"I always felt so bad" - Vince Russo says WWE legend was in incredible amount of pain before he died at 35 (Exclusive)
Vince Russo worked with several legendary performers, and one of them, Brian Pillman Sr., left the world way too soon. Russo recalled his memories of Pillman on a recent editionThe Wrestling Outlaws and detailed how the late great star was in a lot of pain before his passing in 1997.
Vince Russo spent a considerable amount of time with Brian Pillman as they traveled together, with the former WWE writer usually being in the driver's seat. Russo revealed that whenever the car went over a bump, he looked back to see Pillman wince in pain, and he felt very sorry for the former WCW star.
Russo said that the performers from the past didn't even sell their real injuries, but being around them made it easier to figure out their struggles. Here's what the ex-WWE creative team member from the Attitude Era had to say:
"He would try, bro, so hard not to sell it, but it's like if I would hit a bump, I would look over and see him, like literally wincing. That's how much pain this dude was in from that ankle injury, man! Every time I was around the guy, he was in such pain, always trying not to sell it. I always felt so bad. But that's a pro, bro; they're not going to sell it, and they're going to do whatever it takes to get through it." [From 01:47 to 02:37]
Check out the entire video below:
Vince Russo on what led to Brian Pillman's death
The former Hollywood Blonds member didn't enjoy a great time during the final years as he faced a lot of trouble due to multiple ankle injuries.
Vince Russo, who had a good relationship with Brian Pillman, was aware of how he was working through the physical anguish and still trying to give fans a spectacle every time he was in front of the cameras.
Russo noted that Pillman's body was in constant pain, which ultimately resulted in his untimely demise during his prime years:
"The dude was in such an incredible amount of pain. I mean, all the time, which led to his demise. But bro, I can remember, literally, I'm talking about driving with me and him in the passenger's seat. EC3, you know, bro, when you're around this long enough, you know when somebody is in a great deal of pain, whether they are trying to sell it or not," added Vince Russo. [From 01:12 to 01:46]
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