johnny g said on 14/Apr/13
5ft 9inches you must be kidding - I admitt I shrunl a solid inch but Roddy & I worked out together quite a few years ago - he was just as tall as me at 6'1.5" - I say know 6 foot even - and the pick ya have he is slouched over & not standing at attention as you
Dmeyer said on 7/Apr/13
Rob how CAN someone lose 8cm That young
Editor Rob
disc damage more than a normal guy is likely
MatthewPaul said on 3/Apr/13
I was a member of Gold's Gym in Everett, MA in the second half of the 1980's. Both Brett "The Hit Man" Hart and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper showed-up together for a workout. I spoke briefly to both of them. As a long-term bodybuilder, I am experienced in gaging a mans height and weight. Piper was 6'2" (about 1986) and Brett Hart was 6'0.5" tall.

I respect this site and I think they are nearly always on the mark. But, I must disagree on this one occasion. Piper was definitely 6'2" in the mid-eighties. He *looked* to weigh about 190. He was very quiet, as well.
Tuga said on 31/Mar/13
Rob, thank you for your answer.

Nice pics Red, piper sure has lost quite some height but its great to know he´s a towering nice guy.
Tuga said on 29/Mar/13
Rob, sorry for asking but my post here and another on taker´s page have not been posted, didn´t they go through? Thanks
Editor Rob
I've not deleted any of your posts
pauly e said on 5/Mar/13
Good lord! Losing 3.5" of height? He's not even 60 years old yet. How is that even possible? Did they lop a few inches off his legs during some of those surgeries?
Brad said on 5/Feb/13
Compressed body, 5' 9.5" in front of me in L.A. a few years ago....lost inches due to surgeries.
The Ben said on 3/Feb/13
I was just watching some stuff from 92 and 96 with him, I would say he looked a 5'10-5'11 back then.
His peak height I would think slightly over 6ft.
MBH said on 2/Feb/13
@FACE Im saying it is absurd to say he was 6'2 and then state he is 5'9.25 or 5'9.5 now days, it is a rhetorical question bro
juju said on 24/Dec/12
look at him with steamboat. steamboat was only 5 foot 10. piper looks 6 foot tops.
MBH said on 12/Nov/12
how can someone loose 12 cm? I can understand 3 to 5 cm but 12?!
6-8 said on 23/Aug/12
Piper said in a UPW (Ultimate Pro Wresting) special that hip surgery has taken a few inches off his height
The Ben said on 16/Aug/12
Piper looked an inch or so shorter than Jericho on Raw.
Could he be down to 5'8 (Or never have been that tall)
When i met him in 2009 I would have said 5'9 but he could have been less.
dicksock said on 15/Aug/12
It's crazy how much height Piper has lost. He was once about 2.5" or so taller than solid 5'10" Bruno Sammartino. Now he is the same height ~5'9" Chris Jericho...wow

~6'1" down to ~5'9". It's crazy that I would be a little taller than Piper.
LG69 said on 2/Aug/12
At most i see a 2.5" difference in height between the two. If Piper's height is legit, than Christ is not 6'1.5".
Tuga said on 30/Dec/11
Vegas says on 29/Dec/11
tuga, goldust claimed 6'4 in his autobiography according to a few people

Maybe, peak height I can see as 6'5, maybe a bit lower today, he still had nearly 2 inches on around 6'3 sheamus.
Vegas said on 29/Dec/11
tuga, goldust claimed 6'4 in his autobiography according to a few people
Tuga said on 29/Dec/11
Danimal, I´ve got my own estimate, I was curious about Vegas opinion, its not like his answer is going to be definite. I see no interest in debating heights with bias, its just a waste of time.
Anyway I find Vegas estimates interesting, after all he has met many wrestlers.

I used to think piper was 6'2, but comparing him to guys like shawn michaels, bret hart etc made me reach my current 6'1 peak estimate.
Tuga said on 29/Dec/11
Vegas, bret hart was an inch taller than bulldog, piper was a little taller than bret half an inch at least. The b. bulldog I would say 5'10 1/2, an half inch footware advantage would be enough to be within 1 inch of bret.

About goldust yes he looks way taller, he wore fairly big footware at the time but still, IMO he was 6'5 peak (looked same height as barry whindam for ex.)

But my guess is that piper was no longer at peak height, he does not look over 6' there.
Danimal said on 29/Dec/11
Tuga, you're actually asking the one guy (Vegas) that HATES Roddy Piper with a passion and has made it known for years. UNBELIEVABLE. Ask someone who is NOT biased. Vegas is a fully grown man who follows wrestling more than your average 14 year old adolescent.

Piper WAS 6'1.5" in the 1970's and 1980's.
Today he's 5'9".
Vegas said on 28/Dec/11
tuga, well i don't think over 6ft, in 1991 he was an inch taller than british bulldog and how tall you estimate bulldog to be??

roddy with hbk in 1991 3mins onwards Click Here compare that to a legit ~6'2 guy like joe hennig (whom i have met) with michaels and hbks is even in big boots with hennig Click Here clearly hennig and piper do not look the same height next to michaels, hennig looks inches taller

i see more than 4 inches between goldust and piper there, closer to 6 when dust stands fully straight, i measured up better next to runnels couple of years ago when i met him in person
Tuga said on 28/Dec/11
Vegas says on 21/Dec/11
so how tall does piper look at 8mins 37secs in this early 1996 video Click Here

I would say around 6'.

How tall do you think a peak piper was Vegas?
Vegas said on 21/Dec/11
so how tall does piper look at 8mins 37secs in this early 1996 video Click Here
Danimal said on 20/Dec/11
Tuga says on 16/Dec/11
Click Here

Its a small pic but clearly he´s not 2 inches shorter, piper was a tall man, IMO 6'1.


Absolutely. He was at least 6'1" (claims to have been 6'1.5" and I believe it) in his younger days (up until the very early 1990's).. Due to SURGERY...YES, SURGERY. First major surgery was in 1994 when he had a complete hip replacement and then a few years ago, he claims to have had actual vertebrae from his spine removed, do to them finding cancer in there the size of a grapefruit. Around that time he appeared to have grown a massive gut, when in actuality, his upper torso was drastically compressed, which made his stomach stick out. You can even see the scar on his back from the major surgery. Looks to be floating around 5'9" today.
Sam said on 20/Dec/11
Not in that particular picture but in some shots from that film David is clearly taller
Tuga said on 16/Dec/11
Click Here

Its a small pic but clearly he´s not 2 inches shorter, piper was a tall man, IMO 6'1.
Sam said on 12/Dec/11
I doubt Piper was ever really over 6 feet. In They Live!, he is a couple inches under Keith David and more recently in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia he looks around the same height as the mid-sized Mac and Dennis (Glenn Howerton).
Danimal said on 11/Nov/11
Roddy Piper and 5'11" Bobby Heenan in 1986: Click Here

Roddy Piper and a much older Bobby Heena in 2005: Click Here
Billy Jensen said on 17/Oct/11
Everyone knows that professional wrestling promoters change the actual height and weight of the performers. Take Bruno Sammartino ... They claim he is 5'11" and 265 pounds when I knew he was only 5'8" and 250 pounds. Ivan Koloff was said to be 5'10" and close to 300 pounds. Ivan was actually 5'6" and 250 pounds. We can go on and on. They usually added 3 inches and 30 pounds. That was and still is the standard mark up.
aaronious said on 16/Oct/11
piper loosing 4 inches isn't out of the norm... he has had spine cancer AND 3 hip replacements. i'm sure quite a bit of his femur has been shaved down each time
aaronious said on 16/Oct/11
piper was actually maybe a 1/2" taller than Tony Atlas, both wearing wrestling boots. i would say early in his career, a strong 6'1.5"-6'2"
aaronious said on 16/Oct/11
dude.. hes standinig next to a guy who is 6'1.5" he's already 6 ft standing in this pic.. how did we get 5'9" from this
Stefan said on 1/Sep/11
Click Here

He is taller than 1,77.
theman said on 30/Aug/11
I don't believe that his pis 6 ft 1,no way he lost 4 inches.
Red said on 25/Aug/11
About heightloss:
I measured my 62 year old uncle last week at 4´10.2", thought it´s real sad being that short and losing much height without surgery because I measured him between 5´0" and 5´0.5" when he was 40.
dicksock said on 21/Aug/11
How sad it is that a man who once stood eye to eye with 6'2" Tony Atlas is now shorter than 6' John Cena by a few inches. Piper was once about 6'1", now he is 5'10 max.

Piper and 6'2" Tony Atlas in 1984:
Click Here

Piper and 5'10"/5'10.5" Bruno Sammartino:
Click Here

Piper and 6'6" PEAK Hulk Hogan:
Click Here

Piper was also a little taller than 6'0/6'0.5" Bret Hart.
dub said on 31/Jul/11
piper was listed 6ft in mid atlantic back in 1983
Danimal said on 28/Jul/11
5'8.56784 says on 26/Jul/11
To Danimal, Piper's got a huge gut nowadays, no wonder he's got that bad posture.
He's a legit 5'10 nowadays, cause Miz is 6', and looks it next to legit 6'1 Austin.

You know nothing about WHY Piper has that gut. Do you where he lost most of his height? They removed VERTEBRAE from his spinal chord and the effect of that is his upper torso being compressed (squashed in a sense). What you see as a "gut" is really his intenstines being pushed forward, compared to when his upper torso was LONGER. You can even see the scar on his back where they removed the vertebrae (due to a tumor in his spinal chord). He also had a hip replacement.

Peak height - 6'1.5"
Today - 5'9"
5'8.56784 said on 26/Jul/11
To Danimal, Piper's got a huge gut nowadays, no wonder he's got that bad posture.
He's a legit 5'10 nowadays, cause Miz is 6', and looks it next to legit 6'1 Austin.
Danimal said on 28/Jun/11
Big Show says on 15/Jun/11
Looked only 5'9" yesterday on RAW next to The Miz
Click Here

Miz always looked a weak 6' to me. Slightly shorter than Cena and also than Austin Click Here

Piper's posture is awful these days, but even when he did moisture up a good posture he was still shorter than the Miz.

And Piper was at least 6'1" in the 1980's.... SAD...
Terryman said on 28/Jun/11
1,82.5 meters peak 1,79 meters now
LG69 said on 25/Jun/11
The photos Chris provided have made it pretty clear that Bob Backlund, who is 6'1" even today, must have been at least that tall next to Andre.. The photo of Backlund with Andre that is all over the internet shows that Andre was a solid foot taller. It seems that the doubters of Andre being 7 feet or taller should take notice. The 7 foot height for Andre is probably spot on, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was 7'1" at his peak.
tell-em said on 16/Jun/11
austin is taller than cena. austin is a legit 6'1". he had 2 inches on 5'11" cm punk. miz is a flat 6'0". piper is 5'10" these days.
Big Show said on 15/Jun/11
Looked only 5'9" yesterday on RAW next to The Miz
Click Here

Miz always looked a weak 6' to me. Slightly shorter than Cena and also than Austin Click Here

Piper's posture is awful these days, but even when he did moisture up a good posture he was still shorter than the Miz.
James said on 13/Jun/11
No higher than 5'10 in 2011. 1.5 under 182cm Miz on Raw earlier tonight.
Brad said on 14/Apr/11
Maybe 5' 11" as of an hour ago 1 foot away.
Vegas said on 22/Mar/11
this is from 1999, rob has louis theroux at 6'2, he stands beside piper at 2mins 20secs, theroux is shorter than alex wright in that clip who was wcw billed at 6'3 so it shows some wrestling billings are correct from time to time Click Here
dicksock said on 3/Mar/11
After seeing the various photos of Piper and Big Bill over the years, Piper has lost at least 2" for a fact. He has lost more height than Hogan in my opinion. I'd say he peaked at about 6'1" or maybe a hair under and now he looks about 5'10". There is no way he was 5'11.5" next to 6'0.5" Cena.
AMK said on 28/Feb/11
Piper looks much taller in the first Pit next to Bret Hart Click Here
Maybe Bret started wearing lifts to boost his height? Even the Piper's pit a year later, Bret looks taller. Sure is a big difference in height between this and their wrestlemania match.
richie said on 22/Feb/11
piper has indeed shrunk a lil,i had met him a few years ago and i am just over 6 feet one and in the pic and standing next to him,looked at least 2 inches taller
Tuga said on 8/Feb/11
I´ll again say that piper had at the most 1 inch over bret hart for example, and that is putting half an inch footware advantage for bret, which is fair since I was looking into some of my old wwf magazines and bret´s ring boots are a bit bigger. In their ring gear piper was half an inch taller as it was obvious at their wrestlemania match.

A peak 6'1 piper seems right, I have to admit I was a bit shoked when I saw him recently next to john cena, a peak piper would be at least same height, but cena looked so much taller...
Vegas said on 7/Feb/11
photos are not very reliable at the best of times have shown that with me/my brother and friends in photos over the years, roddys posture in photos these days is awful, here is roddy and chris jericho in 2002/03 Click Here roddy and jericho in november 2009 Click Here there must be video of jericho and piper in wcw

piper and hbk circa 1991/early 1992, chemistry in this match is great, piper was some performer in his day, 3mins 30secs to 3mins 50 Click Here

piper and hbk 2005, good comparison from 6min onward, roddy looks a little shorter than the earlier video Click Here

i still think roddy was around 6ft peak (though he looked shorter than that at wm2 in 86 out of wrestling boots) and about ~5'10 as of today (though he looked shorter than that with cena last year)
Big Show said on 6/Feb/11
Vegas says on 6/Feb/11
you provided proof that roddy was 3 inches taller?? no you didn't you posted a video where he is closer to the camera and i posted a staredown in 1991 where they were the same height roughly, 2-3 inches at the 4min mark onward really... Click Here
here is a good comparison and should pretty much put this debate to bed, keith david was taller than piper in they live in 87, here is 51 year old david looking about 2, 3 inches tops taller than piper in 2008, if piper had lost 5 inches he would be looking like rob next to brandon routh, 10seconds in and david is closer to the camera too Click Here

Another good comparison for Piper's height would be Bill Anderson.
Here they're in 1990 Click Here
Piper looks slightly taller though it looks like Bill is leaning slightly forward.
This is from 2002 Click Here They look the same height.
Now this is from last week (2011.01.29) Click Here
Piper looks 3 inches shorter than Anderson.

Anderson is also a good comparison for Billy Graham's height.
2002 Click Here They look the same height.
2011 Click Here They still look the same height. Graham didn't lose much if any height from 2002 onwards. He's probably still around 6'-6'1 today and was around 6'2" in his prime.
Vegas said on 6/Feb/11
you provided proof that roddy was 3 inches taller?? no you didn't you posted a video where he is closer to the camera and i posted a staredown in 1991 where they were the same height roughly, 2-3 inches at the 4min mark onward really... Click Here

here is a good comparison and should pretty much put this debate to bed, keith david was taller than piper in they live in 87, here is 51 year old david looking about 2, 3 inches tops taller than piper in 2008, if piper had lost 5 inches he would be looking like rob next to brandon routh, 10seconds in and david is closer to the camera too Click Here
muta said on 6/Feb/11
I agree with Danimal.. very good points and proof... This man is looking 5'9" today, 5'10" tops..
Danimal said on 25/Jan/11
So, compare Roddy Piper next to Paul Orndorff of today with Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff of 1985 from 4:04 onwards: Click Here

The man has lost a SICK amount of height... 6'1"+ to 5'9" at best.. The proof is there. Roddy had 3" on Mr. T and at least 2-3" on a PRIME Ric Flair (I provided the proof of that as well).. 1994 (HIP REPLACEMENT)... 10 years later, he had a chunk of his spine removed due to a malignant tumour... Claims he lost a TON more of height from that surgery and it's obvious that his upper torso has been compressed, because that abnormally large stomach are his organs protruding (it's not a natural gut)... Sad, but this man used to be a TALL MAN..
Anonymous said on 25/Jan/11
Anonymous says on 21/Nov/10
he still had 4 inches on mene gene interestingly enough though, just like the 80s, gene must have lost same amount of height

interestingly? no just laughable, dont listen to height loss claimers since these are only excuses. also Hogan had the same height(9 inches) on gene recently in 2005 like he used to have on him in the early 80's
Tuga said on 18/Jan/11
Chris, great pics, thank you very much.

Red says on 12/Jan/11
Chris, great pics again, but a 6´0"-6´1" Backlund saves a 7´0"-7´0.5" Andre, what do you think?

Funny Red, I tought just the same right after I saw the backlund pic, I´ve been having a hard time lately believing a 7´peak andre but the comparison with backlund just may back it up.

About rick flair bret hart and piper, they all were very similar in height, piper is the tallest, but not by much, but since IMO flair and bret hart were not below 6' I can still see a 6'1 peak piper.
Chris said on 12/Jan/11
Here is a current photo of Roddy with Paul Orndorff and Bob Orton (in the background)...Obviously, standing next to Orndorff, Roddy has lost noticeable height:
Click Here
Red said on 12/Jan/11
Click Here

Chris, great pics again, but a 6´0"-6´1" Backlund saves a 7´0"-7´0.5" Andre, what do you think?
Backlund also had a footwear advantage over Andre in that pic.
Chris said on 11/Jan/11
Here are some more photos for you guys to look at....Enjoy

Myself with Ted Dibiase and Paul Orndorff
Click Here
(Paul probably can't stand as straight as he once did due to all his nerve damage...And, Ted has gained alot of weight over the years...Today, Ted is probably right around 6'2"...I have met him a few times in the last couple of years.

Click Here
Myself with Greg Gagne
(Greg still has great posture...He surprised me being this tall...Probably right around 6'0"...He wearing tennis shoes)

Click Here
Myself with Bob Backlund
(Bob is still has great posture as well, he is probably around 6'1" no more though.)
Click Here
Myself with Jimmy Snuka
(I believe most people agree he is around 5'10" or so...He was wearing sandels at this event)....Roddy was always a few inches taller than a barefoot Snuka back in 1984-1985.

I'll post a few more photos with the guys later on.
Vegas said on 9/Jan/11
danimal, ffs piper is clearly closer to the camera throughout there, piper is wearing cowboy boots while flair is in slippers, ok piper was 6'5 if that makes you happy and will stop with all the childish posts, you don't give a crap about roddy you only want roddy taller so that your boy hogan in the 80s will be 6'7

yeah piper lost 4 inches by 1991 and age 36-37, roddy even goes slightly on his tip-toes before the camera zooms in Click Here

by 37 roddy was broken down Click Here
Vegas said on 8/Jan/11
chris how is roddy looking after the cancer?? i was at the last show he appeared in manchester uk nov 2006 right before he got bad, he appeared on the raw i attended in april last year in phoenix (night after WM26) and he looked thin

i would say roddy is a great guy in person, never had the chance to meet him though

great pics btw again, good to see you back on this site, your contributions always welcome
Danimal said on 8/Jan/11
I don't only want Vegas to have a panic attack over this footage, but I want an apology from him. He'll tell you it's an optical illusion, but his POSTER BOY Ric Flair, who he states was minimum 5'11" in his prime, is being DWARFED by a young Roddy Piper here in 1983. Footage begins at 2:30. VEGAS, EAT THIS FOOTAGE: Click Here
Chris said on 8/Jan/11
Danimal...I have met Roddy at least 6 times in the last five years....He is still a strong 5'10"....He is not shorter than that. I am very positive of that.
Danimal said on 8/Jan/11
AMK says on 5/Jan/11
I would say Piper has close to three inches on Orndorff here Click Here maybe 2 1/2. What do you think of that Vegas!

Vegas HATES Piper... It's obvious that Piper had close to 3" in ALL of their 80's encounters.. Paul Orndorff was 5'10"-5'11" (even JT agrees with that). Piper was at least 6'1".. In fact, a prime Piper would edge out a current John Cena.. Sad but true..
AMK said on 8/Jan/11
Here he is in a Piper's Pit with Orton and Sammartino. If Orton is 6'2", then Piper is only slightly shorter. Click Here
Clay said on 8/Jan/11
5'9'' today? Surely he hasn't had Hogan-like height loss.
Danimal said on 7/Jan/11
Minimum 5'10" Bruno Sammartino in 1985 with Roddy Piper, who had at least 3" on him. The sad thing is, that Roddy himself is not even 5'10" today: Click Here
AMK said on 5/Jan/11
I would say Piper has close to three inches on Orndorff here Click Here maybe 2 1/2. What do you think of that Vegas!
Red said on 4/Jan/11
Again great pics Chris! Please more :)
Chris said on 3/Jan/11
Click Here
Myself and Bill Apter this past summer...Pay no attention to my great smile...I was talking at the time :)...took another photo with him that came out better.
- Bill is a great guy...very personable and has a great memory for the business. Yeah, he is on the shorter side...if you guys see any old photos of wrestlers standing next to photographer George Napolitano...George and Bill are about the same height.


Click Here
Myself and Bob Orton Jr. at the same event. Bob is still right around 6'2", IMO. Our shoe wear was basically the same. I spent quite a bit a time around him that day.

I have been a longtime Roddy Piper and collector and I would agree that he has lost a deal of height over the years...He probably peaked out right around 6'0" or maybe an 1/2" more....Nowadays, he is no more than 5'10" or so. I have met him numerous times and have several different photos of myself and him.

On a side note, I also met, on that day, Bob Backlund (6'1")...Greg Gagne (surprisely a short 6'0"..(maybe 5'11 1/2")....Bobby Eaton (5'11ish)...Terry and Dory Funk (both probably have probably...their knees are blown...Terry is still around 6'0" and Dory was a bit shorter)...I can post more photos if you want to see them.
BREET said on 2/Jan/11
Piper is not 6'1'' anymore
Red said on 1/Jan/11
Not under 6´0.5"-6´1"peak, Click Here min. 6´5" Hogan has max 4.5" on Piper
1:30...
Vegas said on 1/Jan/11
for the last time wrestling is not real and piper is canadian, he played a scottish character on tv, yeah i really hate scotland, my dads side of the family come from there, i have visited there many times and you do realise that i have a photo standing next to drew galloway a REAL born and bred scottish wrestler (oh thats right you didn't bother your a** to look) and jim ross isn't as short as 5'8, i met him in 2006, frank thought paul bearer was 5'10 in person and ross was taller than him Click Here

if piper was 6'1.5 why is he 3 inches shorter than a cowboy booted 6'1 billed bob orton here in 1986?? orton would need to be ~6'5 in those boots for that to happen as roddy is getting maybe half an inch from those boxing boots and we know orton sr was about 3 inches shorter than his 15 year old son randy Click Here 6ft at peak, 5'10 he looks today could be lower looking at him next to cena though

post a video of piper with 3 inches on orndorff because he sure doesn't have 3 inches on mr wonderful Click Here
miko said on 1/Jan/11
Rob, given all the recent evidence of Roddy looking quite a bit shorter, possibly due to surgery. Do you think a downgrade is in order?

You have John Cena at 6"0.5 and there is clearly much more than 1" between them in the photo hs2010 posted below.

Editor Rob
yes maybe, but is he a guy who is walking about shorter than he might get measured?
Danimal said on 31/Dec/10
5'8" Jim Ross is taller next to Bill Apter in 2010 than Roddy is.. Roddy is nothing over 5'9" today:

5'8" Jim Ross and Bill Apter in 2010: Click Here

Roddy Piper and Bill Apter in 2010: Click Here

I'd love to see Piper hater (Vegas), because Piper is Scottish and Vegas is Irish to squirm his way out of this one.. and to those who claim he wasn't at least 6'1" in his prime, don't make me break out his 1980's videos of him towering Mr. T and Paul Orndorff by 3" with the same footwear in the mid 80's..
Danimal said on 31/Dec/10
You can see the scar on his back from his MAJOR back surgery from a few years ago, where they removed removed several discs in his spine (the reason why his mid section (stomach) sticks out so much. His upper torso was compressed as a result. He also had a complete hip replacement in 1994. He used to be 6'1.5". Today he is no taller than 5'9"... Click Here
Vegas said on 11/Dec/10
piper and barry windham/mike rotundo circa 1985-86, rob has windham at 6'5, i met rotundo and thought he was 6'1 Click Here
Clay said on 4/Dec/10
After looking into this more I agree with you Danimal 5'10 at most now, sad really.
Anonymous said on 21/Nov/10
he still had 4 inches on mene gene interestingly enough though, just like the 80s, gene must have lost same amount of height
hs2010 said on 20/Nov/10
Looked nothing more than 5'9" on RAW this week. Definitely lost some significant height over the years.
Anonymous said on 17/Nov/10
piper was only billed 6ft flat in wcw in 1996, 6'1 is too high for him
linke said on 12/Nov/10
I assume he lost at least 3 inches n he's not that old either.He's only 56.Helms is 5'10 btw.
Nick said on 8/Nov/10
odd, I've seen a picture with Roddy and Shane Helms. They look almost identical in height. Helms is 5'9 or 5'10 at most.
MorbidSoup said on 31/May/09
No offense, but hip replacement surgery doesn't affect height. He had one hip replaced, and if it shortened his limb, then he'd have one leg a few inches shorter than the other. That doesn't seem to be the case.
Danimal said on 28/May/09
MorbidSoup says on 27/May/09
I know I'm kibbitzing, here, but I just had to add this input: Piper was definitely taller than he is today. When he had that cancerous growth removed from his back, they had to remove a vertebra or two, and fuse a couple. He woke up from surgery, shorter than he when he went into it. This might also account for some of the additional tummy he's got. Remove those lower vertebrae, and the whole midsection shortens. The internal organs must kind of rearrange themselves, and bulge outwards a little. I don't care how short or tall the Hot-Rod is. He's still THE MAN.

You're forgetting his hip replacement surgery as well. The man lost 3-4".

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