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Home » News » Shane Douglas' Surprising Return To TNA, TNA Star Ribbed Backstage, More
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Shane Douglas' Surprising Return To TNA, TNA Star Ribbed Backstage, More
Posted by PWPIX
on 05/28/2009
source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
-- Shane Douglas' return to TNA at this past Monday's Impact taping was quite surprising as it was believed that his career in professional wrestling was over. Despite being 44 years old and noticeably heavier (he wore a T-shirt for his return), they are indeed bringing him back as a wrestler.
Following a less than stellar stint as a wrestler in late 2003 and early 2004 (including a match with Raven in September 2003 in which he was so gassed he vomited in the middle of the ring), he became a road agent for the company. In late 2005, he took a leave of absence to check himself into a rehabilitation clinic to battle a painkiller addiction he was dealing with. He came back in the spring of 2006 to manage The Naturals, but the experiment ultimately failed and he parted ways with the company in October 2007.
Since he was last seen in TNA, Douglas has worked a variety of jobs in the Pittsburgh area including a stint at a Target department store in their Manager Trainee Program as well as a history teacher at a middle school in New Brighton, Pennsylvania.
While people in wrestling always want to come back to still be part of wrestling, it's surprising that he would come back as a wrestler as opposed to an agent, manager or announcer. He's said in the past he couldn't wrestle without pain medication and didn't want to put himself through medication again due to his family and so many of his friends dying.
-- During TNA's recent swing in the Carolinas, someone ribbed a few TNA stars including Kip James. Backstage before each show, they have a lineup sheet posted with all of the matches. They put a * next to whoever is going over that night as there is a note at the bottom of the sheet that reads "* = Winner". Anyway, someone put a + next to the name of all the wrestlers losing that evening. On one sheet, at the bottom, it read "+ = jobber". On another sheet, at the bottom, it read "+ = Good look, good attitude, not tonight". On the final sheet, at the bottom it read "+ = See Kip James".
-- As of late, there has been talk of changing the way TNA Wrestling does house shows. They have been thinking of running two separate crews of wrestlers and concentrating on running events in smaller towns.
TNA tends to make more money with events in smaller towns because building and promotional costs are much lower not to mention with less major league entertainment coming to small towns, they actually outdraw events held in big cities more often than not. For instance, a $30,000 gross in a small market city is considered a success. On the other hand, when TNA runs an event in a major city, they have to hire union workers, not to mention the cost of advertising in a big market is higher, so a show garnering the same amount of fans as one in a smaller town is not a success. Also, fans in big markets are used to major league entertainment, which TNA oftentimes has problems competing against.
Typically, TNA holds six matches per live event, so they have more than enough talent to run two separate tours. While it is not a final decision, there is a good possibility it will happen later this year.
-- It would appear that the previously planned "Global iMPACT" special featuring TNA's visit to the Tokyo Dome in Japan this past January has fallen through the cracks. We're now in late May and the special still has yet to air (let alone be released on DVD), nor does there appear to be any plans for it to take place anytime soon. TNA's visit to Japan last year aired two weeks following the event.
-- In attendance notes, all three house shows in the Carolinas — the 5/15 show in Florence, SC, 5/16 in Greenville, NC, and 5/17 in Fayetteville — drew approximately 1,000 fans.
See Shane Douglas vomit video, photos of his heavy return to TNA! (>>)
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