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ECW legend Shane Douglas recently recalled how several wrestlers did not want to work with The Sandman due to his recklessness in the ring.
The Sandman, real name James Fullington, was one of ECW's most popular stars between 1992 and 2001. The five-time World Heavyweight Champion famously drank beer and smoked cigarettes during his ring entrance.
In an interview with WSI's James Romero, Douglas revealed that he was one of five ECW stars who refused to wrestle The Sandman at one stage:
"That [in-ring safety] was the kind of stuff that we were at loggerheads with, me and Sandman, and it had gotten to a point, because of his drinking, where Bammer [Bam Bam Bigelow] refused to work with him, Taz refused to work with him, [Chris] Candido, Perry [Saturn], me. There was a long list of top guys that were refusing to work with him." [2:53 – 3:08]
Douglas once broke his knuckles after being hit with a kendo stick by The Sandman. On another occasion, The Franchise complained to former ECW owner Paul Heyman after The Sandman cut The Blue Meanie's face in a match.
Shane Douglas' current relationship with The Sandman
More than 20 years on, Shane Douglas gets along with the former WCW and WWE star. They often joke around alongside fellow ECW legend Francine when they see each other at conventions.
During their ECW days, Douglas only understood The Sandman's gimmick when he realized that his co-worker resembled fans in the crowd:
"I'll be the first to tell you, Sandman was an amazing attraction for ECW, put a lot of people in those stands, and it finally hit me why. I'm looking around and I'm thinking, 'He's them. They're all him.' It was incongruous." [3:44 – 4:00]
In the same interview, Douglas disclosed what really happened when Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels fought each other backstage in WWE.
Do you have any favorite Shane Douglas moments? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit WSI and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
