Brian Pillman
Brian William Pillman (May 22, 1962 – October 5, 1997) was an American professional wrestler and professional football player best known for his appearances in Stampede Wrestling in the 1980s and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the 1990s.
Brian Pillman | |
|---|---|
Pillman, circa 1996 | |
| Born | Brian William Pillman May 22, 1962 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | October 5, 1997 (aged 35) Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Melanie Pillman (m. 1993) |
| Children | 6, including Brian Pillman Jr. |
Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) |
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| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Billed weight | 227 lb (103 kg) |
| Billed from | Cincinnati, Ohio "The kennel club" (as The Yellow Dog) Hollywood (as California Brian) |
| Trained by | Stu Hart |
| Debut | 1986 |
|
American football career | |
| No. 41, 58 | |
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 228 lb (103 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Norwood (Norwood, Ohio) |
| College: | Miami (OH) |
| Undrafted: | 1984 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |
Pillman created a legacy as "The Loose Cannon", a wrestling gimmick that would see him do a series of worked shoots that would gain him a degree of infamy for his unpredictable character. He was also known for being extremely agile in the ring, although a car accident in April 1996 from which he received extensive ankle injuries limited his in-ring ability. By the end of his career, he worked with his long-time friend and former tag-team partner Stone Cold Steve Austin in a storyline involving a firearm and with The Hart Foundation during the first instances of the developing Attitude Era. In 1997, he died unexpectedly due to an undetected heart disease.