Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
AEW All Out, Mighty Igor & More
September 11, 2021
DougMaynard.com

I’m so far behind in my work and the world of pro wrestling is moving so fast, some of these questions are already dated. It doesn’t matter though. Let’s do this.

Thoughts on the debuts of Ruby Soho, Adam Cole, and Bryan Danielson as part of AEW?

While the debuts of Soho and Danielson weren’t a surprise and were an open secret, the appearance of Adam Cole was a surprise and a pleasant one at that. AEW is really beginning to stack the deck in their battles against WWE and these new faces, along with CM Punk, are exciting and great to see. I’m happy for all of the new All Elite performers and am very interested in seeing where we go from here.

Was AEW All Out the greatest pay-per-view of all time?

Of all time? Nope. But it was damn good and one of the best we’ve seen in a long time.

What are your three favorite moments of the AEW All Out event?

Jericho managing to screw the pooch if you will with a victory over MJF leading to an Inner Circle moment in that ring, the chance to see QT Marshall in a pay-per-view event against Paul Wight, and finally the ending which showcased the debuts of Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson.

What’s next for MJF versus Chris Jericho?

Hopefully, this feud has run its course and both men can move on to other things and other opponents. I’d like to see MJF have a program with Sammy Guevera. That could be cool.

Steamboat and Youngblood versus The Young Bucks. Who wins?

The Young Bucks have talent, but they’re all high spots and flippy shit. Steamboat and Youngblood would decimate those guys.

Thoughts & memories of the Mighty Igor?

The Mighty Igor was a top guy in the AWA, Puerto Rico, and the Carolinas mainly in the ’70s so I don’t have many memories of the polish strongman. Basically, he played the simpleton strong man who was always smiling, always happy, and always having a good time until he was pissed off. The only memory that really stands out for me is a match that Igor had on Mid-Atlantic television against Crusher Jerry Blackwell, who was easily over 400 lbs. I remember Igor picking him up and essentially bouncing him around like a basketball. My memory may be a little off, but Igor was kicking ass and looking great. I also seem to remember something about manager Boris Malenko and his client, The Masked Superstar, burning Igor in the eye with a cigar. Igor was an iconic legend of that era and a definite fan favorite to be sure.

If you were a wrestler, who would you want as your manager?

If we could go to legends of the past, I’d want Gary Hart or Sir Oliver Humperdink to serve as my mentor and manager. If we only have the managers of today as options, I’d convince Missy Hyatt to come out of retirement and be part of my management team. And Baby Doll too. Two talented kick-ass ladies to make sure that we make it to the top.

Why the hell hasn’t Earl Hebner been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame yet?

Because the WWE Hall of Fame hasn’t inducted any referees as of yet and Hebner, while he established a great legacy with the company, left under the shadow of ill-will and scandal, allegedly, along with his brother Dave, selling counterfeit WWE merchandise at a business they owned. If an employee is allegedly stealing from the company, they generally won’t get rewarded with a spot in the Hall of Fame regardless of their history or career.

Ernie Ladd versus Roman Reigns. Who wins?

As much as I love the Big Cat, I think Roman would take this one. Ernie would give him a good fight and the promos building up to the match would be excellent, but Roman is at the top of his game right now and I don’t think there are many people who would be capable of taking him down right now.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. Until the next time, take care of yourself and stay safe. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!