WWE: 10 Ways Roddy Piper Can Boost Raw Ratings

As we saw on Raw last week, WWE legend Roddy Piper returned to the promotion after an extended absence to host a lively edition of Piper's Pit with John Cena.

While his return was promoted strictly as a one-off event, we reckon WWE brass would be smart to consider bringing back "Hot Rod" as a television character on a full time basis to help Raw's stagnant ratings. Indeed, with his superb promo skills, a talent like Piper can help out the struggling WWE product in a myriad of ways. Let's face it: the company really needs him right now.  

With this in mind, here are the 10 main reasons why we think this charismatic character will greatly aid WWE ratings.  

He Can Be the New Raw GM

Not that anyone will remember, judging by the way he struts around WWE like he owns the place, but John Laurinaitis is only the temporarily General Manager of WWE Raw. Per Vince McMahon, the mysterious Board of Directors put WWE's Head of Talent Relations in that role simply until they found a better candidate.

So what if the “better candidate” was Roddy Piper? Certainly, in the role of General Manager the volatile veteran would be a boon to Raw ratings as he banters back and forth with Cena, CM Punk and others. Piper promises controversy wherever he goes, and viewers will surely tune in to watch the sparks fly.

Use Him as a Commentator on Raw

WWE’s stale flagship show could certainly use a decent commentator to sell the product and help increase viewers.  The current team simply isn’t up to scratch: Michael Cole is annoying, an indifferent Jerry Lawler sounds bored for the majority of the time and Booker T tries but still has some way to go before he’s a credible announcer.

So why not put Piper in the booth? He’d be a nice change and would help shake things up.

As a Manager

The charismatic, loudmouth Piper could be a great manager to many up-and-coming stars if WWE chose to bring him back full time and use him in that role. At a time when the male manager has largely died out (with Alberto Del Rio’s ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez being one of the few exceptions), Piper could help revive the idea—and help boost the ratings of Raw.

He Can Bring in Older Fans

While WWE spends most of its time trying to appealing to the kids these days, a legendary figure like Piper could serve to garner in some of the older crowd.

Certainly, Piper remains a favorite for fans of nostalgia and his return to television could bring in some past viewers that have drifted away from the product in recent years.

He Can Get Back in the Ring

Okay, calm down. No one is suggesting the old and physically worn-out Piper return to WWE to become a regular in-ring or anything silly like that.

But certainly Piper is capable of a one-off gimmick match at some point that could have novelty value and serve to garner fan interest and increase the ratings as fans tune in to see if Roddy still has it.

He Can Work a Program with Vince McMahon

We think a a program between the usurped WWE owner and Roddy Piper could garner fan interest and increase Raw viewership. It would be worth it for the promos, if nothing else.

Become Cena's Mentor

This week’s Raw opened with Piper hosting a special one-off Piper’s Pit, with John Cena as his special guest. Playing the veteran role, Roddy angrily lambasted John Cena for weekly putting up with the jeers of the fans and encouraged the beleaguered WWE main eventer to stand up for himself. Piper was practically begging him to turn heel in this intriguing segment which seemed to toy with the possibility of long-time nice guy Cena finally taking a walk on the dark side.

While Piper’s appearance was clearly designed to be a one-off, we think that a full time return on Raw as the older star trying desperately to lead Cena astray would be a great storyline and a boon to Raw’s ratings.

Put Him in There with CM Punk

Bringing back Piper and putting him in some sort of program or angle with CM Punk would be a boon to Raw’s flagging ratings. Certainly sparks would fly when these two extremely accomplished mic men traded barbs in the skits and interviews. 

The Return of Piper's Pit

An established show that always guarantees drama, a full-time return of Piper’s talk show would surely boost the stagnant ratings of WWE’s struggling flag ship show.  

Reveal Him as the Man Behind the Conspiracy

Hey, does anyone remember this angle?

You know, there being some mysterious figure pulling the strings and attempting to sabotage Triple H's run as a COO? Granted, it has not been mentioned on television in a while, but we assume this angle is still going and the truth will be revealed at some point in the near future.

Assuming this is the case, Piper is as good a candidate as any to be unveiled as the mastermind behind it all. This stunning reveal shock waves through the entire company, as well as garnering more fan interest and, hopefully, increasing ratings.