AEW announced this week that Brian Pillman Jr., the son of deceased WWF/WCW legend Brian Pillman, will make his debut on AEW Dark this week in a match against Shawn Spears. Pillman technically made his AEW debut back in May 2019 while competing in the Casino Battle Royale at the first Double or Nothing pay-per-view, but the man himself labeled this match as his debut for the promotion. The 26-year-old was spotted in the crowd by fans during this past week’s AEW Dynamite, and a photo of him talking backstage with Chris Jericho made its way to Instagram the following day.
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Months of preparation behind me and I will finally make my debut for All Elite Wrestling! This is quite literally the BIGGEST opportunity of my life and I hope that everyone tunes in to see what I’ve been cooking up 🔥🔥🔥 #AEWDark#PillmanDebut https://t.co/CN9sXTevT3
— Brian Pillman (@FlyinBrianJr) July 5, 2020
Pillman trained under Lance Storm and made his in-ring debut back in December 2017. Considering his lineage and his success in the business so far, he’s considered by many to be one of the most promising young stars on the independent scene. His most notable run so far has been with Major League Wrestling (MLW), which he signed with in late 2018 and became a member of the New Era Hart Foundation alongside Dave Boy Smith Jr. and Teddy Hart.
Uma foto do Backstage do Fyter Fest, mostrou Brian Pillman Jr conversando com Chris Jericho, enquanto usava sua Ring Gear.
Teremos Debut surpresa no Fyter Fest? pic.twitter.com/bf5Yj71fL0
— Piledriver Brasil (@PiledriverBR) July 3, 2020
According to ProWrestling.Net’s Jason Powell, Pillman is able to wrestle for AEW despite his MLW deal since the promotion was founded after he signed his contract. MLW has first dibs on using Pillman if there are ever conflicting television taping dates, but MLW currently isn’t running shows. Stars MJF and The Lucha Brothers have also managed to jump to AEW despite their MLW contracts, and Powell reports that the promotion has reworded its more recent contracts to prevent its talent from getting scooped up elsewhere.
This week’s Dynamite will serve as the second night of the Fyter Fest event. Check out the card below:
- AEW World Tag Team Championship: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page vs. Private Party
- Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy
- FTR & The Young Bucks vs. The Butcher & The Blade and The Lucha Bros.
- Colt Cabana, Brodie Lee and Stu Grayson vs. SCU
- Lance Archer vs. Joey Janela
- Nyla Rose vs. TBA
