[WWW] WWE.com 11.5.03 Bashams making most of WWE opportunity

http://www.wwe.com/news/headlines/1239390

Bashams making most of WWE opportunity

by Phil Speer
Nov. 5, 2003  

The consensus among other SmackDown! Superstars is that the Basham
Brothers, Doug and Danny, have been ready for WWE television for
months, if not years.

"They were top dogs down in OVW," said Nidia, referring to Ohio Valley
Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory. "Doug and Dan-o, along with
Nick Dinsmore and Rob Conway, were the leaders of our class. Whenever
we went to practice, they were the guys who showed us everything. I
think they've been ready. They plateaued in OVW and they've been ready
for the big leagues for quite a bit now."

Indeed, Doug and Danny -- nicknamed Dan-o by OVW trainer "Nightmare"
Danny Davis -- have seen many competitors come and go during their
time in OVW. That is, they've seen many competitors get signed to
developmental contracts, train for a period of time in OVW, get called
up to the WWE roster, and make an impact.

Doug Basham has been a part of OVW since Day 1. He started there in
1993, when Brock Lesnar was still in high school. Ten years later,
Lesnar, a former OVW competitor, is a three-time WWE Champion.

Other competitors who have come and gone: Randy Orton, Victoria, Rene
Dupree, Sylvan Grenier, Charlie Haas, Shelton Benjamin, Rico, Rodney
Mack.

But as the saying goes, timing is everything in the
sports-entertainment business. Doug and Danny have learned that the
hard way.

"I knew if we kept working hard, we'd get our opportunity," Doug said.

Says Danny, "All we ever wanted is one opportunity. Now that we've got
it, we're definitely going to make the most of it, because we came up,
and we're not going back down."

The Bashams have done just that -- made the most of their opportunity
-- since making their television debut in May. Soon after, they took
on Shaniqua as their valet. Last month, they were rewarded for their
hard work when they won the WWE Tag Team Championship.

While Doug and Danny are rookies in WWE, they were already familiar
with most of the SmackDown! Superstars by the time they made their
debut. Many of the SmackDown! Superstars are OVW alumni, and even the
ones that aren't have made guest appearances at the developmental
territory.

Those who had the chance to step in the ring with Doug or Danny had
overwhelmingly positive things to say about them.

John Cena: "Doug Basham is one of the best in-ring talents that I've
ever seen. I think he was born to do this.

Dan-o is a little bit younger than Doug, but has immense potential,
not only in the ring, but on the microphone as well."

Chris Benoit: "The very first time I had the opportunity to wrestle
(Doug), I thought he had a lot of potential. I would have liked to
have seen him up in WWE a long time ago, but now is now, and it's
great to see him here. He's got a great attitude. He's got a great
mind for the business. Having spent all that time down there around
Danny Davis and (Jim) Cornette, he's got the right mentality.

"It makes me feel good to see guys coming up – new talent coming into
the business – that have that much enthusiasm and passion for it. A
lot of guys come in and they just want to get their face on TV. He's
way beyond that. He's really passionate about the sport and the art of
what we do."

Kurt Angle: "I wrestled (Danny) in OVW. We put on a five-star match. I
knew the kid was going to be money in WWE. Actually, I knew Doug
Basham was just as good, if not better. So, you've got a great tag
team, a great addition to SmackDown!"