One of the biggest obstacles for any legacy superstar is stepping out of the shadow of their family members. In the case of Teal Piper, the daughter of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, she just so happens to be related to one of the most popular of all time. Understandably, she wants to honor his legacy, but don’t expect to see her wearing his gear any time soon.
During an interview with Wrestling Inc. , the superstar discussed a variety of topics, including how she feels about Ronda Rousey wearing her dad’s jacket. Piper revealed that she’s confident that their family will own all of his possessions at some point, but she has no interest in wearing any of them herself.
While on the subject of Rousey, Piper revealed that she approves of the UFC Hall of Famer paying homage to her father by wearing his attire and using his nickname, while also revealing that she admires what she’s done for women’s wrestling since joining WWE.
“I’ve really been honored that she has wanted to pay such a tribute to my dad, and I think it’s really cool for her and it’s really neat to see the Rowdy name main-eventing for the first time as women at Wrestlemania this past year.”
According to Piper, she’s always been a fan of Rousey for reasons that go beyond her adopting her father’s famous moniker. During the interview, she also discussed how the former UFC fighter made her a fan of mixed-martial arts when she was still a part of Dana White’s combat sports company.
“I just loved what she was doing for MMA. So I was already on her team when she came into the light, and I was actually in the room when she was talking to my dad about using the name ‘Rowdy’ back for MMA years ago.”
Myself and WOW Superheroes MEZMERIAH @wow_mezmeriah and IQ SUPERIOR SAMANTHA SMART @wow_samsmart WILL BE LIVE TWEETING during tonight’s episode! Tweet along using #WOWSuperheroes to ask questions and chat with these Superheroes while you watch! ??? pic.twitter.com/8lWJeQHUJL
— Teal Piper (@arielteal) September 8, 2019
While Teal was more than happy to talk about her father, she also opened up about her desire to make a name for herself on her own terms. She revealed that she wants to honor her father by expanding the Piper family name in wrestling, rather than simply reliving its past glories.
Piper recently participated in a match at All Elite Wrestling’s All Out pay-per-view, but she’s pledged her future to the Women of Wrestling promotion. While the company doesn’t have the same mainstream spotlight as AEW or WWE, it is at the forefront of women’s wrestling, and Piper thinks it’s important to be a part of that.
