AEW world champion Jon Moxley recently spoke to Sescoops where the purveyor of violence revealed advice he once received from the late wrestling legend, Roddy Roddy Piper. Moxley states recalls following a matchup in WWE that the Hot Rod told him to stay focused on his opponent and not worry about the crowd.
You know Rowdy Roddy Piper told me once, I had a pretty good relationship with him,” he began. “One time he came to like a Smackdown or something? I can’t remember exactly how he phrased it, but I was out there wrestling; I did something and I was just kind of soaking in the adulation of the crowd or playing to the crowd or something like that, you know? He came to the back and found me, he’s like ‘you went too much babyface’ or something. I can’t remember exactly [what he said] but he’s like ‘don’t even worry about them’ [the fans]. He’s like ‘you look at the guy’s shoes.’ Basically saying you stay focused on your opponent. You’re there to hurt him, kind of thing.
Moxley then discusses Piper’s legendary entrance for WCW Starrcade 96, when he was headlining against long-time rival, Hollywood Hulk Hogan.
If you go back and watch? One of the best instances you’ll ever see, again on a weird tangent, but one of the best instances you’ll ever see is Roddy Piper at Starrcade 96 against [Hulk] Hogan. Where he beat Hogan with the Sleeper, but yet it’s somehow inexplicably not for the world title, I think?” If you watch just Roddy Piper’s entrance? From the moment he walks through the curtain his eyes are locked on Hogan. And it’s just like, it’s like this death march to the ring. Even though he was in his 50s with an artificial hip? When you watch that and you watch the entrance you’re like ‘this dude’s going to war.’
Full interview can be found below.