10 Most Rebellious Anti-Heroes In WWE History

While Dean Ambrose’s current position owes much to his own hard work, he owes a big debt of gratitude to Brian Pillman. Pillman was a far slicker wrestler than Ambrose, who’s often little more than a messy brawler, but his “Loose Cannon” character was a huge hit in the 1990s, even if his greatest successes did take place outside WWE.

Pillman was every bit as loopy as Ambrose, and then some. You need only look at his wide-eyed glare to realise the man had a few screws loose, and it’s one of wrestling’s greatest tragedies that Pillman never realised his full potential. An untimely ankle injury significantly reduced his in-ring capabilities, and he tragically passed away in 1997 without ever winning a major world championship.

During his brief WWE spell, however, the Loose Cannon was one of wrestling’s most unpredictable, interesting, and controversial characters. He continually pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on wrestling television, and thought nothing of breaking kayfabe, shattering the fourth wall, and he became a master of the worked shoot.

Often coming off like something out of a Quentin Tarantino movie, Pillman maintained a hefty deal of crowd support despite technically working as a heel, such was his character’s all-round appeal.

In WWE, Pillman was a wrestler who acquired popularity through sheer rebelliousness. His persona has been imitated countless times since, but it’ll never be bettered.