A few weeks ago, Sasha Banks had a hot take on overzealous fans. To Banks, fans that go out of their way to track WWE Superstars at the airport or hotels as they travel qualifies as stalking. Her statements have summoned several opinions from the wrestling world; some agree that fans need boundaries and others think Banks should be grateful for having admirers in the first place.
Former Intercontinental Champions, Shane Douglas falls in the camp of the latter. Extremely so.
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In an appearance on the 2 Man Power Trip, Douglas opened fire on Banks her sentiments against pushy fans.
“It’s ridiculous. There is a real simple fix here and I mean an incredibly simple fix. If you don’t like being and I’m using my fingers to make quotations marks ‘stalked’ by the fans, quit. Go be a waitress, go be a teacher, go be an attorney, go be a business owner and go do whatever it is you want to do out of the limelight if that has become such a heavy burden for you. When you come into this business you have to know up front that as you are coming in all you can hope for is to have any kind of a career,” he said.
Douglas underlines that Banks has reached the pinnacle of the sport, something that most wrestlers can only dream of.
“When you get blessed to have a really good career and be on the top of that industry than shut the f**k up and ride the ride. Take the bullshit with you because yes, there is a lot of bullshit to take with you, I agree. But if you don’t like that the fix is so simple and that is just quit and walk away. I don’t see her lining up to do that,” said Douglas.
To Douglas, the fans are the lifeblood of any wrestler. To him, they carry the key to success. Douglas would take things a step further by declaring women wrestlers are historically interchangeable in WWE.
“It appalls me because with the fans and let’s be clear — without the fans none of us are anything. We are nothing without the fans and if the fans don’t tune in to want to see Sasha Banks or Shane Douglas or fill in the blank than pretty likely the promoter and in her case Vince McMahon can say that the fans don’t give a shit about her and I should send her back down to the minor leagues or get rid of her. I’d also remind her that if she hasn’t learned the history of the business she’s in or the company that she is in that ‘Divas’ that are there are a dime a dozen and a flavor of the week. Unlike an Undertaker who had 25 victories in a row at WrestleMania which is an incredible feat even me talking as a worker and to name a women’s wrestler that has come close to matching that doesn’t happen,” he reasoned.
The problem is easily solved from Douglas’ vantage point. If Banks is so bothered by dealing with intrusive fans, she should quit.
“Sit back and enjoy the ride, Sasha. Be thankful that those fans give a shit to want to sit there and wait for you and ‘stalk’ you because they are the ones that are paying your salary and without them Vince McMahon wouldn’t be handing you that check or without them Vince McMahon wouldn’t even have you in that spot and without them you wouldn’t be on the show that you are on that has caused you so much duress” he said. “If you don’t like it, again the fix is so simple, just call Mr. McMahon up and say thank you for everything but I am quitting. Problem solved. Let’s see if she takes that avenue.”
The issue of Sasha vs. Fans was nearly in the rear view mirror. However, after a take like this, this debate will likely dominate the wrestling world for the foreseeable future.
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