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An editorial from NWA-CIW's Norm Wamer

Posted: Sep 3rd 2013 By: mikeiles

COMMENTARY by Norm Wamer- (The opinions expressed here are not those of CIW or the NWA, they are solely mine)

So it looks like Shane Douglas will be coming to Toledo on Saturday night September 14. I'm torn about this and don't truly know what to except because there is no way of telling which Shane Douglas is going to show up. It's been 19 years since Shane Douglas basically threw the NWA World Heavyweight Title in the garbage, but the wounds of that action run deep in the National Wrestling Alliance still today. The NWA sees this as Douglas trashing the rich heritage built by Orville Brown, Lou Thesz, Edouard Carpentier, Buddy Rogers, Bobo Brazil, Harley Race, Dory Funk, Gene Kiniski, Jack Brisco, Giant Baba, Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair and the list goes on. Unforgivable by some. Did Shane Douglas act alone? No, but he made the final decision.

Shane Douglas is a great wrestler. No one can argue that and I'm telling you that he can still "go" in the squared circle. Douglas was 4-time ECW Champion with two reigns lasting longer than a year. As for expressing himself on the mic, in my opinion he is top-10 all-time.
But again, which Shane Douglas will show up in Toledo on September 14th? The defiant rebel that blazed a trail SO hot that he could electrify a territory or SO hot that he'll burn it to the ground caring nothing about anyone or anything around him. Could it be a Shane Douglas, full of remorse, ready to mend fences and begin to atone for his past sins? Could it be a Shane Douglas that waves to the crowd and says goodbye or could it be a Shane Douglas, rested and healed from years of torture and abuse in the ring, ready for one more go around to grab the gold he once through away. Or is it a Shane Douglas, with a plan SO sinister that no one could ever imagine the Pandora's Box that is about to be opened. I greatly admire the talent, desire and ability of Shane Douglas to rise above those who tried to bury his career, snatch the ball from everyone's hands and run with it like few others have. As excited as I am to have a front row announce table seat for the return of Shane Douglas to the NWA...I have a really bad feeling that September 14th could be a mistake of major proportions.