Discussion: Should Brian Pillman be in the WWE Hall of Fame?

[James Steele]

Vote and discuss.

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I say yes. He helped introduced the idea of light heavyweights in modern wrestling, helped change the idea of kayfabe in a post internet world, and has a tremendous body of work.

[Savio]

I would say yes he has done enough.

[Shisen Kopf]

Yeah, why not?

[hb2k]

If Koko B Ware and Nikolai Volkoff are the barometer, this one is easy. Made a difference in the business, played a part of the evolution of the business on a couple of occasions, pulled off something special with the Loose Cannon gimmick, can easily make the case. If the Hall Of Fame in question was very selective, the case is a little trickier.

[voncouch]

The man was a fighter. He kept fighting after multiple throat surgeries and a motorcycle accident. He was one of the first light heavyweight stars in WCW and his Loose Canon gimmick was fantastic. He gets my vote.

[Innovator]

Yes, fantastic wrestler with the total package who influenced a generation of guys to be batshit crazy.

[Seth82]

The man was a fighter. He kept fighting after multiple throat surgeries and a motorcycle accident. He was one of the first light heavyweight stars in WCW and his Loose Canon gimmick was fantastic. He gets my vote.

This! :y:

Pillman overcame the odds his entire life to become a pretty great talent in WCW/ECW/WWF.

He was also pretty great in Stampede Wrestling with Bruce Hart too imho.

His match with Jushin Liger at Superbrawl propelled him into superstardom.

[Shisen Kopf]

He should go in as Yellow Dog though. Best gimmick he had.

[Bad News Gertner]

Nope, too small

[Maluco]

Yes, he was an underrated performer in WCW and after that, tried to do something really unique with his character. Am sure he has inspired a lot of people who came after him. No doubt for me...

[Heisenberg]

Too excited to answer this correctly, like when your sister's friend flirts with you and touches it.

[whiteyford]

If Koko B Ware and Nikolai Volkoff are the barometer, this one is easy.

This is still the stupidest logic ever.


But yes to Pillman, solid all rounder with a bunch of big moments in his career.

[Shisen Kopf]

Nope, too small

What is the minimum hright/weight requirements for a rassler to be considered? May I suggest 6'1 and 235lbs

[Bad News Gertner]

6"6 270. Any smaller and you should be pumping gas.

[CSL]

lol 3 posts before Koko was mentioned

[CSL]

but yeah, this

Yes, fantastic wrestler with the total package who influenced a generation of guys to be batshit crazy.

was wayyyyyyy ahead of his time and has arguably done it better than everybody that's attempted it since

[Shisen Kopf]

6"6 270. Any smaller and you should be pumping gas.

I say we use Hulk Hogan billed height/weight as the cut off 6'8 303lbs or gtfo!

[Hanso Amore]

but yeah, this



was wayyyyyyy ahead of his time and has arguably done it better than everybody that's attempted it since

Yeah. Hes like Gale Sayers. Or "Insert other super game changing influential person who never really "made it".

He never had a real top notch run, but changed the way the game was played.

[Emperor Smeat]

I'd say yes.

Amazing with the Loose Canon gimmick to the point it really seemed he was legit crazy at times while also having some great work with Austin as a tag team.

[KIRA]

Hell yes he was amazing and as a kid I looked up to him as a small guy overcoming and doing big things and being generally awesome.

[hb2k]

This is still the stupidest logic ever.


But yes to Pillman, solid all rounder with a bunch of big moments in his career.


How so? The track record shows that the WWE HOF is less about accomplishments and historical significance and more about the right people at the right time to go in.

[Anybody Thrilla]

http://wetalkwrestling.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Brian-Pillmans-Got-A-Gun.png

[Bad News Gertner]

How so? The track record shows that the WWE HOF is less about accomplishments and historical significance and more about the right people at the right time to go in.

Koko and Nikolai were big stars during their time. It's such a ridiculous arguement

[Hanso Amore]

You walk into a bar right now and way more people are going to know KoKo and Nicolai....I doubt you could find anyone in most places who knows who Pillman is.

[Shisen Kopf]

Should do a podcast and put HBKK on trial for his silly opinions

[Corndad]

Yes. Just for his work in the Hart Foundation in WWE and with Austin as the California Blondes in WCW. He's a stand out character wise and was beyond solid in the ring.

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>I wish we could get through one fucking Hall of Fame thread without somebody taking a shot at Koko B Ware. You shitfucks don't deserve Koko B Ware.</font>

[Wishbone]

You walk into a bar right now and way more people are going to know KoKo and Nicolai....I doubt you could find anyone in most places who knows who Pillman is.

I don't know what bars you go to but I doubt you'd find a single person who knows who KoKo was here, in a bar or otherwise. Nicolai would be a hard "maybe". Besides that's a stupid argument anyway. Why the fuck should the WWE Hall of Fame use "recognizably with drunks" as an indicator for induction?

On topic, hell yes. Pillman deserves to be in the Hall without question.

[whiteyford]

How so? The track record shows that the WWE HOF is less about accomplishments and historical significance and more about the right people at the right time to go in.

Koko and Nikolai were big stars during their time. It's such a ridiculous arguement

So Inoki shouldn't be in it then? His WWF career doesn't even come close to Koko's and we're basing their inclusion solely on that criteria right?

Like Gertner said, both big stars during their runs, both did well pre WWF too, so yes it's the most retarded logic ever.

[DAMN iNATOR]

Yeah, why not?

Basically THIS. No further explanation required.

[hb2k]

Koko and Nikolai were big stars during their time. It's such a ridiculous arguement

Not saying they weren't stars during their time, but Koko was never a key player at any point, ever. He was rarely a pushed commodity and mostly used during his prime run as a guy to put other people over. He was a fun babyface, a name on the card during a time when wrestling was more popular, and so was he as a result. But by that mentality you could surely put in so many people based on people being stars during a hot period that it absolutely kills exclusivity, which is the point I'm making.

Nikolai has one moment of true identifiable top level success, which was headlining MSG with Bruno. But with that said, Bruno sold out MSG with Tarzan Tyler and Dr. Bill Miller, so it says more about Bruno than Nikolai. Again, Volkoff was part of the business during a more popular time, but in terms of body of work or accomplishment relative to the time he was in, he got to the same point as countless others.

You walk into a bar right now and way more people are going to know KoKo and Nicolai....I doubt you could find anyone in most places who knows who Pillman is.

Perhaps so. But like I said, that's a product of the times, and if that's the barometer, anybody who was ever any kind of star goes in, at which point the exclusivity aspect of the Hall of Fame is gone (and Pillman certainly qualifies). Just talking WWE's HoF, you can make a case for Pillman doing things that evolved the business and based on performance through his career. They clearly recognise there was something to it since they released a DVD on his life.

So Inoki shouldn't be in it then? His WWF career doesn't even come close to Koko's and we're basing their inclusion solely on that criteria right?

Like Gertner said, both big stars during their runs, both did well pre WWF too, so yes it's the most retarded logic ever.

Not sure how much og this is in response to me, but if so - I never said you have to be a WWF guy to get in. But the argument people seem to be making for Koko and Nikolai is that they were stars in the 80s boom. But so was damn near everybody else. It's a very broad lens, and if it is that broad you can absolutely make a case for Pillman (albeit for different reasons). That's all.

Should do a podcast and put HBKK on trial for his silly opinions

Not guilty, your honour.

[Nicky Fives]

Definitely, he along with the likes of Chris Jericho & Sean Waltman (among others) were instrumental in the popularity of Cruiserweight/Light Heavyweight guys finally getting a shot at running with the ball and taken seriously in a time where fans were getting tired of lumbering 7 footers having shit matches..... Even though his time was cut short in WWE, I feel as though he has left his mark on the business and deserves a place in the Hall Of Fame.

[whiteyford]

Koko and Volkoff were both big names in the territories , out with the rock & wrestling boom, it's debatable whether or not they should be in but they are hardly the bottom of the barrel, I'm sure Seth could copy and paste a whole host of reasons they deserve their inductions.

[hb2k]

Again, not to belabour a point (too late, I know), but once Koko's territorial career is considered sufficient backup for a Hall of Fame career, so do so many others. I don't begrudge either of them actually being in the WWE HoF at all, I was just making a point about parameters.

[Shisen Kopf]

The little guys, under 6'9 320lbs, should get their own "hall of small" separate from the real HOF.

[Bad News Gertner]

Not saying they weren't stars during their time, but Koko was never a key player at any point, ever. He was rarely a pushed commodity and mostly used during his prime run as a guy to put other people over. He was a fun babyface, a name on the card during a time when wrestling was more popular, and so was he as a result. But by that mentality you could surely put in so many people based on people being stars during a hot period that it absolutely kills exclusivity, which is the point I'm making.

Nikolai has one moment of true identifiable top level success, which was headlining MSG with Bruno. But with that said, Bruno sold out MSG with Tarzan Tyler and Dr. Bill Miller, so it says more about Bruno than Nikolai. Again, Volkoff was part of the business during a more popular time, but in terms of body of work or accomplishment relative to the time he was in, he got to the same point as countless others.



Perhaps so. But like I said, that's a product of the times, and if that's the barometer, anybody who was ever any kind of star goes in, at which point the exclusivity aspect of the Hall of Fame is gone (and Pillman certainly qualifies). Just talking WWE's HoF, you can make a case for Pillman doing things that evolved the business and based on performance through his career. They clearly recognise there was something to it since they released a DVD on his life.



Not sure how much og this is in response to me, but if so - I never said you have to be a WWF guy to get in. But the argument people seem to be making for Koko and Nikolai is that they were stars in the 80s boom. But so was damn near everybody else. It's a very broad lens, and if it is that broad you can absolutely make a case for Pillman (albeit for different reasons). That's all.



Not guilty, your honour.

Not necessarily. There were countless wrestlers during that era that didn't make it. To say that Koko and Nikolai were a product of an era is unfair. They weren't main event guys but they were very popular, and in wrestling isn't that all that matters? Each wrestler during that era had a hand in making the era what it was.

[Bad News Gertner]

Dr. Bill Miller was a bad ass btw