Troy Allan Martin, known by his ring name Shane Douglas aka "The Franchise", has lashed out at Vince McMahon, saying he has turned WWE into a "cartoonland". ECW pioneer also slammed former TNA president Dixie Carter and called her a "bimbo".

The former WWE Intercontinental champion made the harsh comments at an indie wrestling show organised by pro-wrestling veteran Bobby Fulton at AdenaMania 2 on 11 March. When McMahon created WWE, the 52-year-old wrestler said, "We started a company called ECW".

"[While Vince McMahon was creating] cartoonland, the type of stuff the little kiddies here in the audience here like, we started a company called ECW," the ECW pioneer Shane Douglas said as transcribed by Crave Wrestling. "I told Vince where he could shove it, and told bimbos like Dixie Carter how she was screwing it up."

Douglas did not spare WWE Hall of Famers like Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in his impromptu rant.

"For those of you who weren't a part of the era of ECW, understand, you're looking at the guy that made ECW what ECW was. So, simply put: I'm as close to royalty in this sport as it comes. You can go shove your Ric Flairs. Whoops, I mean D**k Flairs. You can pound your Hulk Hogans. Your Bret Harts can lace my boots. Your Shawn Michaels can lose his smile, and he's so afraid of me, he comes out and hands me his belt. Spineless!" he said.

Douglas is widely regarded as one of the key personalities involved in bringing the "extreme" factor into the ECW organisation that would distinguish it from other pro-wrestling promotions. He has worked with the WWE (then known as WWF) and TNA. His relationship with the two wrestling promotions hit a bump following his last appearance at TNA's 2009 Slammiversary event.

WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon Brendan McDermid/Reuters