Brian Pillman (Age: 35)
The evolution of Pillman from a cruiserweight into a credible character required less than a decade. In that time, he made the loose cannon one of the most famous gimmicks in the wrestling business. But no one could’ve foreseen such a career being shortened by the clutches of death.
Pillman was allegedly an alcoholic and also used drugs well beyond the prescribed limits. Reports suggest that it was those habits that contributed to his early demise. Passing away at the age of 35, Pillman still could have contributed a lot to the wrestling world if it wasn’t for the untimely tragedy.
His death was a big blow for Vince McMahon, who saw not just a regular pay-per-view performer going away, but also faced a lot of negative publicity from all over the world. He wasn’t the first wrestler to die in this way, but Pillman was a big name and his demise created a huge buzz about the company’s drug policies.
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