Brian Pillman
(May 22, 1962 - October 5, 1997)
Real Name: Brian Pillman
Height/Weight: 6'0", 225 lbs.
Finishing Maneuver: Air Pillman
Titles Held: NWA United States Tag Team Title, WCW Light Heavyweight Title (2 reigns), WCW World Tag Team Title (with Steve Austin)
Feuds:
In an era of popular, charismatic "babyfaces" soaking in the cheers of the crowd, Brian Pillman wasn't satisfied with simply being popular - he wasn't to be unique. And so he was - displaying a high-risk, anything-goes styles that energized the crowd, working a wide array of opponents from the technical to brawling to aerial before departing the company in 1996. A member of one of wrestling's most impressive tag teams with Steve Austin as the "Hollywood Blondes", Pillman would abandon his babyface ways to become a bitter heel in late 1992, and along the way would help keep alive a struggling tag team division throughout 1993. Pillman would play a major part in returning the "Four Horsemen" to their glory in 1995, uniting with Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and newcomer Chris Benoit to bring a whole new generation of terror to the airwaves on TNT and TBS. Pillman would exit WCW in early '96 en route to both ECW and the World Wrestling Federation, where he would remain employed until his shocking death in October 1979.
Brian Pillman's early years in WCW saw him getting big wins over shoddy competition across the major programs on TBS. The matches were to showcase Pillman's high-flying, never-back-down style. A style that was quite evident during an amazing bout that saw Pillman challenge for Lex Luger's NWA U.S. Title at Halloween Havoc '89. Although he came up short, this match really put Pillman on the map with the fans for coming so close to stopping the unbeatable "Total Package". Not satisified with wins over lower acts like Norman the Lunatic and the Cuban Assassin, Pillman joined fellow high-flyer "The Z-Men" Tom Zenk to capture the NWA U.S. Tag Team Titles, belts that the group would hold for over 3 months. Interesting choices to hold the titles, the duo remained very over with the crowd for their ability to work exciting matches with other young teams who competed primarily for the U.S. Tag straps. The reign came to an end at the May "Capital Combat" pay-per-view in 1990, at the hands of the legendary Midnight Express tag team. The bout was an amazing one. The Midnight Express, despite their "heel" status, had always received strong reactions from the crowd due to their impressive ringwork. Against Zenk & Pillman, the crowd knew they were going to see a classic, and they did.
The tag reign would elevate Tom Zenk into the WCW Television Title ranks by 1991, and Pillman would also find himself battling the Four Horsemen, a group he was destined to join years later. These Horsemen, particularly Barry Windham, were more concerned with ENDING Pillman's career than caring about his future. Pillman lost a bout to Windham that stipulated Pillman must end his WCW career. However, a masked "friend" of Pillman, who wrestled suspiciously like the Ohio native, began wreslting in WCW soonafter, under the name of The Yellow Dog. This Yellow Dog was never unmasked and proven to be Pillman, much to the dismay of the Horsemen. Pillman's, er, "friend" would get some measures of revenge before Pillman was ultimately reinstated. The Horsemen ended up going their deperate ways when leader Ric Flair departed from the company, and Pillman was free to persue other ventures.
Pillman, at Halloween Havoc 1991, won a tournament final to be crowned the first WCW Light Heavyweight Champion. Emphasis on athletes with smaller statures but large hearts began in WCW, with Ricky Morton, Mike Graham, Johnny B. Badd, and newcomer Jushin "Thunder" Liger being at the center of the division. Liger would win the title on Christmas Night 1991, but when it came time for the two to clash at SuperBrawl II, Pillman won it back. The match was simply amazing, kicking off an excellent show, with the fans showing both stars appreciation. Pillman would hold the title until June of 1992 when he dropped the belt to newcomer Scotty Flamingo. However, due to several new rule changes in WCW, including the removal of ringside mats and banning top-rope maneuevers, the "Light Heavyweight Division" had been seriously harmed.
In late 1992, Brad Armstrong reigned as champion, having defeated Flamingo in the summer. Pillman was anxious for a title shot against Armstrong, who appeared injured and apologized for not being able to defend the title. Pillman, enraged, slapped Pillman, showing a dark side that would take over his career. Appearing on the cover of the January 1993 WCW Magazine, Pillman announced that "The Fans Can Go to HELL!"
Pillman formed a successful team with "Stunning" Steve Austin called "The Hollywood Blondes", who kicked off 1993 at SuperBrawl III with a big win against Erik Watts & Marcus Bagwell. A month later, Pillman and Austin upset the popular team of Rick Steamboat & Shane Douglas to capture the WCW/NWA Unified World Tag Team Titles. They would dominate the division, fending off the masked "Dos Hombres" at Slamboree, the new "Four Horsemen" pairing of Arn Anderson & Paul Roma at Beact Blast, and another Horsemen pairing of Ric Flair & Arn Anderson at Clash of the Champions. However, when Pillman went down with a serious injury, Austin & substitute Lord Steven Regal dropped the titles to Anderson & Roma at the next Clash. Austin was furious, blaming Pillman for the loss and joining manager Col. Robert Parker.
Pillman would return, fighting back against Austin and Parker and once again embracing the fans. He teamed with fan favorites Sting & Dustin Rhodes to defeat Austin, Paul Orndorff, and Rick Rude at SuperBrawl IV in an exciting cage match. However, Pillman was unable to get the best of Austin in their feud, with Austin dominating the company as U.S. Champion and turning away Pillman's challenges. Pillman was also unable to best WCW TV Champion Lord Steven Regal for the title, also hurting Pillman's credibility. Pillman became lost in the WCW shuffle as a series of new acts and older stars began to take both the top spots and opening spots on the card.
In 1995, Pillman began wearing longer tights and coming out to a new theme song, called "Blondes Have More Fun". He had some initial success, but was eliminated that summer in a tournament to crown a new U.S. Champion by Meng. Pillman's bad atittude and frustration began building, and it seemed he was on his way out of the company. Pillman's last memorable WCW match was an opener with Johnny B. Badd at Fall Brawl '95, a near 30-minute bout that Badd won to secure a spot as #1 Contender to Sting's U.S. Title. Pillman, however, had bigger things coming his way...Horsemen business.
Brian Pillman wedged himself in between Arn Anderon and Ric Flair's friendship, teaming with Arn to attack Flair, and leaving Flair to have to turn to old arch-nemesis Sting for help. At Halloween Havoc '95, the Horsemen struck, with Flair, Pillman, and Anderson brutally attacking Sting and reforming the Four Horsemen, eventually drafting Chris Benoit into their ranks a month later. Pillman never seemed to truly fit in with the Horsemen, as he rubbed them the wrong way with his wild ideas and quite frankly seemed to be losing his mind each week.
Pillman's last straw with the group came when he picked a fight with the legendary Paul Orndorff, causing the group to defend their member's life by attacking Orndorff and ending his wrestling career with a piledriver on the concrete floor. Pillman next drew the wrath of "Dungeon of Doom" leader Kevin Sullivan, leading to many fights betwene the Horsemen and the Dungeon. Pillman's SuperBrawl VI "Respect" match with Sullivan saw Pillman strangely walk out of the bout and announce he respected Sullivan. Pillman not only walked out on the match, but also left the Horsemen and WCW altogether. He had become a wreckless, crazed "Loose Cannon" of WCW, a role he would pick up shortly in the World Wrestling Federation.
On October 5, 1997, Brian Pillman was found dead in his hotel room at age 35, the day of his scheduled pay-per-view wrestling bout with Mick "Dude Love" Foley.
