8 Times Wrestlers Were Rewarded For Bad Behaviour
4. Brian Pillman - Goes Back On His Word, Gets WWF Deal
When WCW's Eric Bischoff was faced with the challenge of going to war with WWE in the mid '90s, he knew he needed to think outside of the box to get eyes on his fledgling Monday Nitro product.
So, Bischoff and one of the company's stars Brian Pillman agreed that having the wrestler fired in the wake of a 'shoot' angle, which saw the 'Loose Cannon' refer to Kevin Sullivan as "booker man" during a Superbrawl VI I Respect You Strap match, would help stir up interest in the product.
The two also agreed on Pillman heading over to ECW to further develop his character before returning to WCW with even more heat and attention on the unpredictable star.
Yet, that last part of the plan ultimately went t*ts up when Pillman decided to go back on his word and join the enemy after Vince McMahon offered him one of the company's first-ever guaranteed contracts.
Despite seriously injuring his ankle after a frightening car accident soon after, Pillman's refusal to stay true to his word was rewarded with a prominent role on Monday Night Raw, going head-to-head with Stone Cold Steve Austin and playing a vital part in the shocking 'Pillman's Got a Gun!' angle.