Tossing Salt Presents:
Pro Wrestling Q&A
May 13, 2018
DougMaynard.com

Are you ready to talk a little wrestling? The questions come from my Facebook timeline and mostly, but not all from the group Kult of Kayfabe, aka “The KoK”. And I’ve got all the answers. Let’s do this…

Who was the best heel in the history of this business?

A hard question to be sure because there have been so many legendary heels who you would think reeked of evil and were such vile and evil characters, but the two names that immediately came to mind the quickest when I saw this question were Kevin Sullivan and Tully Blanchard. Kevin was playing a devil worshiper character and was just so cold and manipulative and when he talked, that voice. It gives me the chills even now. And Tully? While everyone respected Tully for what he could do in that ring, he was such an arrogant and pompous snot and asshole, I’ve never seen anyone generate the kind of heat that Tully did back in the 80’s when he first came to the Carolina’s and Crockett Promotions. Tully had the nickname “Super Brat” and he worked it to the max because it was so real and so believable.

Who was your favorite heel?

My favorite “bad guy” of all time? It’s between Ernie “The Cat” Ladd, Lord Steven Regal or the great Ole Anderson. All of these men were amazing in their roles and could generate such heat and pure hatred from the wrestling fans. They were all great talents in the ring too which is what made it so much worse. Three true iconic legendary heels to be sure. And by the way, Happy (belated) Birthday to William Regal, who just turned 50 this past week on May 10.

Better wrestler overall. Jericho or Eddie?

In the ring, Eddie was crisper and probably the better performer, but overall, with wrestling mixed with promo ability, characters, etc, I have to go with Jericho. He’s managed to reinvent himself so many times and stay relevant in a business that eats people up and spits them out, he’s pretty much in a league of his own these days. Eddie was great and a true legend to be sure, but Jericho is the Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla and gets to call his boss a “Ho” on live television whenever he feels like it. That’s something that can’t be topped.

What is your favorite gimmick match type?

I’ve always been partial to a good old fashioned street fight where the guys are in street clothes and pretty much just beat the hell out of each other. And who doesn’t love the “War Games – The Match Beyond”? Truly one of Dusty Rhodes’ best creations.

WWE Fans OR NJPW fans. Who are the biggest marks?

The idots who ask questions like these.

RVD. Do you think he’s the “Whole F’n Show”??

Not really. RVD was okay in his day, but he’s sloppy in the ring and misses as many moves as he hits, showing a ton of air and poor offense. Just watch his last WWE run. I know he’s got his fans and was a big part of ECW back in the day and I’ll give him his due on that, but he was never a particular favorite of mine.

How would you book Roman Reigns heel turn if you were in charge.
Feel free to get as detailed as you want.

It’s simple and not detailed at all. Just have Roman acknowledge the fans hatred of him and then have him go off saying he doesn’t give a damn about them anyhow. Just have him embrace the hate that’s already there and play into it more often. Maybe a few small things like walking away from Seth during a tag match or Renee if he doesn’t like a question she asks, but just have him declare that the fans can “go to hell” and stand back as the boos come roaring in.

Give yourself an entrance theme. Favorite song, song you love, doesn’t matter.

When I was a kid, I always thought that the song “Dirty White Boy” by Foreigner would be perfect for me as a wrestler. And it would still be okay, but now that I’m older, I’d have to go with some classic Alice Cooper, be it “No More Mister Nice Guy” or “Poison”.

Does Tyson Kidd deserve to be in Hall of Fame? Possibility for in- ring return?

While I liked Tyson Kidd as a performer and think he was a talented guy, his career was far too short to even consider a Hall of Fame spot at this point so my answer would be “No!”. And will he return to the ring at some point? I don’t think so.

How much does in ring ability affect how you view certain superstars?

It makes a big difference in my perception of the wrestlers and how much I enjoy watching them. A great character is all well and good, but will only go so far. If the person can not get into that ring and wrestle, trading moves and telling a story, all of the character in the world doesn’t make a bit of difference or matter. The character is the cover of the book, but if there isn’t anything inside, aka ability to wrestle, the book gets boring and old quickly. So it matters a great deal.

And that’s all of the questions I have for now. Thoughts, comments and more questions are welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading and Happy Mother’s Day. Until the next time, take care.

Ubuntu!