Shane Douglas Throws Down The NWA Title, Ushering In The Era Of ECW | War Stories

War Stories Episode 8: Though nearly 20 years have passed since the standalone version of Extreme Championship Wrestling last promoted a show, their influence has not been extinguished.
Chants of the promotion's initials can still be heard in other promotions, for moments that are extreme. This renegade spirit made itself heard one night in August 1994, when ECW declared extreme independence, while standing on the neck of the National Wrestling Alliance. It remains one of wrestling's most controversial and historic double-crosses...
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Cultaholic provides video coverage of professional wrestling - including WWE (including WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown, NXT and 205 Live), AEW, IMPACT Wrestling (formerly TNA), NJPW, ROH, and more with daily news updates, reviews, lists, highlights, predictions, reactions, podcasts and much, much more.

[@KMmouse20]

It only recently hit me, given my lack of knowledge on the NWA and territories in my youth, how huge this moment was.

[@Al7249]

Yeah same. Like I just keep thinking of Vince buying our all of the territories and I'm just thinking that was probably fucking wild!

[@Al7249]

Yeah same. Like I just keep thinking of Vince buying our all of the territories and I'm just thinking that was probably fucking wild!

[@DS_IndustrieZ]

If it wasn't for KZbin I wouldn't know anything but WWE. YT taught me the roots of it all

[@thomash1801]

I grew up when nwa was around this huge

[@Sysadminsith]

This series is the best thing on Cultaholic.

[@user-yf4gx9lw6c]

War stories is so underrated. My favourite playlist on cultaholic.

[@PJClutch]

Agreed

[@jillloften4701]

Same

[@Rand0mHero713]

Same feeling. "Ya love to see it"

[@christianramirez7858]

Didn’t even knew they had more videos like this one, about to check them out

[@keithnain3048]

I'm binge watching it @ 4AM on a Friday night drunk as hell! 😂

[@tamzidmohsinkhan3333]

Shane Douglas throwing the NWA World title is still iconic

[@kyleshiflet9952]

Yup

[@keithnain3048]

The ORIGINAL "PIPEBOMB!"

[@carltonpadgett6848]

But he never really was the same ever. He admits it was a mistake. Ecw is gone and the NWA is here.

[@mikeskinner7595]

sorry for the stupid question but why does flair hate shane so much ?

[@carltonpadgett6848]

@@mikeskinner7595 Flair hates shane because of the way he did the NWA.

[@JaimeD.]

The rise of ECW started by the chosen wrestler to spit at the NWA and declare an upcoming ascesion of the extreme. ECW was truly the land of bloods and guts. I can see why people enjoyed the original promotion before it's closing.

[@dreamsy4670]

These are honestly some of my favorite videos you guys do on this channel. I'm a sucker for good wrestling stories. Keep it up with these videos. They are fantastic!

[@thecatwrangler9448]

That was wishful thinking huh?

[@InfectedChris]

I love these War Stories episodes.

[@HollisKing]

This low key one of the biggest moments in American pro wrestling history.

[@godemperorphatty7185]

This was likely the most important moment leading into the boom.

[@A_YouTube_Commenter]

And the Monday night wars.

[@damienmcgowan8147]

Yes! War Stories with Sam might just be my favourite series on the Chanel!

[@KBell119]

I miss going to my local small hockey arena for ECW shows. They were simply the best shows at that time and I miss it terribly.

[@johnathanrush4666]

I also went to small hockey arena ECW shows as a kid lol - Rostraver/Pittsburgh?

[@connordevereaux759]

Paul Heyman "This is not WWF or WCW or WWE. This is fucking E..C..W"

[@coreylineberry8557]

No, it's E... C... Fucking W!!!

[@unclesquatch7934]

Shane Douglas could have gone up in flames that night. Instead, he was the spark that would usher in the ECW we all know and fucking love.

[@kyleshiflet9952]

I'm glad this series is back and this moment changed Wrestling forever it made WCW and WWF wake and go maybe we need to get an attitude and it was the ultimate middle to the old school way of wrestling and especially Coralozo

[@EHH246]

I'm just imagining the movie version of this scene where we see Shane's uncertain face while making his speech, but then he stares at Coralluzzo, the man who insulted him, and realizes what he has to do.

[@shonenjumpmagneto]

I cried lol. *The NWA* is no longer in The Big 3 but now The Top 5. Even that is an improvement over previous years. The *NWA (& TNA)* will never die!

[@michaelbreen7865]

I just got into NWA wrestling thanks to KZbin. I think if not for COVID-19, the NWA would've finally sold out a 10,000-seat arene by now. I do believe they'll get there, though.

[@uglyechelonbutters4059]

I'm new(esh) to the channel and I've been loving the content. These War Stories have been my absolute favorite thing to watch on youtube. Even when I think I know I learned something I didn't. This might sound odd but thank you for that.

[@bandlabuser4998]

Great effort in this awesome documentary

[@WhiskeyBrewer]

Now this is a story I knew barely anything about apart from knowing that that's what Douglas did

[@SirDave1988]

This was my favourite episode so far, really well written and engaging, nice work.

[@positivevibetec]

Trust me, noone in that neighborhood ever called the fire dept ...or the cops for that matter

[@thee_man]

Sam, you DAMN sure know how to tell a story my man. Awesome job. And ....great story, I didnt know all of that prior to Shane being champ.

[@partycowboy]

Great job Sam! War Stories has easly started to become one of my absolute favorite KZbin shows!

[@remilew519]

@5:00- Ah yes, I remember that day clearly. September 6, 1993- when the front page headline of the Los Angeles Times was ECW joining the National Wrestling Alliance.

[@LostChrisB]

Looking back, it was really two guys that changed wrestling in the 90’s, Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff, two guys that pushed and built very different product from what was being produced at the time. What they lacked ultimately was the ability to maintain what they had created, Paul lacked money and Eric control over his own creation (I.e. his top named performers) and that’s why McMahon succeeded. Vince had stability and control, he had the money to keep going and the final say to take the ideas and talent of others and incorporate it into his own product without pushback, McMahon has been a business man first and an ideas guy second all his career and there’s no arguing that its worked for him.

[@jonnyrodz943]

True, but Paul Heyman has said that Eric Bischoff stole ECW wrestlers and product in the mid to late 90s and it really pissed Pauley off because he didn't have the money to keep them

[@jonnyrodz943]

Hence the cruiserweight division and Raven's flock

[@aboriginalson]

@@jonnyrodz943 bischoff got his just desserts and wwe has been on the decline since the forced pg era.

[@carltonpadgett6848]

Heyman is right but he had a working relationship with vince privately while talking about them. Bischoff stole the Nwo gimmick from Japan and it worked for a second then wcw flopped.

[@JagerLange]

Keep at it Sam, always a pleasure to have you on and this series is great stuff.

[@kyledamron]

Had no idea Davey wrestled for ECW at all. I thought i had nothing much left to learn about ECW, this is a pleasant surprise!!!

[@FoxInferno13]

Absolutely love this series

[@Patch778]

Great documentary!

[@hvywghtheaver]

Douglas has the best side belly-to-belly in history.

[@keithnain3048]

The world of pro wrestling is such a weird crazy business! No other biz (NONE) is so full of so much back stabbing trickery! Just look at everything from ECW talent working for free, to "Bret SCREWING Bret," to The Monday night wars where Bischoff was giving away his competition's recorded results on live TV! What a business that we LOVE!

[@d3ricc]

This is such a great damn series. Do an episode on the All Japan exodus of 2000

[@paulweston8408]

I would have loved to have watched Shane Douglas against Eddie Gilbert in the early 90's. Gilbert and Ricky Morton had a great tag team in the early 80's in Leroy McGurk's Tulsa promotion, which I got to watch live every week.

[@carltonpadgett6848]

If Shane would’ve played his part he could’ve been a great champion but no going off intense instead of history and lineage is what missed him up.

[@mattloveskelly1]

i love the stock footage of the paper signing with the pen not being clicked.

[@GavinWoods]

It was thanks to Paul Heyman's managerial work in WCW that I was first introduced to this young blonde haired up and comer in the very early 90s who I thought was going to be the next big thing. That guy was Steve Austin.

[@captainpacifist6128]

As much as I love the war stories(they're fantastic), I'm waiting for more captivating career videos.

[@BronzeAgeBryon]

Excellent video. Seems like many in the business might fit in well as politician's and / or elected officials given some of these backroom deals and shenanigans.

[@ChristopherJames1993]

So, before the Montreal Screwjob, Paul Heyman screwed the NWA. And Heyman did it better than Vince.

[@kyleshiflet9952]

Yup

[@kyleshiflet9952]

@@TheStormbringer8751 Heyman 1 vince 0

[@krectus]

before the Montreal Screwjob but AFTER the Original Screwjob.

[@My19812011]

@@krectus Richter/Moolah, bravo my friend. That never gets the attention it deserves as that was a proper screw job.

[@davidlewis5312]

@@glenndallas7171 yeah I mean let's say caruluzzo gets his way. ECW turns around and says okay you can't have my tv time, oh wait I am the only one of you with network broadcast

[@leonawlison7125]

What it's the song at the beginning just curious that's all the opening song

[@timewithoutconsequence4611]

I asked that question on another documentary. The creator told me it was non monetized studio music.

[@leonawlison7125]

@@timewithoutconsequence4611 thank you

[@rjlimcolioc]

Excellent episode Sam 👏!

[@TheOnemanmoshpit]

What about the MLW World Title? I still don't know if that was a work or a shoot. I don't get who gained from it in either case.

[@llum0121]

The best series on cultaholic

[@yoriichitsugikuni1651]

Second in my opinion the best western wrestling companies when it comes to viewership and enjoyment back in the 90’s were WWE,WCW and ECW but now it’s WWE,AEW and arguably IMPACT even tho wrestling has died down a bit

[@freemantheartist]

This is the one I was waiting for!!!

[@thehandoftheking3314]

A wheezing, dying Entity. 2022, ECW is a fond memory and the NWA has a weekly show....

[@CarlosLopez-oi1xx]

Everywhere Benoit went, he was always primed for “world titles”. Man thats so crazy to think about

[@galahadortiz3258]

This is really interesting, I never knew this story.

[@josephcarvalho7713]

It’s one of my favorite promos of all time

[@robbyrdog]

Just met him the other day, really nice guy!

[@mittinedkitten]

Shane Douglas could earn legit white heat, which is amazing considering ECW fans at the time. Its too bad he never could get a decent break either due to wrong place,wrong time or personality.

[@spookerredmenace3950]

great series

[@paulbbryan]

My ears perked when I heard Jerry Lawler vs Abdullah the Butcher happened in my town. Cagematch doesn't even know where that event was. Maybe it took place at the Monster Factory gym over in Paulsboro? I'm not sure if they were doing shows at that point.

[@VerticalitySports]

Where can I watch the Philly Indy wars episode

[@JWS1985]

I never knew who was in the tournament other than Douglas and Scorpio. Pretty good selection of wrestlers, but Douglas was the obvious choice.

[@keithnain3048]

EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING undoubtedly changed pro wrestling for the BETTER! Paul Heyman doesn't get enough credit for making Wrestling what it is now a days! Vince and Bischoff take all the credit, which is half true but without Heyman's ingenuity it wouldn't be the phenomenon it is today!👍🤔

[@kareemkhederoo4092]

RIP Jim Crockett Jr.

[@razorsedge3107]

I hate hbk in the 90’s when you think about Shane “underrated” Douglas

[@My19812011]

I’ve always heard that Shane Douglas is a really nice bloke but the fact that everyone thinks of Shawn Michaels when they think of him shows he wasn’t as great as some make out, he never made it anywhere other than ECW.

[@razorsedge3107]

@@My19812011 I’ve heard your one too ... bloke

[@JEA85]

also razor ramon aka scott hall screwed him

[@spaea2062]

The background music in this is my favorite.

[@KylePrime_1986]

That tournament had some serious talent

[@curtailedbike4123]

Imagine after all this, ecw was the first to die and the nwa is still alive

[@Smansi_da_randumb]

True... Tho the nwa is a shell of itself

[@Beckonor]

NWA died in 1988.

[@DarrenDavis-fd7uz]

We need a war stories episode on WWE VS TNA The New Monday War.

[@storm1402]

I don't watch a whole lot of wrestling these days, but this series is such a good watch, I appreciate you guys for putting together such good content, thank you.

[@user-tl4fi6oy8d]

The true beginning of the Attitude Era

[@baileygreenleaves]

Fuck yes best birthday present!

[@CatsClaw44]

Tru-State was also supposed to have a Battle of the Nature Boys: Buddy Rogers vs Buddy Landel but it was canceled.

[@davidlewis5312]

I wonder if Gilbert and Douglas ever bonded over hating Flair.

[@styloerotic]

I love War Stories!

[@kirkpatrikballares3291]

I miss showbuckle :(

[@JaimeD.]

I had seen his videos about the rivalry of Tanahashi and Okada and the rise of Tetsuya Naito as an Ungovernable. He did a great job with those.

[@johnathanrush4666]

Gonna show a still of the Shane Douglas Steelers Hat Promo and not a word about "oblithicry"?

[@mringram]

Great video

[@lilpoetat]

thanks!

[@stewietk]

The ultimate heel move

[@marcus813]

If not for this event, I wonder how the then-WWF would proceed to reinvent itself and overtake WCW in the late '90s.

[@Cruelmonkey24]

Shane douglas was ecw franchises like cena in wwf and sting in wcw

[@MillerNj41]

5:17 Paterson that’s where I’m from

[@A_YouTube_Commenter]

Passaic.

[@MIKELIN8]

Bill Watts' UWF put on great shows every week on TV. Crockett buying the promotion was just as bad as anything Vince ever did.

[@christophergolias3610]

I've been drinking with 911 before, awesome guy.

[@jerransperarman9411]

good video

[@PhilLeotardosGhost]

The background music makes this sad.

[@Blackjacksarmory]

The Franchise is the greatest heel in wrestling history

[@kes9684]

Glad the radicals group jumped shipped without him after watching this, Shane really thought he was bigger than he was and this moment basically ended his career really

[@tylerleggett5088]

I thought nwa also worked with njpw after the fallout with tna, but we'd have to ask Jack since he's the resident expert in japanese wrestling

[@BlackFlash7]

The Attitude Era began when Shane threw that title on the floor

[@dustinbarger2400]

How is ecw doing now please let me know

[@realityorfiction]

So Caralluzou is the reason we got ecw lol

[@thochaos13]

Interesting series, but the music is so cheesy that I am now lactose intolerant.

[@Cruelmonkey24]

I loved the fact he threw down the nwa title

[@oldschooleddie2057]

I was there!

[@jasonclark6879]

I dont get this..Ted Turner bought the NWA & changed it to WCW..how did these guys go on as the NWA ? I remember the NWA banner was WCW in the mid 80's before turner bought it.

[@danpoutsma1351]

The short version is that Turner didn't buy it. The NWA was an organization made up of different regional member promoters. At the time, it appeared on the surface that Jim Crockett Promotions, which is what Turner bought out, was the NWA itself because virtually all of the old NWA affiliated regional promotions had gone out of business. But Crockett was still just one member of the NWA, and there were a few other members left as well. Turner's WCW also became a member and eventually left the organization in 1993.

[@randymanmaximus8419]

Didn't last long but it's impact did.

[@vladtepes3201]

When I was like ten years old I had the ecw blood sport dvd and the first time I seen Shane Douglas throw down the belt and tell everyone to kiss his ass I thought to myself now this is real this isn't the wrestling I knew and I was right.

[@MrNWA4Life]

Yet 28 years later the NWA is still here. Where is Extremely Crappy Wrestling? The Bingo Hall has closed.

[@johnathanrush4666]

Lol you seem upset

[@crooker23]

awesome

[@flockawaka1017]

...and on the 8th day god gave us ECfuckinW

[@bunyan4.20]

Shane Douglas was such a great wrestler and just always got looked over and booked like a moron like they did in WWE twice just never getting the break he deserved and maybe this moment may have played into that down the line the fact remains hreat wrestler juat never got the big break he deserved

[@erich2626]

EC F’n W!!!

[@ddave7026]

Jake Paul probably wantsthe old belt.

[@rvdwrastling6537]

😂 he sound different

[@davebum7508]

Industrial stars? Were they taking a break from wrestling to join nine inch nails

[@aboriginalson]

haha

[@genxtasy9914]

Anything Heyman says it's most likely BS