Pillman 25

It's October 5th today. 

Ever since 1997, whenever I have seen the date of October 5th, I am reminded of two things. One good. The other bad.

For October 5th is the anniversary of one of my favourite WWF/E matches ever. The first ever Hell in a Cell match, which was contested between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.

The two put on a classic that night. However, that evening was set under a dark cloud.

Before the event started, news reached the then World Wrestling Federation that Brian Pillman had been found dead in his hotel room.

It shook me when The Nation of Domination walked to the ring to start off the Badd Blood PPV and Vince McMahon mentioned that Pillman had died.

Twenty-five years since. It's still one of the wrestling deaths that haunts me.

I've said many times over the years that the initial time I went to a wrestling show put on by an American company, the first wrestlers I saw live were Pillman and Steve Austin - The Hollywood Blonds.  They came out for the opening match of WCW's Halloween Havoc UK Tour to take on 2 Cold Scorpio and Marcus Bagwell. 

Around five years ago, I bought the biography about Pillman titled Crazy Like A Fox. Early in the book, I found out that Pillman's mother was Welsh or, at the very least, had Welsh ties because that is where Pillman's parents met. 

Finding out that trivia note made the fact he was one of the first American wrestlers on the first (and only) WCW event in Wales made my memory of that moment even more significant.