Shane Douglas... Is he worth a damn?

[Guest Just call me Dan]

Didn't see him much at all in ECW, only maybe a few clips of the highspots in his PPV matches.  He looked really cool.

 

Saw him in WCW with the revolution. Decent.

 

Watched him rise to the higher part of the mid card in WCW.

 

He got his last decent push in the company's worst times.

 

Some of you have probably seen Shane in his glory days.  Maybe you can help me explain why I mark out for him so much.

 

Is he worth a damn?  Could he possibly have anything good to bring to the table nowadays? I know his past problmes in WWF, that's not what I'm asking.  I want to know what you think of him if you have seen his work more than I have.

 

Give me some pros/cons

 

Thanks

[Guest Some Guy]

No he isn't worth bring in.

Cons:

he's in his late 30s

very injury prone (the guy can't atay healthy for more than a month at a time)

poor worker now, due to injuries

has trouble cutting a good heel promo without multiple curses

has a ton of heat with other wrestlers and bookers (Hall, Flair, HBK, Vince, Heyman)

constantly whining about things that happened years ago

 

Pros:

good psychology in the ring

[Guest razazteca]

[/b]pros:monster heel in ECW

1) throwing down the NWA title renamed it the Extreme Champ Wrestling title

2) his work with the Pitbulls

3) his title reign in ECW

4) The Triple Threat

5) shoots against Flair

 

Cons:

1)injuried alot

2)not good without good writers and/or use of profanity

3) Belly to Belly finisher

4) Dean Douglas

5) Dynamic Dudes

6) leadership qualitys questionable:  Revolution bad Triple Threat good

[Guest DokDoyle]

Some of you have probably seen Shane in his glory days.  

Shane Douglas had glory days?  

 

Let's take a look:

Dynamic Dudes

WWF Stint that lasted about 2 months

Dos Hombreas

Dean Douglas

Revolution

 

I didn't see much ECW, but I don't know they could be considered anyone's glory days

[Guest Army Eye]

Uhh why not?  Yes his glory days were in ECW.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Shane Douglas in ECW was some of the greatest heel work ever. And even his face work in 1999 was great stuff.

 

Shane Douglas could carry people to good matches in ECW...I would never give two craps about Bam Bam Bigelow, but Shane carried him to a couple of very good matches.

 

And in 1998 he was pretty much hurt the entire year...and wrestled the entire year...putting on good matches.

 

Shane has never been a great technical wrestler...but in ECW he could make a match more dramatic then anyone else.

 

His match against Justin Credible at Cyberslam 99 is one of my all time favorties...I don't rate matches with that stupid ***** rating...but it was a classic.

 

And I know most of his ECW promos were all cursing...but if you could handle that kind of thing, his were the best.

 

And I actually liked the belly to belly...it's oldschool.

[Guest razazteca]

Shane Douglas best years were in ECW, that is where he learned how to work the crowd, and getting monster heat as a heel champ in ECW as both tv and world champ there.

 

Considering the WWF wanting to bring in some heels using the Grand Father Clause, why not bring in Shane since he is as good as or better than Savage, Steiner, Warrior?

 

they could substitute Douglas for Nash since he is not doing anything.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Douglas is not worth it.  HHH already stole his promos and his wrestling is subpar compared to what the Wwf has now.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

at one time he was very good (i liked dean douglas) but his problems with the clique burned him with the WWF forever. he did great work in ecw, in wcw he was somewhat entertaining which was saying something for wcw at the time. but his ringwork has deteriated alot, his finisher has lost it's coolness with him slowing down, so i'd pass on him. he was best as a big fish in a small pond.

[Guest Just call me Dan]

What about his chickenwing neckbreaker finisher " The Franschiser"?  I thought it was kind of neat if executed right and sold well.

 

Not as quick or impacting as the stunner but with the same impact almost.

 

But seriously, if he could come back to WCW with Flair in rthere, and Flair job to him, I'd say his bridges aren't burnt.

[Guest dreamer420]

Back in 1993-1996 he would have been worth it but now be is old, frequently out of shape, and a d-bag as well.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

Back in 1993-1996 he would have been worth it but now be is old, frequently out of shape, and a d-bag as well.

so your saying he'd be a perfect fit for the nWo???????

[Guest Army Eye]

The Franchiser was a cool move.. and he was one of the guys that still cared enough to work a decent match in WCW.   At this point I think the best place for Douglas to go is the WWA, he could be a main eventer there, while I can't see the WWF giving him much of a push.

[Guest Just call me Dan]

Damn, do I enjoy all of this intelligent conversation we all have had lately.

 

*Knocks on wood*

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

*also knock on wood, looks over shoulder for xkiller and bradshawdahoss*

 

no he isn't suited for the wwf, they have too much talent under contract as it is so wwa is the place for the franchise. he would be a great fit as a upper heel with double J.

[Guest Zack Malibu]

Shane Douglas is one of my favorite performers ever, bar none, and I think he can still be an assett to ANY company.

 

I'm not saying he's put on consistent 4 star matches, or he's been screwed over, etc.  I don't make excuses.  But the guy has done a great job of keeping me entertained since I was 8 years old, and that's where my opinion comes from.

 

Yeah, so the Dynamic Dudes sucked both as a gimmick and as far as fan reactions go.  But at the same time, I was a young mark getting excited about The Rockers, and it's obvious WCW tried to recreate that, and I bought into it.  That's when I first started liking Shane.

 

I remember when he debuted in the WWF, and in the '91 Royal Rumble, made it to the final 5-6 guys.  Being a 10 year old mark, I honestly was pulling for the guy to win.

 

After that, Shane disappeared from the WWF (As I later found out when I got his shoot interview from RF Video, Shane's father was sick, and he opted to leave.  Reportedly, he was in line for a big push with a "Rock Star" style gimmick that was very similar to the original Heartbreak Kid gimmick that Shawn Michaels used.)

 

Shane made it back to WCW, this time forming a great tag team with another favorite of mine, Ricky Steamboat.  The duo captured the WCW Tag Team Titles, and had one hell of a feud with my other two favorites, Brian Pillman and Steve Austin, the Hollywood Blondes.  This feud is my absolute favorite, because all 4 guys busted their asses day in and out, and put a lot of heart into it.  Matches like that are what makes me proud to be a wrestling fan.

 

Shane wound up back in the indies in mid-93, and became the cornerstone of ECW, throwing down the NWA Title and dubbing himself "The Franchise".  The shock of tossing down the "sacred" NWA belt got Shane instant heel heat, and a push right to the top of ECW.

 

His on again, off again feud with Cactus Jack, his match with Marty Jannetty, and formation of the original Triple Threat with Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko were all highlights of 1995, one of ECW's two greatest years, ever (1996 being the other).

 

Even if I was not a Douglas fan, I would say that the WWF dropped the ball with the Dean Douglas character.  The chalkboard gimmick was gold, and while the robe, etc. was gimmicky, they could have done more with him to get him over.   I remember one RAW, when he attacked Shawn Michaels after a 6 man tag that Shawn was in, beating him down at ringside and smashing him into the stairs.  An educated man with a vicious streak would have been a great twist to the gimmick, but we all know what happened, with the "Board Of Education", his "student", Buddy Landell, and subsequent release.

 

The return to ECW was welcomed, as Shane's neutral role, still being a trash talker, but forced to team with former rivals Sandman and Tommy Dreamer against Raven and crew was excellent.  His promos against Brian Pillman would have built up to quite possibly the greatest match in ECW history at the time, but Pillman's WWF jump stopped that.

 

Shane's health did go on a drastic decline from 1997-1999, but he constantly put forth great effort.  If he wasn't wrestling, he was cutting promos, getting under the ire of Taz, Rick Rude, and numerous others.

 

The jump to WCW and the pairing with Benoit, Malenko and Saturn made me think that WCW was finally doing something right with people not involved with the NWO.  An Anti Horseman stable.  Instead we get a feud with the Rednecks, a loss to the First Family, and become Anti Americans.  Not exactly captivating TV, guys.

 

Vince Russo, honestly, was probably the best thing for Shane Douglas.  Douglas' push as a key member of the New Blood, and a set up against "real life" rival Ric Flair was one of that angle's highlights.  As WCW faded into the dark in late 2000-2001, Shane was a great heel, and paired with Torrie Wilson, probably could have made the main events had the company stayed open.

 

Rumor has it that the WWA is negotiating with Shane, and maybe RF Video's Ring Of Honor may have an interest, since I know the RF guys are tight with many from ECW.  No matter what people say about his attitude, workrate, etc., Shane Douglas is one of the few guys I can say always kept me entertained, and if one of these upstart companies is able to get his services, they'll most likely find a new fan in me.

[Guest TheMikeSC]

Didn't see him much at all in ECW, only maybe a few clips of the highspots in his PPV matches.  He looked really cool.>>

 

You didn't seem him much at all in ECW?

 

Consider yourself fortunate.

 

<<Saw him in WCW with the revolution. Decent.>>

 

That's being awfully generous.

 

<<Watched him rise to the higher part of the mid card in WCW.

 

He got his last decent push in the company's worst times.

 

Some of you have probably seen Shane in his glory days.  Maybe you can help me explain why I mark out for him so much.>>

 

Repeated blows to the head?

Were you feverish during his last WCW stint? :-)

 

<<Is he worth a damn?>>

 

No.

 

<<Could he possibly have anything good to bring to the table nowadays?>>

 

No.

 

<<I know his past problmes in WWF, that's not what I'm asking.  I want to know what you think of him if you have seen his work more than I have.>>

 

I've seen a lot of his work and he is up there with Jerry Lynn and Scorpio as the grand overrated ECW guys in history.

 

<<Give me some pros/cons>>

 

Pros: Is willing to swear a lot

 

Cons: Promos aren't too good.

Matches tend to be slow.

The added weight hasn't done his workrate any favors.

Really doesn't do anything terribly well.

                -=Mike

 

...Think JJ without the catchphrase

[Guest TheMikeSC]

The Franchiser was a cool move.. and he was one of the guys that still cared enough to work a decent match in WCW.>>

 

Um, he really DIDN'T work even mediocre matches in WCW. His feud with Kidman was horrible for match quality. His mini-feud with Morrus was bad. He was saved from being stuck in a bad program with Rick Steiner.

 

<< At this point I think the best place for Douglas to go is the WWA, he could be a main eventer there, while I can't see the WWF giving him much of a push. >>

 

The WWF shouldn't give him a push. He's UT---without the heat.

                -=Mike

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

Shane used to be good, but he is just too broken down to be of any value.

[Guest TheMikeSC]

Shane Douglas is one of my favorite performers ever, bar none, and I think he can still be an assett to ANY company.>>

 

An interesting assumption, but not one I terribly agree with.

 

<<I'm not saying he's put on consistent 4 star matches, or he's been screwed over, etc.  I don't make excuses.  But the guy has done a great job of keeping me entertained since I was 8 years old, and that's where my opinion comes from.

 

Yeah, so the Dynamic Dudes sucked both as a gimmick and as far as fan reactions go.  But at the same time, I was a young mark getting excited about The Rockers, and it's obvious WCW tried to recreate that, and I bought into it.  That's when I first started liking Shane.

 

I remember when he debuted in the WWF, and in the '91 Royal Rumble, made it to the final 5-6 guys.  Being a 10 year old mark, I honestly was pulling for the guy to win.

 

After that, Shane disappeared from the WWF (As I later found out when I got his shoot interview from RF Video, Shane's father was sick, and he opted to leave.  Reportedly, he was in line for a big push with a "Rock Star" style gimmick that was very similar to the original Heartbreak Kid gimmick that Shawn Michaels used.)

 

Shane made it back to WCW, this time forming a great tag team with another favorite of mine, Ricky Steamboat.  The duo captured the WCW Tag Team Titles, and had one hell of a feud with my other two favorites, Brian Pillman and Steve Austin, the Hollywood Blondes.  This feud is my absolute favorite, because all 4 guys busted their asses day in and out, and put a lot of heart into it.  Matches like that are what makes me proud to be a wrestling fan.>>

 

They were great matches. But, Pillman, Stemboat, and Austin all have other great matches in their career to point to. Shane does not, which shows that the other 3 carried him.

 

<<Shane wound up back in the indies in mid-93, and became the cornerstone of ECW, throwing down the NWA Title and dubbing himself "The Franchise".  The shock of tossing down the "sacred" NWA belt got Shane instant heel heat, and a push right to the top of ECW.

 

His on again, off again feud with Cactus Jack, his match with Marty Jannetty, and formation of the original Triple Threat with Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko were all highlights of 1995, one of ECW's two greatest years, ever (1996 being the other).

 

Even if I was not a Douglas fan, I would say that the WWF dropped the ball with the Dean Douglas character.  The chalkboard gimmick was gold, and while the robe, etc. was gimmicky, they could have done more with him to get him over.   I remember one RAW, when he attacked Shawn Michaels after a 6 man tag that Shawn was in, beating him down at ringside and smashing him into the stairs.  An educated man with a vicious streak would have been a great twist to the gimmick, but we all know what happened, with the "Board Of Education", his "student", Buddy Landell, and subsequent release.

 

The return to ECW was welcomed, as Shane's neutral role, still being a trash talker, but forced to team with former rivals Sandman and Tommy Dreamer against Raven and crew was excellent.  His promos against Brian Pillman would have built up to quite possibly the greatest match in ECW history at the time, but Pillman's WWF jump stopped that.

 

Shane's health did go on a drastic decline from 1997-1999, but he constantly put forth great effort.  If he wasn't wrestling, he was cutting promos, getting under the ire of Taz, Rick Rude, and numerous others.

 

The jump to WCW and the pairing with Benoit, Malenko and Saturn made me think that WCW was finally doing something right with people not involved with the NWO.  An Anti Horseman stable.  Instead we get a feud with the Rednecks, a loss to the First Family, and become Anti Americans.  Not exactly captivating TV, guys.

 

Vince Russo, honestly, was probably the best thing for Shane Douglas.  Douglas' push as a key member of the New Blood, and a set up against "real life" rival Ric Flair was one of that angle's highlights.  As WCW faded into the dark in late 2000-2001, Shane was a great heel, and paired with Torrie Wilson, probably could have made the main events had the company stayed open.>>

 

I diagree big-time here. Shane mailed in his matches in a way that would make Ultimo Dragon proud. The only way he'd make a ME in WCW is if only he and Disco Inferno remained.

 

<<Rumor has it that the WWA is negotiating with Shane, and maybe RF Video's Ring Of Honor may have an interest, since I know the RF guys are tight with many from ECW.  No matter what people say about his attitude, workrate, etc., Shane Douglas is one of the few guys I can say always kept me entertained, and if one of these upstart companies is able to get his services, they'll most likely find a new fan in me. >>

 

Well, I'm happy that you enjoy Shane and sincerely hope he turns up in an indy fed near you. It would make both us happy: You could see him and I'd likely never have to.

                      -=Mie