Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Sammy Guevara, The WWE HOF, Rick Martel & More
March 22, 2023
DougMaynard.com

Are you ready to talk about some pro wrestling? It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A and it all starts right now. Let’s do this.

Why were they treating Sammy Guevara as a baby face during that confrontation with MJF, Darby, and Jungle Boy? It seems as if everything he said was geared to get a positive reaction from the crowd when the truth is most of the crowd seems to genuinely want to hate him.

Sammy is one of those guys who will always get a mixed reactions from the fans. He’s got that punchable face and can be annoying, but he also has a strong fan base from the VLOG and his appearances. On Dynamite, Sammy played the face with his promo, although he did get in a few insults toward the crowd. I think this was more because of who he was cutting the promo on, which was, of course, MJF. I think the fans would have cheered HBK if he was there talking junk to Max. Sammy is still a heel, but compared to MJF, he comes across as tolerable.

WWE is seemingly only inducting a small number of people into the WWE Hall of Fame this year (Rey Mysterio, The Great Muta, Stacy Keibler). Why? Do you think they’re moving the Hall of Fame to another show, SummerSlam perhaps, and will do another, larger induction then?

I haven’t heard anything about anything like that supposedly happening, but it is a good idea, especially with Mania now being a two-night show. As it stands now, you have Smackdown on Friday night, the NXT show on Saturday morning, the Mania matches on Saturday and Sunday night, and the live RAW on Monday. The Hall of Fame is just an oversight that they try to find a small bit of room for. Moving it to another time of the year, perhaps with SummerSlam would work very well in my opinion. Then you could have Smackdown on Friday, the Hall of Fame on Saturday, SummerSlam on Sunday, and RAW on Monday. As I said, I don’t know if that’s a possibility and it’s just speculation as to a possible reason for the small HOF Class of 2023 being inducted this year. Maybe they’re saving some possible names for another induction later in the year? It would make sense, at least in my opinion.

Jay White is allegedly 50/50 in regards to signing with either AEW or WWE. Where do you think he’ll end up?

I have no idea, but I’m sure he’ll make the best decision for himself, his family, and his career. Or he’ll sign with Tony. One or the other.

Do you think that Nikki & Brie, the Garcia Twins aka The Bellas, will end up in AEW?

They’re saying no, no, no, but I think Tony’s ego and checkbook will have them saying Yes, yes, yes before all is said and done.

Wahoo McDaniel, Stan Hansen, and Vader versus Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks in a No DQ, Texas Tornado Street Fight. Who wins?

As stiff and rough as Hansen, Wahoo, and Vader all worked, The Elite would all end up being fitted for body casts after about ten minutes or so. Wahoo, Stan, and Vader would decimate the AEW EVPs and be the ones to take that trip to the pay window at the end of the night.

How would you rank Rick Martel among the all-time greats?

Rick Martel was a good, solid wrestler, but not special in my opinion. He was a good-looking guy with some charisma and a solid performer which is why Verne Gagne put the AWA World Championship on him after Stan Hansen left the company. Martel was the perfect underdog champion and did a great job as the AWA. Then he did a total 360 as the heel “Model” in the WWF. Is he an all-time great? Yeah, I guess so. I wasn’t a big fan, but I won’t dispute what he accomplished in his career.

Who was the greatest wrestling manager of all time, not named Bobby Heenan, Paul Heyman, or Jim Cornette?

Taking away the big three if you will, I would have to put Gary Hart in the top spot. Either he or Sir Oliver Humperdink. Both men had great careers and were excellent pro wrestling managers.

Remember Brad Maddox? Do you think he could ever come back to professional wrestling?

I remember Maddox very well and I really thought that he was going to be a top star one day, but then the whole Paige sex-tape thing and his eccentric behavior where he allegedly hid in a cave after being released from the WWE and I think that kind of closed the door on any kind of future in pro wrestling for Maddox. Of course, though, this is professional wrestling so we can never say never about a return to wrestling and picking his career up from where he left off. Maybe he and Xavier Woods can form a tag team called “The Paige Turners” and challenge for the WWE Tag Team Titles? Okay, maybe not. I just hope he’s gotten his life straight and is doing well.

Fantasy booking time. With less than two weeks to go before Wrestlemania, how would you make Lashley versus Bray Wyatt a must-see match?

It’s pretty simple actually. Have Lashley come out on RAW or Smackdown to cut a promo about how Wyatt is scared and a coward and playing games and how he (Lashley) needs an opponent for Wrestlemania. Uncle Howdy can show up on the Titantron and cause a distraction and then Bray comes out of the crowd and just attacks Lashley and ends up beating him down and laying him out. Just an absolute and total beatdown and even have Lashley show a little color if possible. Then after the beating ends, just have Bray standing over Lashley, point at the sign, and laugh. And there you go. It’s all interesting again and a must-see match because everyone knows that Lashley will want some payback. And there you go.

Are you excited about Wrestlemania?

No, not really, but for me, it’s always a slow build. By the time Wrestlemania weekend is here, I’ll be like a little kid waiting for Santa Claus and ready for some action. And by the way, I will have predictions up for NXT Stand & Deliver, plus both nights of Wrestlemania up before the shows, so watch for them.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions you might have are welcome and appreciated. And with that being said, it’s time to go night-night. I need a nap. Take care and be well, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!