Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Gino Hernandez, Matt Cardona, Christopher Street Connection & More
March 23, 2022
DougMaynard.com

A bigger pop than Kevin Nash using Mad Dog Vachon’s prosthetic leg as a weapon, it’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. Are you ready? Let’s do this.

If Gino Hernandez had lived, would he have been bigger than Flair?

Bigger than Flair? I’m not sure about that. Hernandez was damn good to be sure and at the time of his passing, was due to be going to Crockett for a run, or so I’ve heard, and if it had happened, I’m sure it would have made a major impact and he could have been bigger than ever. but Gino also had a lot of baggage with his lifestyle and demons and I’m sure that would have factored in at some point as well. Gino would have benefitted from more exposure and would have been a top guy, but bigger than Flair? I just can’t see it.

Who was the Christopher Street Connection?

The Christopher Street Connection was Buff E and Mace Mendoza, a top tag team in the North-East, who based their name on Castro Street, where the Stonewall Riots occurred in 1969. They called themselves the only “openly gay” tag team on the Indy Circuit and their style was kind of a Lenny & Lodi meets Chuck & Billy at Adrian Street’s house. A good tag team that was originally managed by “Fun Athletic Guy”, aka ROH Founder Rob Feinstein. The last instance I could find of them wrestling was in 2007, but I’m pretty sure they’re still out there somewhere. A very unique and fun team that was definitely ahead of the curve and ahead of their time.

I just read where Omos versus Lashley is planned for Wrestlemania. Do you want to see this match?

Well, it’d be better than Omos versus The Great Khali to be sure, but I’m not sure if I want to see it or not. If this match does happen, either Omos would lose which would kill his push, and all the work they’ve done to get him over as a monster would be wasted, or else Lashley would have to lose and the entire past two years would be tossed away and wasted. It’s a no-win proposition for either of these guys and doesn’t make sense. It’d actually be better booking and best for business to bring in Great Khali or a former legend to do the job to Omos, but it’s WWE so who knows what we’re going to get?

If Cody Rhodes comes back to WWE and has a successful run(similar to AJ Styles or even Drew McIntyre), who’s going to be next to make the jump? Or who should be next?

Without knowing the contract statuses of the AEW roster, I’m sure we’ll see Jericho back for a HOF induction and one last mini-run before all is said and done. I think Wardlow would be someone that WWE would be interested in, as would, of course, MJF. And for a role in NBXT and at the Performance Center, I think QT Marshall would be someone WWE should look at too. The next to jump though? Scorpio Sky or Dante Martin.

Matt Cardona retained the NWA Championship against Nick Aldis at the Crockett Cup. Who’s next for the champ to fight?

I’d love to see Joe Hennig pop up and give Matt a run for the money, but looking at the recent NWA storylines, I think another round or two with Trevor Murdoch is scheduled, and after that, I’d like to see Anthony Mayweather, aka Crimson, step up and have a shot.

Baron Von Raschke vs Fritz Von Erich. Claw vs Claw. Who wins?

The Baron would lock the claw in on Fritz, but before the ref can call for the bell, Blackjack Mulligan would interfere and slap his own version of the claw on the Baron’s bald head. Killer Kowalski would run out next and lock in the stomach claw on Fritz, but Fritz would retaliate and sinch in the claw on Kowalski’s head. It’d be a total Claw Brawl For All. The referee finally calls for the bell and the match is ruled a no-contest. And then, here comes Teddy Long. He’s making it a tag team match, playa, with Baron & Kowalski versus Mulligan & Fritz. The two teams lock back up and start brawling and the announcers scream that we’re out of time. They’ll keep the tape machines rolling and we’ll see you next week. And there you go.

What‘s the worst wrestling gimmick you can remember?

Dick Foley. A local guy here in North Carolina who both wrestled and promoted his own events. His gimmick was a blatant rip-off of Mick Foley, as you may guess, with maybe 1/5th of the talent and 1/100th of the originality of the real Foley. And so far as the big companies go, how about the Yeti in WCW. Yes, the Ding Dongs and Hunchbacks were pretty damn bad, but a giant mummy who humps Hulk Hogan? Oy vey! ‘Nuff said!

So Bianca Belair is injured (kayfabe). If she can’t come back and wrestle against Becky Lynch at Wrestlemania, who should take her spot?

Easy answer. If Bianca can’t be there, then the woman who fits, storyline-wise, would be the woman who Becky “gave up” her Women’s Championship to when she discovered she was pregnant, that being Asuka. And if Asuka isn’t medically cleared to return yet, Alexa Bliss is there and waiting for a return. Use her.

Would you like to see Matt Cardona (Zack Ryder) return to the WWE?

Right now, nope, but at some point, if he’s able to return under his own name and able to be the character he’s been for the past couple of years, getting a Drew McIntyre level push, that would be very cool to see. I think it will happen eventually, but I just hope that when it does, WWE realizes just how good Cardona has been and allows him (and Chelsea Green) to continue as such.

We’re less than ten days away from Wrestlemania and the WWE Hall of Fame. Who do you think will be inducted into the Legacy Class of 2022?

Given how much time we have left and that there has been absolutely no mention of any Legacy Inductees thus far, I’m sure that someone at WWE HQ is running around like Virgil chasing a loose dollar trying to come up with a list to throw out there for Vince to sign off on. Well, I’ll do them a favor and come up with a list of Legacy Inductees for them now. Since Mania is in Texas, let’s go with Gino Hernandez. Follow it up with Jose Lothario, Skip Young (Sweet Brown Sugar), Sue Green, Ann Casey, “Number One” Paul Jones, Promoter Paul Boesch, Mr. Wrestling II, and The Spoiler. All legit good talents who made a legit mark in pro-wrestling and no one can complain about very much, although being wrestling fans, they will. And with the exceptions of Wrestling II, all of them were either from or wrestled for a big part of their careers in Texas.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions you may have, about pro wrestling or anything at all, are welcome and appreciated. Until the next time, take care and be good. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!