10 Times Wrestlers Took Their Careers Into Their Own Hands
4. Brian Pillman
Brian Pillman was a true pro wrestling revolutionary. He knew kayfabe was dead, but also existed, simultaneously, in a bizarre limbo as a sacred cow unable to produce milk.
Pillman's grand impact on the wrestling industry was his mercy killing of it. Towards the end of 1995, Pillman, too slight to headline WCW by the standards of the old paradigm, created a new one in what was a manic fit of pure genius. He dove into his self-created 'Loose Cannon' persona with the insane dedication of a method actor. Had he worked himself into a shoot? Was it even a shoot? Pillman, all crazy-eyed and crazier rasping, shattered the divide with such believability that he successfully worked Eric Bischoff into a shoot. Bischoff was convinced to release Pillman for real to put the shocking events of SuperBrawl '96 over. The acknowledgement of Kevin Sullivan as booker - the acknowledgement of a booker at all - changed everything.
He arrived in his favoured destination of the WWF, after the resultant bidding war, with his unhinged aura intact - but not his ankle. He had shattered it, and shattered his chances of genuine superstardom in the process.