By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

Former ECW and TNA wrestler Shane Douglas says he was contacted by TNA about working the "Hardcore Justice" PPV on Sunday, but he turned down an offer. Douglas is saying he's open to a last-second offer, but says he turned down TNA's PPV because they would not book him against Ric Flair.

In an interview with Brian Fritz of Fanhouse.com, Douglas ripped Flair, TNA president Dixie Carter, and TNA's business practices.

"I was offered to be on the show. I would love to be on the show. I put one stipulation forward - that I get Ric Flair," Douglas said. "This is no work, this is no joke. I want to get this guy in the ring so I can knock him around a little bit for my own satisfaction and I'm sure the fans would like to see it as well."

Douglas said he believes TNA booking the match would boost PPV buys and help create awareness for the PPV. He also criticized Dixie Carter for paying Flair six-figures and, from his perspective, not getting anything in return.

"That's my one and only demand of TNA: give me Ric Flair and I would think that Dixie Carter, after paying a 61-year-old piece of garbage a half million dollars a year in the financial shape that they're in, that she would order this piece of garbage into the match but apparently not," Douglas said, seemingly in promo mode. "Apparently she must be buddies with him. I haven't seen that Ric Flair has been anything positive for TNA that would warrant her taking any preferential treatment for Dic Flair, any more than anyone else. ... I think the true ECW fan would buy a TNA pay-per-view to see me versus Dic Flair more so than anything else that they could offer up. So, the ball's in their court."

Douglas also criticized TNA for holding the ECW-themed PPV and reportedly paying the ECW wrestlers "pennies on the dollar" compared to what they're paying the likes of Flair and Hulk Hogan. He claimed the ECW focus is helping boost the TV ratings, so the ECW wrestlers should be paid in return.

"The whole idea to me seems to be repugnant. The person I spoke to (in TNA), I asked him, if you can explain to me why TNA is holding an ECW pay-per-view, I'd love to hear it. And this person told me they would if they could but they can't so they won't," Douglas said. "This is a person that works in the office for TNA explaining to me that they can't explain why TNA is having a pay-per-view. They'd love to if they could but they can't so they don't even try. And I think that speaks volumes and way more than anything I can say here above and beyond what we already said."

Caldwell's Analysis: The workers are out this week. Ric Flair vs. Shane Douglas might have been boosted PPV buys ten or 15 years ago on the right stage, but it's 2010 and it's TNA. Douglas is really in hype mode with this interview trying to suggest a match with him against Flair (or anyone else on the planet) would boost the PPV buys for a TNA PPV. TNA simply doesn't have the platform or awareness. Also, the idea that the ECW Reunion is boosting TV ratings was disproved last week when the overall ratings boost came from a younger male demographic with no emotional investment in ECW tuning in in droves to watch TV last Thursday. Ratings for the older adult male demographic that an ECW Reunion would appeal to actually dropped despite the strong boost in TV ratings.

Link: Douglas has plenty more quotes in the interview with Brian Fritz expanding on the topics covered here. The full interview can be read at Fanhouse.com.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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