10 Times Wrestlers Got Away With Ripping Off WWE

10. Shane Douglas

2005's Hardcore Homecoming was the burgled brainchild of Shane Douglas who, possibly still peeved at the p*ss-poor Dean Douglas gimmick of 1995, dreamed up the show as the authentic alternative to WWE's official One Night Stand ECW relaunch. It was a great idea, even though it wasn't his, strictly speaking.

WWE was bound to mess it all up; meanwhile, Hardcore Homecoming bore many hallmarks of the original ECW promotion, in that it emanated from the Bingo Hall, rehashed the breakthrough Night The Line Was Crossed three way dance classic, and featured at least two matches that went far too long. McMahon was unable to set McDevitt on Hardcore Homecoming because the endeavour was all nudge-nudge, wink-wink. It was ECW in spirit, not in name.

Unfortunately for Douglas, while he got away with ripping off WWE from a legal standpoint, he didn't it do it particularly well; for once, WWE presented non-WWE wrestling with unprecedented, shocking success. One Night Stand was a sterling spiritual successor to ECW's fun and violent body of work, boasting authentic personnel, setting, and, crucially, atmosphere. It was ECW in spirit and name.

Perhaps Shawn Michaels got in McMahon's ear.