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'Rowdy' Roddy Piper dies: Wrestling legend dies aged 61, according to reports

The wrestler passed away at his home in Hollywood

Kashmira Gander
Saturday 01 August 2015 16:38 BST
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Roddy Piper has died
Roddy Piper has died (Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for TDOSLWH)

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'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, the actor and wrestling legend, has died aged 61.

The champion wrestler passed away from natural causes at his home in Hollywood, family sources told TMZ.

The WWE Hall of Famer Piper was diagnosed with Hodkins Lymphoma in 2006, but he was cleared of the disease in November 2014.

A family source told the entertainment news website that Piper did not have cancer when he passed away.

The wrestler was famed for being one of the best heels, or villains, in his profession, and fans loved his intense "Piper's pit" in-ring segments.

Piper's last prof foray into the world of wrestling was as a contestant on the reality TV show WWE Legend's House, where he starred alongside Gene Okerlund, Jim Duggan, Hillbilly Jim, Howard Finkel, Jimmy Hart, Pat Patterson and Tony Atlas.

Born Roderick George Toombs, the 61-year-old is survived by his wife Kitty and their four children.

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