Veteran compares Kevin Owens to legendary wrestler (Exclusive)

Kevin Owens has turned the wrestling world upside down with his antics. The Prizefighter shocked fans by attacking Cody Rhodes after WWE Bad Blood and also took out Randy Orton with a piledriver on SmackDown. Owens' action has divided the wrestling fandom with some thinking he's gone too far.

While he isn't taking sides in the ongoing Cody Rhodes versus Kevin Owens feud, Bill Apter says KO's character reminds him of a certain 'Loose Cannon.' Speaking on Live Q&A on Backstage Pass, the veteran wrestling journalist called Owens a 'modern-day Brian Pillman'.

"Owens is such a great... he's such a loose cannon. He's the modern-day Brian Pillman," said Apter. [35:43 onwards]

For those unaware, Loose Cannon refers to Brian Pillman's gimmick in ECW. The character was a massive departure from the clean-cut Flyin' Brian gimmick fans were used to seeing in WCW. Pillman developed the gimmick in the Phildelphia-based promotion before taking it to WWE.

After coming to WWE, Pillman aligned with The Hart Foundation that would ultimately cause friction between him and former tag team partner Stone Cold Steve Austin; Bret Hart's nemesis at the time. The feud would lead to the infamous "Pillman's got a gun" segment that almost cost WWE their deal with the network.

Unfortunately, fans never got to see Pillman versus Austin in a WWE ring as the former WCW champion passed away the night before Badd Blood 1997. What's your favorite memory involving Brian Pillman? Let us know in the comments.

Check out the complete Live Q&A with WrestleVotes and Bill Apter only on Backstage Pass.