Shane Douglas
Encyclopedia
Troy Alan Martin is an American
professional wrestler
and promoter
, better known by his ring name
"The Franchise" Shane Douglas. In the course of his career, which has spanned nearly three decades, Douglas has wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling
and World Championship Wrestling
and briefly in the World Wrestling Federation. Martin most recently worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
. Martin is a eight time world champion, having held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
once and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship
four times.
, who died in 1991. He graduated cum laude
from Bethany College in 1986 with a bachelor's degree
in history
and political science
. He is an alumnus of the Psi Chapter of Beta Theta Pi
. After earning his degrees, he was offered to join the Saba University School of Medicine
but declined in order to continue wrestling.
in the Pittsburgh suburb of Freedom, Pennsylvania
, alongside Mick Foley
in the mid-1980s. He had been wrestling professionally to earn money since 1982. When he started, he used the character of Troy Orndorff, the fictional nephew of Paul Orndorff
. In 1986, he wrestled Randy Savage
at a WWF Superstars of Wrestling
taping using his real name. He would also wrestle "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff in the debut episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge
, once again using his real name. Later that year, he began wrestling as a fan favorite
for the Universal Wrestling Federation using the name Shane Douglas, which was given to him by "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert and Missy Hyatt
("Shane" coming from Martin's middle name, and "Douglas" from Michael Douglas
, who at the time had just appeared in Wall Street). Douglas defeated Gilbert for the World Television Championship on August 3, 1987, but did not rise above mid-card status. Douglas soon lost the title on September 2 to Terry Taylor
.
/ World Championship Wrestling
. He retained his Shane Douglas ring name and was put into a tag team
of skateboarders known as The Dynamic Dudes with Johnny Ace
. Since neither Ace nor Douglas knew how to skateboard, the fans saw through the character and refused to buy into it. Jim Cornette
, who was managing The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton
and Stan Lane
) at the time, decided to manage the duo to help them get over. When Eaton and Lane in storyline
did not approve, they forced a match between the two teams with Cornette remaining neutral at ringside. He ended up turning on Douglas and Ace and the teams feuded
for a couple of months. The Cornette turn was to have established The Dynamic Dudes as a top fan favorite tag team, but the turn backfired and made The Midnight Express more popular than they already were.
The Dynamic Dudes broke up in 1990 after Ace began competing progressively more for All Japan Pro Wrestling
, which was breaking down its ties to American promotions. Jim Cornette also states that the end of the Dynamic Dudes came when Douglas went over his head to Jim Herd about having a finished changed to make him look stronger. Cornette, who was part of the booking committee, washed his hands of working with them afterwards. Douglas soon left NWA/WCW and wrestled on the American independent circuit
.
, where he lasted for 26 minutes and 23 seconds. This was the seventh longest time for any wrestler in the Royal Rumble's first four years. Shortly after, he left the company to take care of his ailing father.
to win the World Tag Team Championship
from Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham
on November 18. The team of Steamboat and Douglas had a long feud with The Hollywood Blondes ("Stunning" Steve Austin
and "Flyin'" Brian Pillman
), often wearing identical body suits and masks and calling themselves "Dos Hombres". They eventually lost the belts to The Blondes on the March 27 edition of WCW Power Hour
. Soon after losing the tag titles, Douglas left WCW for Eastern Championship Wrestling
.
, but then turned on Tommy Dreamer
during a match in which Douglas was defending the Tag Team Championship alongside him on behalf of Johnny Gunn
against Kevin Sullivan
and The Tasmaniac
. Douglas blamed Dreamer for the loss and turned on him, proclaiming himself as "The Franchise" of ECW, effectively becoming a foul-mouthed, incredibly arrogant villain
, an attitude that would define him permanently and give him success. Another notable moment in his career was at the event "The Night the Line Was Crossed", as he wrestled Terry Funk
and Sabu to a one hour draw in the company's first-ever three-way dance.
Douglas was instrumental in the development of "extreme
" wrestling when he won a tournament to become the NWA World Heavyweight Champion
on August 27, 1994. In an angle which only he, Tod Gordon
, and Paul Heyman
knew about, Douglas threw down the NWA title belt before stating that he did not want to be champion of a "dead promotion".
He then raised the ECW Heavyweight Championship
and declared it to be a World Championship, calling it the only real World Title. According to the Forever Hardcore DVD, Douglas only agreed to throw down the NWA belt after NWA president Dennis Coraluzzo buried Douglas on Mike Tenay
's radio show. Shortly afterward, Eastern Championship Wrestling changed its name to Extreme Championship Wrestling. Capitalizing on the controversy that surrounded his literally "throwing down" the NWA belt and the promo following it, Douglas was encouraged to express his true feelings
in interviews by the ECW bookers and began calling himself "The Franchise". This helped raise ECW's prominence in the eyes of wrestling fans and journalists and allowed it to become an alternative to WCW and the WWF.
It was during this time that he formed the first version of the Triple Threat
faction, aligning himself with Chris Benoit
and Dean Malenko
before he began feuding with The Sandman
in early 1995. Sandman's valet, Woman, seemed to have aligned herself with Douglas but then turned on him to aid Sandman in defeating him for the World Heavyweight Championship. A rivalry began between Douglas and Cactus Jack
, as each wished to be the one to dethrone Sandman. Shane eventually went on a tirade about the lawlessness of ECW and brought in Bill Alfonso
as a troubleshooting referee to restore order. Shortly after this however, Douglas left for the WWF.
character as Dean Douglas. To establish himself, he filmed several vignettes with a chalkboard
, "teaching" wrestlers and fans. He would also be shown "taking notes" of his opponents at ringside during some bouts, and frequently carried a paddle
(dubbed the "Board of Education") with him to the ring. Upon his WWF debut, he became the first former ECW World Heavyweight Champion to ever be on the WWF's active roster.
He was set to wrestle Shawn Michaels
for the Intercontinental Championship
at In Your House 4
on October 22, 1995 but Michaels forfeited the title, due to injuries incurred after being attacked and beaten by a group of U.S. Marines in Syracuse, New York
. However, Douglas immediately had to defend the title against Razor Ramon
. Ramon would go on to defeat Douglas, ending his reign at only eleven minutes.
His last appearance on WWF television was at In Your House 5
in December 1995, when he was booked to wrestle Ahmed Johnson
. According to the storyline
, his back was not in wrestling condition and so he introduced Buddy Landel
as his substitute, who was subsequently defeated by Johnson in just forty-two seconds.
. During this time, he also had a memorable feud with Cactus Jack
. Cactus was getting ready to leave for the WWF and was cutting promos encouraging Tommy Dreamer
to come with him, deriding ECW's hardcore style and promoting "clean" wrestling. During several matches, he refused to wrestle hardcore. Douglas eventually pinned Cactus Jack in a match after performing a drop toe-hold onto an opened steel chair
. After finding himself unsuccessful in his title shots, he began a feud with 2 Cold Scorpio
, based on Douglas' lack of respect for the World Television Championship
. Douglas soon won the TV Title at A Matter of Respect, but lost it under a month later to Pitbull #2
at Fight The Power.
Douglas eventually won the TV Title for the second time after beating Chris Jericho
in a four way dance that also included former champions 2 Cold Scorpio
and Pitbull #2 when The Pitbulls
' manager
, Francine
, turned on them and aided Douglas.
Douglas, with Francine, went on to feud with Pitbull #2 for the rest of 1996 and, by year's end, reformed the Triple Threat
with new members Chris Candido
and "Primetime" Brian Lee
before later adding Bam Bam Bigelow when Lee left ECW. Douglas would go on to hold the TV Title for a year before losing it to Taz
at Wrestlepalooza. He then turned his sights on World Heavyweight Champion Terry Funk
and, at Hardcore Heaven, in a rematch from The Night the Line Was Crossed, Douglas defeated Sabu (who had beaten Funk a week earlier for the title in a barbed wire deathmatch) and Terry Funk in a three way dance to win the World Heavyweight Title for the second time. In October, he briefly lost it to Bam Bam Bigelow, but regained it 15 days later at November to Remember, held in his hometown of Pittsburgh. With the exception of these two weeks, he would reign as champion until January 1999, finally losing the title to Taz at Guilty as Charged, whom he had feuded with throughout 1998. He eventually became a face and allied with former nemesis Tommy Dreamer against The Impact Players
(Justin Credible and Lance Storm
), defeating them at Living Dangerously before finally leaving for WCW due to differences with Paul Heyman.
(with whom he had a genuine rivalry). He reunited with former Triple Threat members Chris Benoit
and Dean Malenko
, along with fellow former ECW wrestler Perry Saturn, to form The Revolution
. Asya
was later added to the group. In Flair's autobiography
, Flair claims that Douglas approached him backstage at a WCW event and explained that the conflict
was a work. Flair took exception to Douglas and thought little of him for the episode, though Flair has had a history of burying wrestlers in his book as a "receipt" (payback). Douglas has said in shoot interviews that he never told Flair that the heat was a work and that he meant everything that he said.
Douglas had an onscreen feud with Flair, who was a favorite target of his during his ECW interviews, where Douglas had claimed "Dick Flair", as he referred to him, held down his career. The group was rarely featured prominently, however, and never really challenged the dominant wrestlers of WCW. This led to them never really getting over as an idea, though both Benoit and Malenko were over individually. He was part of The New Blood group run by Vince Russo
and Eric Bischoff
, which feuded with the older established Millionaire's Club, which included Flair. He won the World Tag Team Championship once more, this time with Buff Bagwell
, as well as the United States Heavyweight Championship
, during which he also gained Torrie Wilson
as his valet.
, in July 2002 where he won its World Heavyweight Championship
from 'White Trash' Johnny Webb at the event Night Of Champions. Shane led the Los Angeles based promotion's East Coast expansions as it debuted at The ECW Arena (briefly changed to XPW Arena for a few months) in their first show in Philadelphia on August 31st. He also was able to get one of the company's biggest crowds (and their biggest crowd on the East Coast) in his hometown of Pittsburgh on March 8th, 2003 in what ended up being XPW's last show, as it ended up folding a few months later when Rob Black (XPW and Extreme Associates CEO) got arrested.
in June 2003. Under his Shane Douglas ring name, he immediately reignited his feud with Raven
. The two ended up joining separate factions (The New Church
for Douglas, The Gathering for Raven) and clashed throughout the summer of 2003.
When this feud ran down, Douglas broke away from The New Church and began a quest, alongside his new valet Tracy
, to find "The New Franchise". He decided on up and comer Michael Shane
and took him under his wing throughout the end of 2003 and beginning of 2004. When the grouping of Shane and Douglas broke up, Douglas went into a semi-in-ring retirement. He became an onscreen commentator and interviewer for TNA's weekly television show, Impact!
, and their monthly pay-per-views. In addition to this on-screen role, he worked backstage as a road agent and took a few independent bookings.
Douglas returned to television on the May 18 episode of Impact!, appearing on the entrance ramp as Andy Douglas
(no relation) made the save for his tag team
partner Chase Stevens
after a brutal squash match against Samoa Joe
. A few weeks later, on June 15, Shane confronted them on their recent losing streak and their squandered talent, referring to their former manager and Douglas's close friend and ex-Triple Threat teammate Chris Candido
in the process. He offered to become their manager, which they accepted. During the promo when he offered his services, he spoke his true feelings
on World Wrestling Entertainment's revival of Extreme Championship Wrestling, admonishing Vince McMahon
for "exploiting the memory" of the company he helped build nearly 15 years earlier. After becoming their mentor, vignettes showed Douglas training The Naturals have been shown on TNA programming, though he doesn't stand at ringside during their matches like most other managers. Once they were deemed ready for competition, Douglas billed them as "The Newly Franchised Naturals".
On the December 21 episode of Impact! after The Naturals lost to Team 3D
in a tables match, a fed up Douglas turned his back on them, saying "This experiment is over!" However, on February 8, 2007, he, along with Andy Douglas, came to the aid of Chase Stevens after he was attacked by Abyss, who took out both The Naturals and their manager that night. Despite the failed "experiment", prior to the departure of The Naturals from TNA, Chase Stevens was featured in an unsuccessful singles match while wearing the gold-and-black "Franchised" Naturals attire. Douglas came out after his match to heatedly confront Stevens about wearing his colors, leading to an in-ring confrontation between the two. After the angle, Douglas remained completely unseen on TNA programming. On October 10, 2007, it was confirmed that Douglas was released from his TNA contract.
On the May 28 episode of Impact!
, Douglas returned to TNA and attacked Christopher Daniels
after his match with A.J. Styles
. The following week on Impact!, Douglas again attacked Daniels during his match before subsequently stating that he wanted a second chance in TNA like Daniels received, after the latter was, in storyline
, fired from TNA. The next week on Impact!, he was granted a second chance and was given a match with A.J. Styles
which he lost, only to attack Styles after the match. Daniels would come out to help Styles, only to have Douglas hit him with a towel containing a pair of handcuffs. At Slammiversary
, Douglas lost to Daniels in a "second chance match", resulting in Daniels retaining his spot on the TNA roster. Following the match, Douglas left TNA once again.
Although invited by TNA to participate in their ECW reunion show Hardcore Justice
, Douglas refused due to the company not agreeing to his terms for his appearance.
for the first time in nearly fifteen years, wrestling for the On Fire territory in a singles match, defeating fellow ECW alum Little Guido
.
promotion. Under his promotion, XPW moved from California to Philadelphia and featured many former ECW stars.
In mid-2005, Martin conceived and, alongside Jeremy Borash
, promoted
and booked Hardcore Homecoming
, a series of Extreme Championship Wrestling
reunion events. The first event occurred on June 10, two days before World Wrestling Entertainment's own ECW reunion show, ECW One Night Stand
. The final show occurred on November 5. On April 9, 2009, it was announced that Martin and Nite Owl Production were to promote a follow up to Hardcore Homecoming called November to Remember: The Final Chair Shot. Originally, the event was to occur in 2008 on the anniversary of the original Hardcore Homecoming event, but the date was rescheduled to coincide with an American Cancer Society
charity event hosted by Douglas' former valet Francine
.
, he began teaching emotional support classes, economics
, and the history of the United States
at a high school. Martin is currently a motivational speaker and is in the process of writing his first book.
Martin married Carla Marie Reeves on August 13, 1999. Their first son, Connor, was born in April 2001, and their second son, Caden Andrew, was born on December 6, 2005. Soon after his second son was born, Martin checked himself into a drug rehabilitation
program due to a painkiller addiction. Since 2006, Martin has remained clean and drug free.
1Douglas' first two reigns began while the promotion was a National Wrestling Alliance
affiliate named Eastern Championship Wrestling
and was prior to the promotion becoming Extreme Championship Wrestling and the title being declared a world championship by ECW, which occurred during his second reign. Douglas held the title an additional two times after these events.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
and promoter
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
, better known by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
"The Franchise" Shane Douglas. In the course of his career, which has spanned nearly three decades, Douglas has wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
and World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
and briefly in the World Wrestling Federation. Martin most recently worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
. Martin is a eight time world champion, having held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
once and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
four times.
Early life
Martin was born one of six children, the son of a veteran of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, who died in 1991. He graduated cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
from Bethany College in 1986 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. He is an alumnus of the Psi Chapter of Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi , often just called Beta, is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. It has over 138 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada...
. After earning his degrees, he was offered to join the Saba University School of Medicine
Saba University School of Medicine
Saba University School of Medicine is a for-profit medical school located in The Bottom, Saba, in the Caribbean. Saba confers upon its graduates the Doctor of Medicine degree...
but declined in order to continue wrestling.
Early years (1982–1989)
Martin was trained by Dominic DeNucciDominic DeNucci
Dominic DeNucci is an Italian-American professional wrestler. He is also an accomplished trainer, counting former World Heavyweight champions Mick Foley and Shane Douglas, as well as referee Brian Hildebrand, among his students.-Early career:...
in the Pittsburgh suburb of Freedom, Pennsylvania
Freedom, Pennsylvania
Freedom is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Ohio River northwest of Pittsburgh. In the early years of the twentieth century, the chief industries were the production of oil, caskets, and monuments. In 1900, 1,783 people lived in Freedom; in 1910, 3,060 people...
, alongside Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
in the mid-1980s. He had been wrestling professionally to earn money since 1982. When he started, he used the character of Troy Orndorff, the fictional nephew of Paul Orndorff
Paul Orndorff
Paul Parlette Orndorff, Jr. is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling as "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff...
. In 1986, he wrestled Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
at a WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
taping using his real name. He would also wrestle "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff in the debut episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge
WWF Wrestling Challenge
WWF Challenge is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It was syndicated weekly and aired from 1986 to 1996. The show premiered as WWF Wrestling Challenge and became simply known as WWF Challenge in 1995. The show featured matches, pre-match...
, once again using his real name. Later that year, he began wrestling as a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
for the Universal Wrestling Federation using the name Shane Douglas, which was given to him by "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert and Missy Hyatt
Missy Hyatt
Melissa Ann Hiatt is an American professional wrestling valet, better known by her ring name, Missy Hyatt. She gained the majority of her fame while working for World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling....
("Shane" coming from Martin's middle name, and "Douglas" from Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
, who at the time had just appeared in Wall Street). Douglas defeated Gilbert for the World Television Championship on August 3, 1987, but did not rise above mid-card status. Douglas soon lost the title on September 2 to Terry Taylor
Terry Taylor
Terry Taylor , is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation...
.
National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling (1989–1990)
Eventually, he signed with the National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
/ World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
. He retained his Shane Douglas ring name and was put into a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
of skateboarders known as The Dynamic Dudes with Johnny Ace
John Laurinaitis
John Joseph Laurinaitis is the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE and appears on WWE's Raw Brand as interim General Manager. He was previously a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Ace, and wrestled for such promotions as the National Wrestling Alliance and All...
. Since neither Ace nor Douglas knew how to skateboard, the fans saw through the character and refused to buy into it. Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
, who was managing The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton
Bobby Eaton
Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...
and Stan Lane
Stan Lane
Wallace Stanfield "Stan" Lane is an American professional wrestler, trained by Ric Flair, who started wrestling in 1974 in Championship Wrestling from Florida. For a brief time in Florida, he was nicknamed Nature Boy...
) at the time, decided to manage the duo to help them get over. When Eaton and Lane in storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
did not approve, they forced a match between the two teams with Cornette remaining neutral at ringside. He ended up turning on Douglas and Ace and the teams feuded
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
for a couple of months. The Cornette turn was to have established The Dynamic Dudes as a top fan favorite tag team, but the turn backfired and made The Midnight Express more popular than they already were.
The Dynamic Dudes broke up in 1990 after Ace began competing progressively more for All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
, which was breaking down its ties to American promotions. Jim Cornette also states that the end of the Dynamic Dudes came when Douglas went over his head to Jim Herd about having a finished changed to make him look stronger. Cornette, who was part of the booking committee, washed his hands of working with them afterwards. Douglas soon left NWA/WCW and wrestled on the American independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
.
World Wrestling Federation (1990–1991)
In 1990, Douglas signed a deal with the World Wrestling Federation. His most memorable WWF performance took place at the 1991 Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble (1991)
Royal Rumble was the fourth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 19, 1991 at the Miami Arena in Miami, Florida....
, where he lasted for 26 minutes and 23 seconds. This was the seventh longest time for any wrestler in the Royal Rumble's first four years. Shortly after, he left the company to take care of his ailing father.
Return to WCW (1992–1993)
He returned to WCW in 1992 to team with Ricky SteamboatRicky Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood , better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is a retired American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He was one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his career...
to win the World Tag Team Championship
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
from Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham
Barry Windham
Barry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....
on November 18. The team of Steamboat and Douglas had a long feud with The Hollywood Blondes ("Stunning" Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
and "Flyin'" Brian Pillman
Brian Pillman
Brian William Pillman was an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling....
), often wearing identical body suits and masks and calling themselves "Dos Hombres". They eventually lost the belts to The Blondes on the March 27 edition of WCW Power Hour
WCW Power Hour
WCW Power Hour was the original Friday night wrestling show for World Championship Wrestling, airing on TBS.Unlike most television shows that started their program either at the top or bottom of the hour, WCW Power Hour aired 10 minutes before the bottom of the hour at 10:20 p.m...
. Soon after losing the tag titles, Douglas left WCW for Eastern Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
.
Eastern / Extreme Championship Wrestling (1993–1995)
Upon debuting in ECW, he initially supported the fan favoritesFace (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
, but then turned on Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
during a match in which Douglas was defending the Tag Team Championship alongside him on behalf of Johnny Gunn
Tom Brandi
Tom Brandi is a professional wrestler known for his work in World Wrestling Federation as Salvatore Sincere. He is also known for his current work as The Patriot, working for such companies as Pro-Wrestling WORLD-1, National Wrestling Superstars, and other independent promotions on the East...
against Kevin Sullivan
Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)
Kevin Francis Sullivan is an American professional wrestler and booker, perhaps best known for his role in WCW as "The Taskmaster" and his leading of the "Dungeon of Doom".-Early career:...
and The Tasmaniac
Tazz
Peter Senerchia is a retired American professional wrestler and current color commentator best known by his ring name Tazz, originally Tazmaniac and later shortened to simply Taz...
. Douglas blamed Dreamer for the loss and turned on him, proclaiming himself as "The Franchise" of ECW, effectively becoming a foul-mouthed, incredibly arrogant villain
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
, an attitude that would define him permanently and give him success. Another notable moment in his career was at the event "The Night the Line Was Crossed", as he wrestled Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
and Sabu to a one hour draw in the company's first-ever three-way dance.
Douglas was instrumental in the development of "extreme
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
" wrestling when he won a tournament to become the NWA World Heavyweight Champion
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
on August 27, 1994. In an angle which only he, Tod Gordon
Tod Gordon
Tod Gordon is the President of Carver W. Reed Co. Inc, a Philadelphia jewelry store and loan office that was established in 1860. He is also the founder of both defunct Professional wrestling promotions Eastern Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling...
, and Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
knew about, Douglas threw down the NWA title belt before stating that he did not want to be champion of a "dead promotion".
- In the tradition of Lou Thesz, in the tradition of Jack Brisco of the Brisco Brothers, of Dory Funk Jr., of Terry Funk-- the man who will never die. As the real Nature Boy Buddy Rogers, upstairs tonight. From the Harley Races, to the Barry Windhams, to the...(Douglas grimaces in a thinly veiled look of disgust) Ric Flairs, I accept this heavyweight title. ... Wait a second, I'm Kerry Von Erich. I'm the fat man himself, Dusty Rhodes. This is it tonight, Dad. God, that's beautiful. And Rick Steamboat, and they can all kiss my ass. (throws down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship) Because I am not the man who accepts a torch to be handed down to me from an organization that died-- RIP-- seven years ago. The Franchise, Shane Douglas, is the man who ignites the new flame of the sport of professional wrestling. [taking the ECW title] Tonight, before God and my father is witness, I declare myself, The Franchise, as the new ECW Heavyweight Champion of the world! We have set out to change the face of professional wrestling. So tonight, let the new era begin: the era of the sport of professional wrestling, the era of The Franchise, the era of the ECW.
He then raised the ECW Heavyweight Championship
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
and declared it to be a World Championship, calling it the only real World Title. According to the Forever Hardcore DVD, Douglas only agreed to throw down the NWA belt after NWA president Dennis Coraluzzo buried Douglas on Mike Tenay
Mike Tenay
Michael William "Mike" Tenay is a professional wrestling play-by-play announcer currently employed by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . Prior to signing with TNA in 2002, he had a notable tenure with World Championship Wrestling from 1994-2001...
's radio show. Shortly afterward, Eastern Championship Wrestling changed its name to Extreme Championship Wrestling. Capitalizing on the controversy that surrounded his literally "throwing down" the NWA belt and the promo following it, Douglas was encouraged to express his true feelings
Shoot (professional wrestling)
A shoot in professional wrestling is a term that refers to any unplanned, unscripted or real-life occurrence within a wrestling event. Contrary to popular belief, the name does not originate from "shooting in" for a takedown, as in amateur wrestling - rather it is a carny term shortened from...
in interviews by the ECW bookers and began calling himself "The Franchise". This helped raise ECW's prominence in the eyes of wrestling fans and journalists and allowed it to become an alternative to WCW and the WWF.
It was during this time that he formed the first version of the Triple Threat
Triple Threat
The Triple Threat was a professional wrestling heel stable that existed in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1995 to 1998. It was Shane Douglas's answer to Ric Flair's Four Horsemen...
faction, aligning himself with Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
and Dean Malenko
Dean Malenko
Dean Simon is a retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Dean Malenko. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling , New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling...
before he began feuding with The Sandman
Jim Fullington
James "Jim" Fullington better known by his ring name Sandman, is an American professional wrestler, best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling , where he developed into a "Hardcore Icon"...
in early 1995. Sandman's valet, Woman, seemed to have aligned herself with Douglas but then turned on him to aid Sandman in defeating him for the World Heavyweight Championship. A rivalry began between Douglas and Cactus Jack
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
, as each wished to be the one to dethrone Sandman. Shane eventually went on a tirade about the lawlessness of ECW and brought in Bill Alfonso
Bill Alfonso
William Matthew "Bill" Alfonso is a former professional wrestling referee and manager. He achieved his greatest success in Extreme Championship Wrestling in the mid to late 1990s...
as a troubleshooting referee to restore order. Shortly after this however, Douglas left for the WWF.
Return to the WWF (1995)
In 1995, Douglas returned to the WWF with a college deanDean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
character as Dean Douglas. To establish himself, he filmed several vignettes with a chalkboard
Chalkboard
A chalkboard or blackboard is a reusable writing surface on which text or drawings are made with sticks of calcium sulfate or calcium carbonate, known, when used for this purpose, as chalk. Chalkboards were originally made of smooth, thin sheets of black or dark grey slate stone...
, "teaching" wrestlers and fans. He would also be shown "taking notes" of his opponents at ringside during some bouts, and frequently carried a paddle
Paddle (spanking)
A spanking paddle is an implement used to strike a person on the buttocks. The act of striking a person with a paddle is known as "paddling". A paddling may be for punishment , or as an initiation or hazing ritual, or for erotic purposes.A paddle has two parts: a handle and a blade...
(dubbed the "Board of Education") with him to the ring. Upon his WWF debut, he became the first former ECW World Heavyweight Champion to ever be on the WWF's active roster.
He was set to wrestle Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
for the Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
at In Your House 4
In Your House 4
In Your House 4: "Great White North" was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on October 22, 1995 at the Winnipeg Arena in Winnipeg, Manitoba It was the fourth pay-per-view of the In Your House series and the first WWF...
on October 22, 1995 but Michaels forfeited the title, due to injuries incurred after being attacked and beaten by a group of U.S. Marines in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. However, Douglas immediately had to defend the title against Razor Ramon
Scott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...
. Ramon would go on to defeat Douglas, ending his reign at only eleven minutes.
His last appearance on WWF television was at In Your House 5
In Your House 5
In Your House 5: Seasons Beatings was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on December 17, 1995 at the Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania...
in December 1995, when he was booked to wrestle Ahmed Johnson
Anthony Norris
Anthony "Tony" Norris , better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he is a one time Intercontinental Champion and the first-ever winner of the Kuwait Cup.-Global Wrestling...
. According to the storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
, his back was not in wrestling condition and so he introduced Buddy Landel
Buddy Landel
William Ansor is a professional wrestler better knownas "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel.-Career:Buddy Landel started his career in 1979 as a young talented athlete in ICW. He left high school even though he had received letters of intent to play baseball and football at the University of Tennessee...
as his substitute, who was subsequently defeated by Johnson in just forty-two seconds.
Return to ECW (1996–1999)
In January 1996 at the event House Party, Douglas returned to ECW and soon targeted then-World Heavyweight Champion RavenScott Levy
Scott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...
. During this time, he also had a memorable feud with Cactus Jack
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
. Cactus was getting ready to leave for the WWF and was cutting promos encouraging Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
to come with him, deriding ECW's hardcore style and promoting "clean" wrestling. During several matches, he refused to wrestle hardcore. Douglas eventually pinned Cactus Jack in a match after performing a drop toe-hold onto an opened steel chair
Folding chair
A folding chair is a light, portable chair that that folds flat, and can be stored in a stack, row, or on a cart.-Uses:Folding chairs are generally used for seating in areas where permanent seating is not possible or practical. This includes outdoor and indoor events such as funerals, college...
. After finding himself unsuccessful in his title shots, he began a feud with 2 Cold Scorpio
2 Cold Scorpio
Charles Scaggs is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name 2 Cold Scorpio . Scaggs has competed in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment and Pro Wrestling Noah...
, based on Douglas' lack of respect for the World Television Championship
ECW World Television Championship
The ECW World Television Championship was a professional wrestling television championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling . It was introduced in National Wrestling Alliance affiliate and ECW precursor, Eastern Championship Wrestling in 1992 but was established under ECW in 1994...
. Douglas soon won the TV Title at A Matter of Respect, but lost it under a month later to Pitbull #2
Anthony Durante
Anthony Durante was a professional wrestler best known as "Pitbull #2" as one half of the tag team The Pitbulls, with "Pitbull #1" Gary Wolfe.-WWF:...
at Fight The Power.
Douglas eventually won the TV Title for the second time after beating Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
in a four way dance that also included former champions 2 Cold Scorpio
2 Cold Scorpio
Charles Scaggs is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name 2 Cold Scorpio . Scaggs has competed in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment and Pro Wrestling Noah...
and Pitbull #2 when The Pitbulls
The Pitbulls
The Pitbulls were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of "Pitbull #1" Gary Wolfe and "Pitbull #2" Anthony Durante. They were best known for their tenure in Extreme Championship Wrestling, where they were one-time World Tag Team Champions...
' manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
, Francine
Francine Fournier
Francine Fournier , known simply as Francine, is an American former professional wrestling valet most known for her work in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Extreme Championship Wrestling:...
, turned on them and aided Douglas.
Douglas, with Francine, went on to feud with Pitbull #2 for the rest of 1996 and, by year's end, reformed the Triple Threat
Triple Threat
The Triple Threat was a professional wrestling heel stable that existed in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1995 to 1998. It was Shane Douglas's answer to Ric Flair's Four Horsemen...
with new members Chris Candido
Chris Candido
Christopher Raul Candito was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Chris Candido...
and "Primetime" Brian Lee
Brian Lee
Brian Lee Harris is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Prime Time" Brian Lee...
before later adding Bam Bam Bigelow when Lee left ECW. Douglas would go on to hold the TV Title for a year before losing it to Taz
Tazz
Peter Senerchia is a retired American professional wrestler and current color commentator best known by his ring name Tazz, originally Tazmaniac and later shortened to simply Taz...
at Wrestlepalooza. He then turned his sights on World Heavyweight Champion Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
and, at Hardcore Heaven, in a rematch from The Night the Line Was Crossed, Douglas defeated Sabu (who had beaten Funk a week earlier for the title in a barbed wire deathmatch) and Terry Funk in a three way dance to win the World Heavyweight Title for the second time. In October, he briefly lost it to Bam Bam Bigelow, but regained it 15 days later at November to Remember, held in his hometown of Pittsburgh. With the exception of these two weeks, he would reign as champion until January 1999, finally losing the title to Taz at Guilty as Charged, whom he had feuded with throughout 1998. He eventually became a face and allied with former nemesis Tommy Dreamer against The Impact Players
Impact Players
The Impact Players were a professional wrestling stable in Extreme Championship Wrestling that was composed of Lance Storm and Justin Credible.-History:The Impact Players formed when Lance Storm and Justin Credible started teaming in ECW in February 1999...
(Justin Credible and Lance Storm
Lance Storm
Lance Timothy Evers known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling...
), defeating them at Living Dangerously before finally leaving for WCW due to differences with Paul Heyman.
Return to WCW (1999–2001)
Upon returning to WCW, he pledged to "cut the cancer out of WCW", the cancer being Ric FlairRic Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
(with whom he had a genuine rivalry). He reunited with former Triple Threat members Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
and Dean Malenko
Dean Malenko
Dean Simon is a retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Dean Malenko. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling , New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling...
, along with fellow former ECW wrestler Perry Saturn, to form The Revolution
Revolution (professional wrestling)
The Revolution was a professional wrestling heel stable in World Championship Wrestling led by Shane Douglas.-History:The Revolution was formed by Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Shane Douglas, and Perry Saturn on July 29, 1999...
. Asya
Christie Wolf
-Debut:In March 1999, Wolf began appearing as a head nurse to tend to Ric Flair when he was, in storyline, put into a mental instituition. She would then appear in several vignettes with him before becoming his valet upon his return to WCW...
was later added to the group. In Flair's autobiography
To Be the Man
To Be the Man is an autobiographical book written by professional wrestler Ric Flair and Keith Elliot Greenberg, and edited by Mark Madden. It was published by WWE Books and distributed by Simon & Schuster in July 2004...
, Flair claims that Douglas approached him backstage at a WCW event and explained that the conflict
Heat (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, heat refers to both crowd reaction and real-life animosity between those involved in the professional wrestling business. In terms of crowd reaction, heat is usually either cheers for a babyface or boos for a heel...
was a work. Flair took exception to Douglas and thought little of him for the episode, though Flair has had a history of burying wrestlers in his book as a "receipt" (payback). Douglas has said in shoot interviews that he never told Flair that the heat was a work and that he meant everything that he said.
Douglas had an onscreen feud with Flair, who was a favorite target of his during his ECW interviews, where Douglas had claimed "Dick Flair", as he referred to him, held down his career. The group was rarely featured prominently, however, and never really challenged the dominant wrestlers of WCW. This led to them never really getting over as an idea, though both Benoit and Malenko were over individually. He was part of The New Blood group run by Vince Russo
Vince Russo
Vincent James "Vince" Russo is an American creative writer and author, well known for his work in the professional wrestling industry. He is notable for his tenure with World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
and Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, which feuded with the older established Millionaire's Club, which included Flair. He won the World Tag Team Championship once more, this time with Buff Bagwell
Buff Bagwell
Marcus Alexander Bagwell is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling between 1991 and 2001, where he was a five time World Tag Team Champion.-Professional wrestling career: Bagwell...
, as well as the United States Heavyweight Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
, during which he also gained Torrie Wilson
Torrie Wilson
Torrie Anne Wilson is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model. She is best known for her tenures in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment , where she worked on both their SmackDown and Raw brands throughout her eight-year run.As a fitness...
as his valet.
Independent circuit (2002)
After the WWF purchased and absorbed both WCW and ECW in 2001, Douglas returned to Xtreme Pro WrestlingXtreme Pro Wrestling
Xtreme Pro Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion formerly owned by Extreme Associates CEO and director Rob Zicari, who appeared on shows under the name Rob Black. Zicari appeared on-camera as owner alongside his wife Lizzy Borden. The promotion focuses on hardcore wrestling,...
, in July 2002 where he won its World Heavyweight Championship
XPW World Heavyweight Championship
The XPW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Xtreme Pro Wrestling promotion.XPW's first World Champion was crowned in a Battle Royal match that saw Damien Steele and John Kronus as the last two remaining wrestlers compete in a single fall...
from 'White Trash' Johnny Webb at the event Night Of Champions. Shane led the Los Angeles based promotion's East Coast expansions as it debuted at The ECW Arena (briefly changed to XPW Arena for a few months) in their first show in Philadelphia on August 31st. He also was able to get one of the company's biggest crowds (and their biggest crowd on the East Coast) in his hometown of Pittsburgh on March 8th, 2003 in what ended up being XPW's last show, as it ended up folding a few months later when Rob Black (XPW and Extreme Associates CEO) got arrested.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003–2007, 2009)
Following the closures of both XPW and WWA, Martin signed with Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
in June 2003. Under his Shane Douglas ring name, he immediately reignited his feud with Raven
Scott Levy
Scott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...
. The two ended up joining separate factions (The New Church
Disciples of The New Church
The Disciples of the New Church, also known as the New Church Disciples or simply The New Church, were a professional wrestling stable in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from June 19, 2002 to October 1, 2003....
for Douglas, The Gathering for Raven) and clashed throughout the summer of 2003.
When this feud ran down, Douglas broke away from The New Church and began a quest, alongside his new valet Tracy
Tracy Brookshaw
Tracy Brookshaw is a Canadian professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet and professional wrestling referee, better known by her ring name Traci Brooks. She is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where she has spent most of her career.-Early life:Brookshaw grew up on a...
, to find "The New Franchise". He decided on up and comer Michael Shane
Matt Bentley
Matthew James "Matt" Bentley is an American professional wrestler best known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling by the ring name Michael Shane. He was trained by his cousin, former World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Shawn Michaels, and he took the name Michael Shane as a play on...
and took him under his wing throughout the end of 2003 and beginning of 2004. When the grouping of Shane and Douglas broke up, Douglas went into a semi-in-ring retirement. He became an onscreen commentator and interviewer for TNA's weekly television show, Impact!
TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...
, and their monthly pay-per-views. In addition to this on-screen role, he worked backstage as a road agent and took a few independent bookings.
Douglas returned to television on the May 18 episode of Impact!, appearing on the entrance ramp as Andy Douglas
Andy Douglas
Andy Douglas is a retired American professional wrestler. He is known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling where he was a member of The Naturals alongside his tag team partner Chase Stevens.-Career:...
(no relation) made the save for his tag team
The Naturals
The Naturals were a professional wrestling tag team made up of Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens. They are best known for their work in TNA, where they are multi-time former tag team champions.- History :...
partner Chase Stevens
Chase Stevens
Chase Stevens is an American professional wrestler. He is known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling where he was a member of The Naturals alongside his tag team partner Andy Douglas.-Career:...
after a brutal squash match against Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
. A few weeks later, on June 15, Shane confronted them on their recent losing streak and their squandered talent, referring to their former manager and Douglas's close friend and ex-Triple Threat teammate Chris Candido
Chris Candido
Christopher Raul Candito was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Chris Candido...
in the process. He offered to become their manager, which they accepted. During the promo when he offered his services, he spoke his true feelings
Shoot (professional wrestling)
A shoot in professional wrestling is a term that refers to any unplanned, unscripted or real-life occurrence within a wrestling event. Contrary to popular belief, the name does not originate from "shooting in" for a takedown, as in amateur wrestling - rather it is a carny term shortened from...
on World Wrestling Entertainment's revival of Extreme Championship Wrestling, admonishing Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
for "exploiting the memory" of the company he helped build nearly 15 years earlier. After becoming their mentor, vignettes showed Douglas training The Naturals have been shown on TNA programming, though he doesn't stand at ringside during their matches like most other managers. Once they were deemed ready for competition, Douglas billed them as "The Newly Franchised Naturals".
On the December 21 episode of Impact! after The Naturals lost to Team 3D
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
in a tables match, a fed up Douglas turned his back on them, saying "This experiment is over!" However, on February 8, 2007, he, along with Andy Douglas, came to the aid of Chase Stevens after he was attacked by Abyss, who took out both The Naturals and their manager that night. Despite the failed "experiment", prior to the departure of The Naturals from TNA, Chase Stevens was featured in an unsuccessful singles match while wearing the gold-and-black "Franchised" Naturals attire. Douglas came out after his match to heatedly confront Stevens about wearing his colors, leading to an in-ring confrontation between the two. After the angle, Douglas remained completely unseen on TNA programming. On October 10, 2007, it was confirmed that Douglas was released from his TNA contract.
On the May 28 episode of Impact!
TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...
, Douglas returned to TNA and attacked Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
after his match with A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
. The following week on Impact!, Douglas again attacked Daniels during his match before subsequently stating that he wanted a second chance in TNA like Daniels received, after the latter was, in storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
, fired from TNA. The next week on Impact!, he was granted a second chance and was given a match with A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
which he lost, only to attack Styles after the match. Daniels would come out to help Styles, only to have Douglas hit him with a towel containing a pair of handcuffs. At Slammiversary
Slammiversary (2009)
Slammiversary was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on June 21, 2009 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the fifth event under the Slammiversary chronology and used to commemorate the seventh...
, Douglas lost to Daniels in a "second chance match", resulting in Daniels retaining his spot on the TNA roster. Following the match, Douglas left TNA once again.
Although invited by TNA to participate in their ECW reunion show Hardcore Justice
Hardcore Justice (2010)
Hardcore Justice was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on August 8, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, Douglas refused due to the company not agreeing to his terms for his appearance.
Return to the independent circuit (2009–present)
On March 13, 2009, Douglas returned to the National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
for the first time in nearly fifteen years, wrestling for the On Fire territory in a singles match, defeating fellow ECW alum Little Guido
James Maritato
James Maritato is an American professional wrestler, of Italian origin, currently working on the independent circuit. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring names Little Guido Maritato and Nunzio.-Starting out:While...
.
Promoting
Martin was a promoter for the Xtreme Pro WrestlingXtreme Pro Wrestling
Xtreme Pro Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion formerly owned by Extreme Associates CEO and director Rob Zicari, who appeared on shows under the name Rob Black. Zicari appeared on-camera as owner alongside his wife Lizzy Borden. The promotion focuses on hardcore wrestling,...
promotion. Under his promotion, XPW moved from California to Philadelphia and featured many former ECW stars.
In mid-2005, Martin conceived and, alongside Jeremy Borash
Jeremy Borash
Jeremy Borash , is an American professional wrestling play-by-play commentator, announcer, ring announcer, booker, interviewer, producer and website designer...
, promoted
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
and booked Hardcore Homecoming
Hardcore Homecoming
Hardcore Homecoming was a series of professional wrestling events which were advertised as a reunion of talent from the defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion....
, a series of Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
reunion events. The first event occurred on June 10, two days before World Wrestling Entertainment's own ECW reunion show, ECW One Night Stand
ECW One Night Stand (2005)
ECW One Night Stand was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It was held on June 12, 2005 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, New York. The main event was a tag team match between The Dudley Boyz and the team of Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman...
. The final show occurred on November 5. On April 9, 2009, it was announced that Martin and Nite Owl Production were to promote a follow up to Hardcore Homecoming called November to Remember: The Final Chair Shot. Originally, the event was to occur in 2008 on the anniversary of the original Hardcore Homecoming event, but the date was rescheduled to coincide with an American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
charity event hosted by Douglas' former valet Francine
Francine Fournier
Francine Fournier , known simply as Francine, is an American former professional wrestling valet most known for her work in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Extreme Championship Wrestling:...
.
Personal life
In 1993 during his first stint with World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
, he began teaching emotional support classes, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, and the history of the United States
History of the United States
The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
at a high school. Martin is currently a motivational speaker and is in the process of writing his first book.
Martin married Carla Marie Reeves on August 13, 1999. Their first son, Connor, was born in April 2001, and their second son, Caden Andrew, was born on December 6, 2005. Soon after his second son was born, Martin checked himself into a drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
program due to a painkiller addiction. Since 2006, Martin has remained clean and drug free.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- As Shane Douglas
- Belly to belly suplex
- Pittsburgh Plunge (Fisherman buster) – ECWExtreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
/ WCWWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
/ TNATotal Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact... - Franchiser (Shoulder jawbreaker) – WCW
- As Dean Douglas
- Final Exam (Bridging fisherman suplex)
- As Shane Douglas
- Signature moves
- Diving crossbody
- DropkickDropkickA dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as he or she jumps so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than...
, sometimes while sliding to the outside - Inverted atomic drop
- Inverted suplex slam
- NeckbreakerNeckbreakerIn professional wrestling a neckbreaker is any throw or slam that focuses its attack on the opponent’s neck. One type of neckbreaker involves the wrestler slamming an opponent's neck against a part of the wrestler's body, usually the knee, head or shoulder...
- Neck snap
- Piledriver
- Vertical suplex, sometimes while delayed
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Lizzy BordenJanet RomanoJanet Romano-Zicari, better known as Lizzy Borden, is an American former pornographic actress and professional wrestling valet...
- Traci BrooksTracy BrookshawTracy Brookshaw is a Canadian professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet and professional wrestling referee, better known by her ring name Traci Brooks. She is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where she has spent most of her career.-Early life:Brookshaw grew up on a...
- Jim CornetteJim CornetteJames Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
- Bella Donna
- Fallen Angel
- FrancineFrancine FournierFrancine Fournier , known simply as Francine, is an American former professional wrestling valet most known for her work in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Extreme Championship Wrestling:...
- Paul HeymanPaul HeymanPaul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
- Sherri MartelSherri MartelSherri Schrull was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, Sherri Martel and Sensational Sherri....
- James Mitchell
- Torrie WilsonTorrie WilsonTorrie Anne Wilson is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model. She is best known for her tenures in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment , where she worked on both their SmackDown and Raw brands throughout her eight-year run.As a fitness...
- Lizzy Borden
- Wrestlers managed
- The NaturalsThe NaturalsThe Naturals were a professional wrestling tag team made up of Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens. They are best known for their work in TNA, where they are multi-time former tag team champions.- History :...
(Andy DouglasAndy DouglasAndy Douglas is a retired American professional wrestler. He is known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling where he was a member of The Naturals alongside his tag team partner Chase Stevens.-Career:...
and Chase StevensChase StevensChase Stevens is an American professional wrestler. He is known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling where he was a member of The Naturals alongside his tag team partner Andy Douglas.-Career:...
)
- The Naturals
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "The Franchise"
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Perfect StrangersPerfect Strangers (Deep Purple song)"Perfect Strangers" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It is the title track of their 1984 album Perfect Strangers.The words tell of the sorrow of remaining "perfect strangers" after the end of a relationship. It is one of the few Deep Purple songs not to feature a guitar or organ...
" by Deep PurpleDeep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
(ECW / IWC / ROHRing of HonorRing of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
) - "Are You Gonna Go My WayAre You Gonna Go My Way (song)"Are You Gonna Go My Way" is the first single to be released by Lenny Kravitz from the album of the same name. It was released in March 1993. It was written by Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross...
" by Lenny KravitzLenny KravitzLeonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
(ECW) - "This Is Extreme" by Harry Slash & The SlashtonesHarry Slash & The SlashtonesThe Slashtones are an American musical group, formed in 1993 by New York native Harry Slash under the name "Harry & The Slashtones"...
(IWC) - "Deep" (Cover of "Perfect Strangers" by Deep Purple) by Dale OliverDale OliverDale Byron Oliver is an American music composer who works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Formerly a guitarist in BackHawk , Oliver serves mainly as a composer of theme music used in professional wrestling.-Music composer for TNA:Since 2003, Oliver writes, records, and produces music under...
(TNA)
- "Perfect Strangers
Championships and accomplishments
- Big Time Wrestling (Massachusetts)
- BTW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Border City WrestlingBorder City WrestlingBorder City Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion once based in Windsor, Ontario. It was the base promotion for several Total Nonstop Action Wrestling wrestlers, including all of the former Team Canada, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley. Many BCW employees were trained by Scott...
- BCW Can-Am Heavyweight ChampionshipBCW Can-Am Heavyweight ChampionshipThe BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship is the top title contested for in the Ontario-based professional wrestling promotion Border City Wrestling.-Title history:...
(1 time)
- BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship
- Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
- ECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
(4 times)1 - ECW World Television ChampionshipECW World Television ChampionshipThe ECW World Television Championship was a professional wrestling television championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling . It was introduced in National Wrestling Alliance affiliate and ECW precursor, Eastern Championship Wrestling in 1992 but was established under ECW in 1994...
(2 times) - NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
(1 time)
- ECW World Heavyweight Championship
- International Wrestling Association
- IWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Major League WrestlingMajor League WrestlingMajor League Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion that markets its presentation around hybrid wrestling, which encompasses and showcases many different forms of wrestling. MLW's mission is to present itself as an alternative to sports entertainment...
- MLW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- North American Wrestling Alliance
- NAWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #20 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1996
- PWI ranked him #118 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
- PWI ranked him #82 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Ricky SteamboatRicky SteamboatRichard Henry Blood , better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is a retired American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He was one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his career...
in 2003
- Pro Wrestling Uncensored
- PWU Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Xpress
- PWX Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Southeastern Championship WrestlingContinental Championship WrestlingContinental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based out of Knoxville, Tennessee from 1974 until 1988 and Dothan, Alabama from 1978 to 1990, managed by Ron Fuller. When Fuller sold the promotion to David Woods, it changed name to the Continental Wrestling Federation...
- NWA Southeastern Continental Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Lord HumongousSid EudySidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
- NWA Southeastern Continental Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Lord Humongous
- Superstar Wrestling Federation
- SWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- United States Wrestling League
- USWL Unified World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- USA Pro Wrestling
- USA Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Universal Wrestling Federation
- UWF World Television Championship (1 time)
- World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
- WCW United States Heavyweight ChampionshipWWE United States ChampionshipThe WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
(1 time) - WCW World Tag Team ChampionshipWCW World Tag Team ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
(2 times) – with Ricky SteamboatRicky SteamboatRichard Henry Blood , better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is a retired American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He was one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his career...
(1) and Buff BagwellBuff BagwellMarcus Alexander Bagwell is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling between 1991 and 2001, where he was a five time World Tag Team Champion.-Professional wrestling career: Bagwell...
(1) - WCW Hardcore ChampionshipWCW Hardcore ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling Hardcore Championship was a title in World Championship Wrestling. The title was defended in Hardcore matches, in which there were few rules and restrictions and weapons were allowed. Eventually, the rules were changed so that matches began in the backstage area...
(1 time)
- WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
- World Wrestling Federation
- WWF Intercontinental ChampionshipWWE Intercontinental ChampionshipThe WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
(1 time)
- WWF Intercontinental Championship
- Xtreme Pro WrestlingXtreme Pro WrestlingXtreme Pro Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion formerly owned by Extreme Associates CEO and director Rob Zicari, who appeared on shows under the name Rob Black. Zicari appeared on-camera as owner alongside his wife Lizzy Borden. The promotion focuses on hardcore wrestling,...
- XPW World Heavyweight ChampionshipXPW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe XPW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Xtreme Pro Wrestling promotion.XPW's first World Champion was crowned in a Battle Royal match that saw Damien Steele and John Kronus as the last two remaining wrestlers compete in a single fall...
(1 time)
- XPW World Heavyweight Championship
1Douglas' first two reigns began while the promotion was a National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
affiliate named Eastern Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
and was prior to the promotion becoming Extreme Championship Wrestling and the title being declared a world championship by ECW, which occurred during his second reign. Douglas held the title an additional two times after these events.