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Shane Douglas recently recalled how Vince McMahon instructed him to cut “excruciatingly boring” promos during his WWE vignettes as the Dean Douglas character.
Douglas had already worked for WCW twice and WWE once before rejoining McMahon’s company in 1995. Upon his return, the one-time Intercontinental Champion portrayed a villainous college dean who gave his opponents report cards after matches.
In an interview with WSI’s James Romero, the 57-year-old said he had reservations from the beginning about McMahon’s vision for his character:
“I was going to the studios on Sundays and recording the vignettes," said Douglas. "To call them boring, it was excruciatingly boring because Vince wanted me to talk in that monotone voice. I was known for my fiery rhetoric and oratory and inflection, but I was willing to go along.” [1:48-2:11]
The four-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion re-debuted on WWE television as Dean Douglas in July 1995. After a disappointing six months, he left the company in January 1996 following a disagreement with McMahon.
Shane Douglas thinks people are scared to question Vince McMahon
Shane Douglas once cut two different promos while filming vignettes: one promo in the way he wanted, and one in the way Vince McMahon wanted. When McMahon left the room, Douglas was told by everyone who witnessed both promos that his own version was better.
Moments later, the former WCW star said everyone’s opinions changed when the WWE Chairman returned.
“He finally looked back at me [after looking at everyone in the room] and said, ‘Bud, I think I like my way better. What’s everybody else think?’ Every person in that room, who five minutes ago were saying the last one was greater… ‘Vince, we told him your way was better too,'" Douglas recalled. [4:29-4:45]
Douglas added that his former boss in ECW, Paul Heyman, was always willing to change his mind if someone had a better idea. In WWE, however, he felt that people were “scared to death” of McMahon and did not want to go against his ideas.
Please credit WSI and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
