Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Ric Flair, Scott Norton, Braun Strowman & More
November 10, 2022
DougMaynard.com

And it goes a little something like this. Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls, children of all ages, it’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A, where no topic is off limits and you get the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth… or at least my version of it. I’m your host with the most, I’m Doug. Let’s do this.

When did you become a Ric Flair fan?

Probably when I was around ten years old. Ric was a young upstart in the Mid-Atlantic territory and after a so-so career as the tag team partner of the legendary Rip Hawk, Ric started teaming with Greg Valentine against the Anderson Brothers and really started coming into his own as the Nature Boy we all grew to know and love. Flair & Valentine as a team made me a fan. Flair versus Steamboat and Flair versus Snuka cemented it for me.

Nick Bockwinkel versus Chris Jericho. Who wins?

Both men had great careers, multiple World Championships, and wrestled long past the age when most guys would be retiring. Nick was so smooth in that ring and Jericho, he’s the Ayatollah of Rock & Rolla. This would be a fun match. And I think Bockwinkel would find a way to steal the win in the end.

Which manager terrified you as a kid watching wrestling? For me, it was Paul Jones. I loved Jimmy Valiant back then, and the way Paul Jones hated the Boogie Woogie Man angered me, but it also scared the bejesus out of me. Which manager scared you as a kid?

I loved the Paul Jones/Jimmy Valiant wars, but Paul didn’t really scare me. I was actually more of a fan of Jones, both as a wrestler and a manager, and when he said that Steamboat turned on him because he was jealous, I believe him. But managers that terrified me? Gary Hart was intimidating in my opinion, and up North in the WWWF, Captain Lou Albano creeped me out some as well.

Thoughts on the rivalry between The Von Erichs and The Fabulous Freebirds?

The magic between these two groups of men, the Von Erich family and the dastardly trio of Hayes, Gordy, and Roberts was an amazing thing that essentially made the careers of both teams. World Class caught lightning in a bottle and history was made as a result. Just some good, fun, old-fashioned story-telling and pro wrestling magic.

Thoughts on Scott Norton?

A legit tough guy who is/was a legend in Japan, but his career here in WCW was less than perfect. WCW, as was the case with many talents, didn’t know what to do with him. He was huge, strong, and a living monster of a man. I did like the tag team with Buff Bagwell (Vicious & Delicious) and he was a strong mid-carder, but the potential was there for so much more and wasted away. He did well but deserved better.

What’s your favorite wrestling memory from WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event?

Hulk Hogan lost by count-out to The Genius on the November 25, 1989 edition of the Main Event program. Yes, Mr. Perfect got involved and caused a distraction by stealing Hulk’s WWF Championship belt, but it doesn’t matter. Hogan lost. It was absolutely, dare I say it, genius. I hated Hogan and to see Genius & Perfect pull one over on him was great.

Braun Strowman recently referred to a fan on Twitter using a homophobic slur. Should Braun be fired from the WWE?

I hate to defend Braun because he’s annoying and does nothing for me as a performer, but he called a guy a pansy. Big freaking deal! Allegedly, it’s a gay slur, but I’m gay and I’m not offended. And I think if anyone is so damn thin-skinned that they can’t stand being called a pansy when they’re in fact, acting like a whiney little bitch, they need to shut the hell up, go hide in their safe space, and maybe change that diaper. It’s not a big deal & there are worse things in life. Get over it and be quiet already. Braun maybe should be fired for impersonating a wrestler, but for using that “offensive term”, not at all.

Ric Flair says he will be calling people out due to the Plane Ride From Hell “bullsh*t”. Thoughts?

The events of the Plane Ride from Hell have started to once again fade from people’s memories and Ric is bringing it up again, wanting to stir the pot and talk crap. Ric, you exposed yourself and cornered a stewardess, showing her your skills at doing the helicopter. The troubles you had, as a result, were mild compared to what could have happened and would happen if you were to do that stuff today. Please quit talking and shut up already. Ric is just shooting himself in the foot and will be causing more problems for himself as he destroys any goodwill he may have left. Flair was a great wrestler, but he’s proving to be a piece of crap person more and more often. Just let it go, please.

Ric Flair is also making news for calling out WWE about having JBL as part of the Hall of Fame, recently tweeting, “I Guess The Anti Bullying Program You So Heavily Endorsed Does Not Apply To Bradshaw!! Jason Roberts And Joey Styles!! What A Joke! And He’s In The HOF! Sad!”. Thoughts?

To start, Ric got the name of one of JBL’s alleged victims, Justin Roberts, wrong. And Flair of all people has no place to talk about anyone about bullying, taking advantage of, and being an ass backstage. JBL, from all reports, has done a complete change-around and is now one of the most respected and well-liked people backstage at WWE, while the respect that people once had for Flair decreases every day, due to Flair’s not knowing when to shut up and being an absolute hypocrite in so many ways. Just be quiet, Ric. Please, just shut the hell up.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. All thoughts, comments, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. And here’s a heads up. Coming over the next few days, I’m going to steal an idea from some recent Jim Cornette podcasts and go over the entire rosters for AEW and the WWE and person by person, give some quick thoughts on if, if I was running those companies, would the talents have a job. I should be able to get five or six columns out of this so keep your eyes open and watch for it. It’s coming over in the next week or so.

And that’s all for now. Until the next time, take care and be safe, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!