Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
Grappling with Tragedy is a series of articles that deal with unfortunate, tragic incidents that have occurred throughout the history of professional wrestling. It is unlike the ‘Wrestling with Sin’ series that deals more with the seedier side of wrestling like arrests, murders and suicides. Grappling looks more at particular tragic incidents that have in some instances altered pro wrestling in some way.
Lexi Pillman
She was born Alexis Michelle Reed on July 27th, 1983 and was the daughter of Melanie Reed. When her mother Melanie married pro wrestler Brian Pillman…Pillman took in both of Melanie’s children and took care of them as if they were his own. When Pillman died suddenly in October of 1997…Alexis was only fourteen years old. She spent the next few years around the wrestling business as friends of Pillman’s ran benefit shows to help her and her siblings financially. Unfortunately, according to both of Pillman’s biological children Brittany and Brian Jr…the money never went to them…but to her own children (including Alexis) and to allegedly feed Melanie’s growing drug problem.
As Alexis reached her early twenties…she herself began to get the wrestling “itch.” She sought out wrestling journeyman Sean Casey to teach her the ropes and began her training. Alexis adopted the ring name of “Sexy” Lexi Pillman…an homage to her late step father. While Sexy Lexi never wrestled an actual official match in her career, she was used as a valet/manager. She worked primarily in the southern independents. She managed her trainer Sean Casey, as well as Cody Hawk and worked with manager Jeff G. Bailey. Despite not being the biological daughter of ‘The Loose Cannon,’ many who knew her and worked with her said her personality was very much like Brian’s who she idolized.
While still new to the business, Lexi got her biggest break when she was asked to be a ring girl for a TNA house show in Cincinnati, Ohio…the birthplace of Brian Pillman. Sadly, on the evening of November 26th, 2009…Thanksgiving Eve…Lexi was involved in what was deemed a “freaky” car accident. No other details were given about the accident other than Alexis’ injuries were fatal. She died that night at the young age of 26 years old.
Services for her were held a few days later and her body was cremated. A young life tragically taken way too soon. Who knows how far she could’ve gone in the business? Sadly, we never got to find out.