Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Mr. Fuji, The Sleeper, Ox Baker & More
July 15, 2021
DougMaynard.com

Good morning. I’m supposed to be getting ready to go get into the chamber this morning. I’m procrastinating and would rather talk wrestling. Let’s do the Ultimate Q&A. And away we go.

Where would you rank Mr. Fuji as a manager? I’ve always believed he was underrated.

Mr. Fuji was okay as a manager with his unique look and style, but I think he suffered from comparison to the other managers that fans were used to and familiar with such as Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart, the legendary three wise men of the east, Captain Lou Albano, The Grand Wizard, and Freddie Blassie. Standing out in a crowd with those men as your peers would be hard for anyone and Fuji kind of got lost in the shadows when he was doing the managing thing. I’m sure that Demolition and Don Muraco were happy to have him there, but Fuji was the Paul Jones of the WWE wrestling managers. Solid, but not going to be working the top matches or main events. He was regulated to the second tier and it’s a shame.

If not for Hulk being as massively popular as he was, would Curt Hennig have had a run as WWF Champion?

I don’t think so. Curt had a great run in the AWA as their World Champion and a good run with the Intercontinental Champion, but the WWF and Vince McMahon always seemed to want their top guy to be larger than life if possible and Curt, while an amazing wrestler, was not an over-the-top character. He was a wrestler’s wrestler who the WWF was happy to have, but the top guy on the card, I just don’t see it.

Who had more success as a wrestler; Perry Saturn or Buh Buh Ray Dudley?

Perry Saturn had a mop for a sidekick. Bubba had multiple tag team titles and a great run as a singles star in TNA. Saturn had an okay career, but compared to Bubba, it’s really not even close.

Which wrestler perfected the Sleeper Hold? Brutus the Barber had a dangerous one.

The best master and user of the sleeper was The Dean of Professional Wrestling, Johnny Weaver. They didn’t call it the “Weaver-Lock” for nothing. Piper, Beefcake, and so many others were good, but Johnny was the man when it came to putting people to sleep with that move.

Nick Bockwinkel (in his prime) versus Roman Reigns. Who wins?

Nothing against the great Nick Bockwinkel, who was a true legend and icon and one of the smoothest wrestlers to ever step foot in that squared circle, but Roman has the size and speed advantage and is just damn good at so many things, I think he’d have the advantage and manage to get the win.

Does Ox Baker belong in the WWE Hall of Fame?

Absolutely. It won’t be a normal induction and will be as part of the Legacy Wing, but eventually, it will happen. Ox was too unique a character and memorable star for too many years to be ignored forever.

Do you think Fuego Del Sol will eventually be signed by AEW to a full-time contract?

Yes. He’s getting pops that the top guys on the AEW roster would die to have and he is the Master of the Tornado DDT. It’s not if, but just when we see the announcement that Fuego is All Elite. It’s going to happen and happen soon.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Any comments, thoughts, or questions you’d like to ask, feel free and drop me a line. Until the next time, stay safe and be awesome. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!