Kevin Kelly remembers Brian Pillman’s infamous gun incident at WWE Raw

In a recent episode of Eric Bischoff’s Wise Choices podcast, Kevin Kelly looked back at one of the most polarizing moments in professional wrestling: the “Pillman’s Got A Gun” storyline. Even for a time in wrestling where there seemed to be few boundaries during the “Attitude Era,” this segment was infamous and has continued to spark debates about appropriateness and the respective impact on the industry.

It was Kevin Kelly, a veteran radio host, who reflected on the unintended consequences of broadcasting such a controversial scene across the country. “What impact is it going to have if Brian Pillman is waving a gun around on live television and if they get it, you know, gunshots are going to echo from the house?” He wondered what impact the decision would have beyond the wrestling circle.

Kelly’s thriller showdown

Kelly compared this to an Alfred Hitchcock film, as that’s exactly what the writers had in mind when they wrote this plot: a film full of suspense and drama. It was Pillman, confined to a wheelchair, facing off against a burglar while his wife screams in the background, which is something of a psychological thriller.

Still, a gun was used and the scene played out very differently. “All these different things, with the trapped man in the wheelchair and his attacker coming to get him, and the woman in the house, and the screaming and the lights going out,” Kelly said, describing the elements overshadowed by the controversy.

The immediate reaction from the USA Network, where the episode aired, was concern. The network, like much of the television audience, gasped when the sound of a gunshot was heard. That one aspect, Kelly said, saturated the creativity of the WWE creative team.

“But, again, a lot of that was taken away when he pulled out the gun. And that’s what freaked everybody out, especially USA (Network),” he explained. It’s a storyline, controversial as it may be, but Kelly believes it shaped the business.