WWE Exec Bruce Prichard Looks Back On The Death Of Brian Pillman

Brian Pillman's legacy in professional wrestling remains a combination of innovation, unbridled intensity, and heart-wrenching "what-ifs." Dubbed "The Loose Cannon," Pillman's mercurial persona left a sizable impression on the industry. His sudden passing in 1997, at the cruelly young age of 35, sent seismic tremors through the wrestling world, leaving fans and colleagues grappling with the loss of a unique talent whose full potential would forever remain unexplored. Bruce Prichard, a linchpin in WWE's creative during the tumultuous '90s, recently peeled back the curtain on the day of Pillman's passing. As one of Vince McMahon's most trusted lieutenants, Prichard found himself at the epicenter of the chaos. On "Something to Wrestle," Prichard offered a raw glimpse into the emotions that engulfed the company that fateful day.

"I don't think anybody wakes up in the morning and thinks, ok ... a friend of yours is gonna die and you're gonna have to figure out what to do with the rest of the day, 'cause you have an entertainment show that must go on that this affects," Prichard said. "To tell you at that point, that I knew what to do, I didn't." Prichard recounted how the brass at WWE tried to process the traumatic moment. 

"We spoke to Vince and got JR in there. And we talked about, hey reports are that Brian was found dead in his hotel room ... We called Melanie [Pillman] to see if she had talked to him and she had not. And then we called his agent and lawyer, Eliott Pollack, and Eliott had not heard from him. And then my phone beeped and I looked at it and said, man if you're gonna go to that place [Heaven], then get me something," Prichard recalled. "It was a confusing time." Prichard continues to be a puppeteer behind WWE's creative process alongside Triple H.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Something to Wrestle" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.