WWE Hall of Famer Rowdy Roddy Piper was literally within an inch of death after being stabbed by a fan back in the early '80s ... and we finally have a detailed account from "Hot Rod" himself.
Piper, who passed away in 2015, vividly recalled the attack in "Roddy Piper: In His Own Words" -- a new documentary from Nine Legends Film -- who spoke with the legend in 2006.
Roddy says he was shanked 3 different times during his career ... the worst one was at a show in Raleigh, North Carolina, when a guy with a buck knife came after him on the sidelines.