Teal Piper Comments On Ronda Rousey Wearing Her Father's Jacket

Daughter of the legendary, late WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Teal Piper, was part of a media call that Wrestling Inc. was a part of. The WINCLY Podcast's own Nick Hausman asked Piper how she feels about former WWE RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey using her father's jacket as entrance gear in WWE.

"I will not be wearing my dad's gear if that's what you're wondering," Teal said. "As far as getting anything back, I promise our family will have everything of his at some point, so, I'm not worried about that... Me personally, that's the same jacket my dad put on me as like a five year old, you know? So I have such a sentimental appreciation for all of his stuff; I would feel weird wearing it to the ring. And more than that, especially as his kid, it's a bit in-your-face to be showing up in his gimmick. I want to be my own person. So while my costume will have nods to him, it's definitely not going to be the same style you see Ronda Rousey in."

Teal went into detail about when she first discovered Rousey as a part of MMA, mentioning that she was in the room at the time when Rousey asked her father to use the name "Rowdy" in the octagon. She ultimately appreciates the tribute Rousey pays to her father each time she steps inside the ring.

"Ronda, for me personally, I wasn't a huge MMA fan until she came on the scene and I just fell in love with her," Teal explained. "Regardless of training with Judo Gene LeBell and coming from the same fighting family that my father came from, 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. As far as knowing her personally, I only met her for the first time at WrestleMania this year. But 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 but for the first time as women at Wrestlemania this past year."

Now performing as a part of Women of Wrestling on AXS TV, Piper believes that her dad would be immensely proud of how far she has come. She mentioned how Roddy was a "feminist at heart", so a program that focuses solely on the ladies, like WOW, would impress "The Rowdy One".

"I always say that my dad would have been so proud of me," Piper said. "I think that out of everywhere, he would have really loved me being with WOW, because he would always say he had three daughters and he's a feminist at heart. I think he would have been really proud of everything WOW is doing and the way they represent all the young ladies there... My dad used to say, 'You might not think wrestling is real but I can make you believe that I am.' So, I don't know, [wrestling] feels pretty real, so I'm just training as hard as I can and trying to bring aspects of my personality into WOW."

Although she embraces his legacy and how it will influence the future of her career, Teal ultimately wants to establish a brand separate from her father. She recognizes that it's her responsibility now to use creativity to keep the "Piper" name relevant in pro wrestling.

"I would like to establish a brand separate from my father," Teal noted. "I mean, most of my life I was doing that – I've always worked under his biological name, not his stage name. And it wasn't until wrestling that it just felt weird not to use his name in wrestling and not embrace being his kid in wrestling. Like, you can't just pretend that didn't happen. But I hope that as people see me perform and stuff, they'll – I don't want my dad's legacy to be forgotten and I want to build upon it, but I don't want to [and] I can't build upon his legacy, I can only add to the story of the Pipers in general. So, his legacy is built. There isn't anything that's going to change that. But I hope to start my own brand and to be recognized for my own creative things in the ring, and performances, and all of that. Like, I hope to expand and not just talk about what used to be."

WOW (Women of Wrestling) season two debuts tonight at 8 pm EST on AXS TV. If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Wrestling Inc. with a h/t for the transcription.