Piper
By Scott Keith on 28 May 2018
Hey Scott – just read your Hidden Gems post and had a question about Piper. I’ll start by saying I was a fan of his so this isn’t meant to be a shot at him or his legacy. He wasn’t an imposing figure (especially in his really early days), his selling looked horrible most of the time (though to his credit, he sold a lot as both a heel and face), and – to borrow a term from video games – his moveset was nearly non-existent (punches, eye-poke, axe-handle, sleeper). When you add all that up, there’s almost no way he should’ve had the career he had.
That said, is he the best example of a guy who got by basically 100% on charisma?
No way, Piper was a hell of a worker when he wanted to be. Just because everyone now is obsessed with MOVEZ and DO MORE MOVEZ doesn't mean he coudn't work. Being a top tier worker is about knowing how and especially when to sell, and how and when to make your comebacks and get the heat. Piper knew all of that and that's why he was able to do so much with so little.