ust over a year ago, the
world of professional

wrestling lost one of its

greatest stars. Brian Pillman was
found dead in his hotel room in
Bloomington, Minnesota on
Sunday, October 5, 1997. He had
competed the night before in St.
Paul, Minnesota and from what
others said, he wasn’t himself at
all. He seemed disoriented and
soon after fell asteep on the floor.
Brian was a favorite with many
fans, including myself, and is
missed greatly. He left behind his
wife, Melanie Pillman and his six
children.

Pillman was big in and out of
the ring. Before his wrestling
career began, Brian wanted to play
professional football. Many
coaches said he was too small to
play. After he was passed over in
the NFL draft, he walked into the
Cincinnati Bengals’ training camp
uninvited. He not only made the
team, but he also won the presti-
gious Ed Loch Courage Award.
He finished his football career in
the Canadian Football League
with the Calgary Stampeders.
While he was playing for them,
he met legendary promoter Stu
Hart, who ran the Stampede
Wrestling promotion in Calgary's
Indy circuit. He also fathered the
superstars Bret and Owen Hart.
Pillman began training under Stu
Hart in the infamous Dungeon in
the Hart family basement.

wrestling career start-
ed in WCW where he wrestled
under the name of Flyin’ Brian.
He played the part of a babyface
heartthrob and was co-holder of
the WCW United States Tag
Team Championship with Tom
“Z-Man” Zenk in the early
1990s. He also held the WCW
World Tag Team Championship
with Steve Austin as The
Hollywood Blondes. The height
of his career was when he turned
heel and joined the elite group of
the Four Horsemen along with
Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and
Chris Benoit.

Pillman’s wrestling career
seemed all but over after a near
fatal car accident in 1995. He
came out of it with a shattered
ankle, and had reconstructive sur-
gery to have his ankle secured in a
walking position. A year later, he
signed a long term deal with the
WWE. Until he was able to com-
pete in the ring, he did colour
commentary for WWF Superstars
and Shotgun Saturday Night.

Even before he stepped into
the ring, Pillman was a force in
the WWE. He feuded with his
long time friend and tag team
partner Steve Austin after Bret
Hart made his long awaited
return at Survivor Series in
November 1996. Austin re-
injured Pillman’s ankle and put
him on the shelf for a little while
longer. Shortly after, Pillman was
involved in a gun incident on Raw.

 

Little Boy Poem

Little man that I see wandering about
For infinite things to be and to doubt.
As lonesome as he may appear

If but one person finds him and sticks out his ear,

so that he can hear.

He may still enjoy his existence?
For he has just been engulfed with laughter and joy
Like a little boy playing with a toy.

by Jochen Biertumpel

 

 

 

Pictured, the late Brian Pillman

 

SURE COPY

Attn: !!! STUDENTS
Special offer!!!

Copies - self-service
Color Laser Copies

FAX, desktop publishing, typesetting ~

 

Color Laser Transparencies
Cerlox Binding rorpresentations 50% OFF

WITH St. ID.

06 c.
60 % OFF
40 % OFF

 

 

 

Pillman was set to do an inter-
view at his home in Walton,
Kentucky when Austin broke into
his basement. The show ended
with Pillman pointing the pistol
right at Austin with his trademark
madman grin.

 

Pillman finally made his debut
in the ring in mid-1997, wrestling
with the Hart Foundation faction
during the controversial Canada
vs. The United States feud com-
prised of himself, Bret Hart,
Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart and
Davey-Boy Smith. He continued
his feud with Austin, but later
began his most popular feud with
Goldust. A stipulation was added
to their match at Summerslam in
August 1997 that if Pillman lost,
he would have to wrestle on
Monday Night Raw wearing a dress
until he won a match. He lost and
was humiliated for the following
four weeks. In the following pay-
per-view event he got a rematch
with Goldust. A stipulation was
added to this match which stated

 

that if Pillman lost, he'd leave the
WWE forever. On the other
hand, if Goldust lost, Pillman
would get Goldust’s manager,
Marlena, as his personal assistant
for thirty days. Pillman won and
over the next month, he put
together a video piece he called
Brian Pillman’s XXX-Files. A
match was set for Badd Blood: In
Your House pitting Pillman against
Dude Love with Goldust hand-
cuffed at ringside. If Pillman lost,
Goldust would get a no-disquali-
fication match with Pillman
immediately following the match.
Unfortunately, that match never
happened since on the morning
of that pay-per-view, Pillman was
found dead in his hotel room.
Many fans were shocked and
depressed because of Pillman’s
death. I was one of them. The
truth is, many fans knew he prob-
ably wouldn't live to see his 40th
birthday. The reason for this is
because he struggled through life.
Born with throat cancer, his
childhood was really a struggle for
survival. Over the course of his
life, he endured the pain of thir-
ty-six throat operations. It was
from these operations that he got
his trademark raspy voice.
Although I never met Brian
Pillman personally, from what
others have said, he lived his life
much like his characters—in the
fast lane and like there was no
tomorrow. For Pillman, life was a
competition. I think he realized

that he didn’t have a lot of time
on this earth, so he had to make
the most of it.

I’m not exactly sure what the
autopsy report said about
Pillman’s cause of death, but it
had something to do with his
heart. For a man his age, his heart
was in terrible condition. Bruce
Hart was quoted in the Calgary
Sun after Pillman died, saying that
Pillman began acting strangely
around the July 1997 pay-per-
view in Calgary, where he saw
Pillman taking a large amount of
over-the-counter painkillers. It
was possible that he overdosed on
them.

According to Pillman’s wife
Melanie, he was a terrific man
and a loving and caring father.
Wrestlers often pass away. Usually
they are older, somewhere in their
seventies or eighties. It was such a
shock for myself to hear that
someone who I saw compete two
weeks ago in the ring had died so
suddenly. Even though he wasn't
expected to reach his 40th birth-
day. Although Pillman has now
passed on, his legacy of courage
will no doubt live forever. I’m
sure I speak for every wrestling
fan around the world who knew
Brian, or saw him compete in the
ring, when I say we miss you
Brian. Rest in peace and thank
you very much for the memories.

 

 

(advanced

 

 
 
 
 

Call (-877-BC-Youth

we want to

  

hear trom you!

eeseerense

 

 

ROPER OE RETR ESR OEER SEHR EOEROE RSE RO OEMS

@id you know B.C. has frozen tuition fees three years in a row, the most comprehensive
student financial assistance programs in the country and substantially increased funding
to advanced education in our province over the past five years?

@e're working to make advanced education better and we intend to do more for students.

@or more information and to help us move forward, please visit our web site at
www.youth.gov.bc.ca or call 1-877-BC-YOUTH, and we will send you a package on
B.C’s advanced education options.

 

SH OCHEOEEREEH EERO HE OHH EDEY

 

 

student financial assistance

Y career choices for the new economy

academic, vocational and
apprenticeship programs

_ Check out(www.youth.gov.bc.ca)

ett Technology-Minister Andrew Petter

A
: om tr
Education
“* eeh dn

 

ae
YOUTHOPTIONS <3
EE —__

Premier's Youth Office-Premier Glen Clark
Ministry of Advanced Education, Training &