8 Genius Ways Wrestlers Got Out Of Terrible Matches

8. Brian Pillman Has Surgery To Get Out Of Hulk Hogan Squashing Him

As 1995 rolled into 1996, Brian Pillman was quickly growing into one of the hottest and most intriguing acts in all of wrestling.

His "Loose Cannon" gimmick was incredibly captivating, with fans unsure about what in the hell the unstable performer would do next as he blurred the lines between kayfabe and reality.

And with the WCW star's rise being pretty hard to ignore, it inevitably caught the attention of a certain blonde haired icon known for dropping the leg, brother!

Coming into WCW Uncensored 1996, the original plan was seemingly to have nine heels face off against Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage in a Doomsday Cage match, instead of the mere eventual eight The Mega Powers fought. Pillman would have been one of these villains that 'The Hulkster' ultimately conquered on the night, a move that likely wouldn't have done that edgy, new gimmick much good at the time.

So, as Dave Meltzer would later recall on Wrestling Observer Radio (via WrestlingInc), Pillman realised he needed to find a way to get out of the potentially career-halting match, and decided that now would be a perfect time to get the surgery he was required to have every few years to remove polyps in his throat. 

He could have had it any point, but smartly chose this precise moment for obvious reasons.

Pillman didn't tell his employers he was going under the knife, and WCW weren't exactly happy about the fact he now couldn't compete so soon after the procedure. 

But that quick-thinking meant that the icon brilliantly managed to dodge a contest he sensed was going to be an all-time stinker beforehand. And he was right, with it picking up that year's WON award for Worst Match of the Year.