Exclusive: Brian Pillman Jr. reveals why he uses his name in-ring

Three years ago, Brian Pillman Jr. revealed that he would father his late father's footsteps and step into the world of professional wrestling. That was definitely a move that would carry with it high expectations and pressure, as any of the multi-generational wrestlers across the business could attest to.

When someone hears the name "Brian Pillman" they think of the loose cannon high flyer who pulled no punches and had a larger-than-life attitude. His son definitely has quite a lot to live up to, but he's well on his way, being a major star for MLW and now performing with AEW as well.

I'm trying to explain to Griff that he needs to eat more spinach 💪 https://t.co/7nWXofl8WD

— Brian Pillman (@FlyinBrianJr) August 12, 2020

Brian Pillman Jr. felt he was destined to follow his father's footsteps

There was definitely some contemplation back and forth. When you're green, you don't wanna expose your weaknesses so much. I considered changing my name or perhaps working under a mask. But it's funny you bring that up because we were just talking about Cody, and Cody helped make that decision.

Pillman had stated that when he was training in Calgary, Cody Rhodes shared some important advice with him. According to Pillman, it was about using his real name.

I sat on the floor on the locker room in Calgary and we had a nice little conversation. I said 'Cody what should I do? Should I change my name? Should I change my first name?' He said 'Go with your gut. Nobody else can tell you what to do. Only you can decide. You can decide if you really feel like you're Brian Pillman, if that's your name and you wanna own that and you wanna be a Jr., you go for it. Don't let anybody else tell you to wear a mask. Don't let anybody tell you to change your name or that it's too much weight to carry.'

Pillman told him that Cody Rhodes said it wasn't going to be an easy path. In fact, it would have been an easier road of he didn't go by Brian Pillman Jr. Still, Pillman knew that he was named Brian because his father wanted him to follow his footsteps.

That's exactly what he's done. Brian Pillman Jr., in a relatively short time, has managed to catch the attention of many wrestling fans. It's only a matter of time before he's taking the world by storm, and Pillman believes that he'll do that with AEW.

Check out Brian Pillman Jr.'s full interview with Sportskeeda's Stephanie Chase above.