10 Times Wrestlers Were Spooked FOR REAL

5. Brian Pillman Keeps It Loose

Rey Mysterio
WWE Network

Brian Pillman sadly didn't scare quite enough people as his life spiralled beyond even his own control in 1997, but at the height of his powers and acclaim one year prior, there were few as believable as he was.

Wrestlers are so attuned to their own industry that they'll typically see everything as a work, but Pillman's knowledge of that only made him more determined to fool them. Famously convincing Eric Bischoff to let him out of a contract when even 'Easy E' believed himself to be in on the ruse, Pillman's legendary promo on the ECW loyalists at Cyber Slam '96 did a magnificent job of keeping his insanity separate from just about everybody.

Even legends weren't immune - Bobby Heenan was known to be sensitive about physical contact, and looked legitimately spooked and infuriated when 'The Loose Cannon' messed around with his neck at Clash Of The Champions 32. The moment's remembered more for the F-bomb that slipped out from a rattled 'Brain' and why not? It only added to the sense of unfiltered chaos that defined such a transcendent persona.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett