Like any great champion, ECW heavyweight titleholder "The Franchise" Shane Douglas surrounded himself with the best talent around, preserving his title reign. First, in 1995, he did it with Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko. Together, they made up the first incarnation of the Triple Threat, a trio of legitimate stars, talented technicians and superb professional wrestlers. When Benoit and Malenko left the company for the greener pastures of World Championship Wrestling, Douglas was left without backup. Enter Chris Candido and Bam Bam Bigelow. Those two competitors, widely considered some of the most underrated workers in the business, made up the second incarnation of the Triple Threat. It was with those two supporting Douglas, and "Queen of Extreme" Francine leading the way, that the trio achieved its greatest success. Bigelow enjoyed a reign with the television title while Candido teamed with Lance Storm to capture the tag titles. All the while. Douglas reigned over ECW, every bit the franchise star he claimed to be. That is, until his ego got in the way and Bigelow's taste for gold prevailed. The Beast from the East defeated Douglas for the heavyweight championship, threatening the future of the Triple Threat. But all was fine in short order, with the group reforming and proving stronger than ever. Throughout 1997, the Triple Threat ruled ECW with an iron fist, establishing all three competitors as legendary figures in the company.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
