3 Count
| 3 Count | |
|---|---|
| Stable | |
| Members | Shane Helms[1] Shannon Moore[1] Evan Karagias[1] Tank Abbott[1] |
| Name(s) | 3 Count[1] Three Count[1] |
| Hometown | North Carolina |
| Debut | December 1999[2] |
| Disbanded | 2000 |
3 Countwas aprofessional wrestlingstableinWorld Championship Wrestling(WCW) which formed in 1999. The group consisted ofShane Helms,Shannon MooreandEvan Karagiasand they were given aboy bandgimmick.For a brief time,Tank Abbottwas added to the group as amanagerandenforcer.
History
[edit]Creation
[edit]Shane HelmsandShannon Mooreboth signed contracts in May 1999.[3]In December 1999,Jimmy Hartput them together withEvan Karagiasas a group to both capitalize on and make fun of the success of boy bands at the time.[1][2]
Theirgimmickwas first introduced to the public withvignettesdisguised asmusic videosfor their (Hart penned)pop songCan't Get You Outta My Heart.From there they progressed to performing live onWCW Monday Nitro,dancing on green circles in the ring and lip syncing their song before their matches. Later on they recorded a new song,Dance With 3 Count,which replacedCan't Get You Outta My Heartas their theme music.[3]They had a long-standing feud with another cruiserweight trio known asThe Jung Dragons.[1]
Helms and Moore squared off in the first round of theWCW Cruiserweight titletournament, with Moore advancing at the expense of his partner.[3]The group were received asheels,and after three months captured (together) theWCW Hardcore Championshipby pinningBrian Knobbson February 28, 2000. They re-lost the title to Knobbs a month later, when he pinned all three members consecutively. In the process, however, Moore became the youngest champion in WCW history.
Tank Abbott
[edit]After losing the Hardcore championship Helms waslegitimatelytaken out of action with a broken nose.[3]Upon his return 3 Count was joined byTank Abbott,astorylinehuge fan.[1][2]Abbott hung around ringside when 3 Count performed and began protecting them from other wrestlers, and eventually started inserting himself as an (uninvited) back-up dancer during performances. 3 Count's feud with the Jung Dragons continued as the Dragons tried to steal 3 Count's Gold album and recording contract.[3]This led to aladder matchatNew Blood Rising.[2]Abbott helped 3 Count to win, and afterwards left with both the album and the contract.[3]Abbott claimed that he should be the lead singer of 3 Count,[1]with which Helms, Moore and Karagias disagreed, leading to a feud between 3 Count and Abbott.[3]It ended when Abbott left WCW soon after.[3]
Break up
[edit]After feuding with theMisfits in Action,3 Count began to have problems, as Moore and Helms accused Karagias of attempting to hog the limelight.[3]Eventually, Moore and Helms kicked Karagias out of the group, and he joined forces withJamie Knobleof the Jung Dragons, on whom the other Jung Dragons members had turned.[3]Moore and Helms continued together tofeudwith the remaining Dragons (Kaz HayashiandYang) and the new team of Karagias and Knoble. The three teams met in a Triangle match atMayhemin November 2000, which 3 Count won.[4]They also met in a ladder match to decide the number one contender for theWCW Cruiserweight ChampionshipatStarrcade,in which both Moore and Helms grabbed the contract at the same moment.[5]As a result, Moore and Helms had match to determine who would challenge for the title, which Helms won.[3]He lost the subsequent Cruiserweight Championship match, however, againstChavo Guerrero Jr.atSinin January 2001.[6]Helms and Moore split when, during a number one contenders match for the Cruiserweight title atSuperBrawl Revenge,Moore attacked Helms instead of Hayashi of the Jung Dragons.[7]Helms, however, later eliminated Moore, and went on to win the match.[7]
Aftermath
[edit]As WCW was slowly dying, Moore and Karagias put aside their differences and formed atag teamwhich vied for the short livedWCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship,but never got their hands on them before the company closed. Helms, however, won theWCW Cruiserweight Championship.Moore, Helms, and Karagias would go on to the thenWorld Wrestling Federation.The 3 Count trademark is still owned by Turner Broadcasting System Inc.[8]
Reunion
[edit]As announced by Shane Helms onTwitter,3 Count would be reuniting in November 2014. The trio appeared at WrestleCade in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on November 29 at the Benton Convention Center.[9]Helms, along with his protegesTrevor Lee&Andrew Everettperformed a 3 Count song duringTNA'sTotal Nonstop Deletion.
Championships and accomplishments
[edit]- NWA Wildside
- NWA Wildside Tag Team Championship(1 time) – Helms and Moore
- World Championship Wrestling
1The WCW Hardcore Championship was held jointly among Helms, Moore, and Karagias using theFreebird Rule.
References
[edit]- ^abcdefghijk"Three Count Profile".Online World Of Wrestling.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2008.Retrieved2008-10-02.
- ^abcdOliver, Greg."3 Count see chance to shine".SLAM! Sports. Archived fromthe originalon January 15, 2013.Retrieved2008-09-20.
- ^abcdefghijkMilner, John M."The Hurricane".SLAM! Sports. Archived fromthe originalon June 29, 2012.Retrieved2009-03-28.
- ^Powell, John (2000-11-27)."Steiner wins WCW World Title".SLAM! Sports. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-07-14.Retrieved2009-03-28.
- ^Powell, John (2000-12-18)."Starrcade ends Y2K on a positive note".SLAM! Sports. Archived fromthe originalon July 14, 2012.Retrieved2009-03-28.
- ^Powell, John (2001-01-15)."Animal the Mystery Man at Sin".SLAM! Sports. Archived fromthe originalon July 14, 2012.Retrieved2009-03-27.
- ^abPowell, John (2001-02-19)."Main event mess hurts SuperBrawl".SLAM! Sports. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-07-30.Retrieved2009-03-28.
- ^"Brand Owner: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, INC".FindOwnerSearch.com.Retrieved2008-10-02.
- ^"The band reunites in November!".Twitter.com.Retrieved2014-07-15.