An innovative high-flying wrestler in the late 1980s and early 1990s who also proved to be a great character performer thanks to his “Loose Cannon” gimmick, Brian Pillman was one of the great wrestlers of his time. Fans can see his influence in wrestlers like Jon Moxley, whose persona -- particularly as Dean Ambrose in WWE -- feels like a blatant shout-out to Pillman.
Unfortunately, Brian Pillman tragically died in 1997, so many younger fans might not know too much about him, especially as All Elite Wrestling had done some tributes to Pillman during their Cincinnati shows in 2021. Let’s take a look at what wrestling fans should know about him.
10 Football Background
Growing up in Cincinnati, Pillman played football in college for Ohio’s Miami University before moving on to stints with the Cincinnati Bengals and then the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stompers. Pillman’s time in Canada would lead to a pursuit of pro wrestling, as he’d trained with Calgary’s Stu Hart in the mid-1980s, debuting in 1986 for Stampede Wrestling. There, he would form a tag team with Bruce Hart and spent a little time performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling.
9 Flyin’ Brian
Pillman would get wider exposure in 1989 when he signed to World Championship Wrestling and debuted as a high-flying babyface named Flyin’ Brian. Pillman proved to be a must-see talent, as he incorporated lucha-libre-inspired moves into his arsenal, which was extremely innovative at the time. Aside from a tag title run with the NWA US belts, Flyin’ Brian would be a top star in WCW’s short-lived Light Heavyweight division, becoming a two-time champion and putting on classic matches with Jushin Thunder Liger.
