10 Biggest Wrestling Scandals Of The 1990s
6. The Death Of Brian Pillman
'Flyin' Brian Pillman is one of wrestling's greatest what-ifs. A talented in-ring performer with oodles of charisma, the Cincinnati native's career was held back by injury and substance abuse issues. His turbulent life came to a sad end on October 5th 1997.
On the day he was due to wrestle Dude Love on the Badd Blood pay-per-view, Pillman was found dead in his hotel room after suffering a heart attack. Cocaine was found in his system (non-lethal trace amounts), but the star also had a previously undiagnosed heart condition.
Pillman's death at the age of just 35 hit the wrestling world hard. He was a cult hero to many and his sudden passing was a further reminder of how unfair his life had been.
The next night on Raw, WWE made the baffling decision to have Vince McMahon interview Pillman's widow, Melanie. The visibly distraught woman should never have been put on TV, let alone to answer questions about her husband's recent death.
This segment is one of the most out-of-touch things WWE have ever done and the company should be ashamed that this idea was ever green-lit.