Last night saw the passing of a legend and a hero to many a youngster in the '80s and '90s.

Rowdy Roddy Piper, whose real name was Roderick Toombs, passed away at the age of 61 from a heart-attack in his home in Hollywood.

Survived by his wife and four children, Piper leaves behind a legacy that endures to this day.

As you can expect, celebrities and contemporaries of Piper have been leaving messages of tribute throughout the night.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, UFC star Ronda Rousey, who's gearing up for a title defence later tonight, vowed to win her match in honour of her namesake and took to Instagram with a heartfelt message to Piper.

 

Piper began his career in professional wrestling at the age of 15 which lasted up until 1999 and served with both the WWF and WCW. In between this career, Piper starred in cult sci-fi thriller They Live, directed by John Carpenter and co-starring Keith David.

In more recent years, Piper has had a recurring role on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia as Da Maniac, a hobo who lives near Charlie's apartment building and turns up on random occasions.

Piper was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphona in late 2006, however it appeared that he had fully recovered from this by 2007. In an interview, Piper prophetically stated that he wouldn't live to see 65, due to his poor lifestyle and various injuries throughout the years.

Sadly, it seems, he was right.