While discussing the innovative and often chaotic career of Brian Pillman on the “Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw” podcast, “Dark Side of the Ring” co-creator Evan Husney shared a wild anecdote involving another legend known for extreme ideas: Terry Funk. Husney explained how Pillman and his mentor Kim Wood were actively trying to “work the business” and generate buzz around Pillman’s “Loose Cannon” persona, blurring the lines of reality.
According to Husney, Terry Funk pitched a particularly outrageous publicity stunt designed to get Pillman mainstream attention during the Super Bowl: “There’s a famous story where Terry Funk… came up with this elaborate scheme for Brian to get lots of like, free publicity,” Husney began. “Was to get Kim Wood to give Brian his pass during the Super Bowl… if Brian could get the Super Bowl credentials, he should just sneak onto the field… during the game and chain himself to… the end goal [goalpost].”
The thinking, Husney explained, was purely about exposure: “And then, you know, it’ll take him 15-20 minutes to get him out of there, but he’ll get national exposure… money that money can’t buy.”
However, the plan was ultimately vetoed by the more pragmatic Kim Wood. “But of course, Kim’s like, ‘I’m not doing that. They trace every pass back to whomever, and that’s gonna mess me up.’ So they didn’t go through with it,” Husney confirmed. Host JBL, laughing, interjected, “And Terry Funk can come up with some of the worst ideas in the history of the world,” though he quickly added, “some of the best,” acknowledging Funk’s unique brand of creative genius.
The anecdote provided a fascinating glimpse into the lengths Pillman and his collaborators considered going to establish his unpredictable character, fueled by the outlandish imagination of Terry Funk, even if this particular Super Bowl plan never came to fruition.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
