Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Eugene, Josh Alexander, CM Punk & More
March 29, 2023
DougMaynard.com

It’s time to do that wrestling thing. It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. Are you ready? I said, ARE YOU READY? Let’s do this.

Who had the better “Claw”? Baron Von Raschke or Fritz Von Erich?

While Fritz is a wrestling legend and, along with all of his sons, a great practitioner of the finisher, The Iron Claw, I only think of one man as the true and ultimate Claw Master. And that man is James Raschke, aka Baron Von Raschke. And that is all the people need to know!

So I was looking in my memories on my Facebook today and saw that I met Eugene 13 years ago today. Do you think his character would work in today’s wrestling world or probably not? I’m thinking probably not. What is your opinion?

In today’s Woken environment of political correctness, a character like Eugene would lead to protests, boycotts, and probably mass shootings. Yes, it has gotten absolutely insane and crazy. And no, Eugene would never be allowed to exist today.

Brock Lesnar versus Yokozuna. Who wins?

Just to see Brock try to F-5 Yoko would make this match unforgettable and fun to watch. But I do not doubt that Brock would win and he would find a way to deliver his finisher to the 700lb giant. It might just end up being a waist-level F-5, but it would happen.

Instead of wrestling Bray Wyatt, Bobby Lashley is now scheduled to take part in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on Smackdown. Thoughts?

It’s a big fall down the ladder for the All Mighty one, but I’m thinking that either he’ll win the Battle Royal and issue a challenge for the next night at Mania, or else something will happen during the Battle Royal and it will result in a match being made for Mania involving the All Mighty One. Maybe even an ambush and attack by Bray Wyatt and Uncle Howdy? Who knows? But I’m pretty sure we’ll see Lashley fighting someone at Mania. The only real question and mystery are who.

Impact Wrestling Champion Josh Alexander vacated the Impact Championship due to injuries and will be out of wrestling for a while. Thoughts?

I hate to see this happen because Alexander is a good wrestler and has been strong in his role as the top guy for Impact Wrestling. He’s been a great face for the company, but unfortunately, injuries do happen sometimes and this just happens to be one of those times. Best wishes to Alexander for a speedy and full recovery and we’ll see him when he gets back.

Great Khali versus Giant Baba. Who wins?

Baba was a three-time NWA World Champion and is a true legend in Japan. Khali was great in the movie, The Longest Yard, and is a big and powerful dude, but he’s not a great wrestler by any means. This would be an interesting bout, but I think Baba would use that experience factor and find a way to take home the win.

Do you think Brock Lesnar will retire after Wrestlemania? How about Rey Mysterio?

I keep hearing talk about both, but I don’t think either man will be truly gone from the WWE. Brock will take time off and then, when the time and money are right, make a return and kick ass. Rey may “retire”, but he’ll still be with WWE in a backstage or trainer capacity and when the time is right, he’ll come back to the ring to help out Dom, thus taking the story full circle and offering Dom redemption for turning on his dad. Rey might not be a full-time active wrestler after Mania, but this story still has a ways to go.

What are your thoughts on Missy Hyatt?

She’s brash, outspoken, and maybe not a saint, but I like her. I think she’s an amazing person based on my few interactions with her, talking about her autobiography, which she warned me “isn’t very good!”. She’s a beautiful woman inside and out and I think that even as she’s getting older, she still has much left to offer the world of professional wrestling. I’m definitely a fan of the true First Lady of Professional Wrestling. Always have been and always will be.

Greatest sideman aka color Commentator ever?

This is a hard one because so many names come to mind. The obvious choices like Bobby Heenan, Jesse Ventura, Larry Zbyszko, Pat McAfee, Dutch Mantell, etc. All of them are/were excellent in their roles as the Color Guy. Jim Cornette, Johnny Weaver, and even Eric Bischoff had their moments as well. But the best in my opinion? I was a big fan of the USWA and Terry Garvin, aka Terry Simms. How he managed to stay in character and stay entertaining is beyond me. He was never a big name in the wrestling scene, but he always made me laugh and smile.

What was your all favorite territory and why?

While I was a fan of Georgia and Florida, and while I followed World Class, Mid-South, and the WWF via the magazines and dirt sheets, the best for me was and will always be Jim Crockett Promotions, aka the Mid-Atlantic territory. I was raised in NC so what I grew up on was always the best in my opinion, and it was.

Allegedly, Tony Khan asked CM Punk to wrestle a squash against Moxley when he wasn’t medically cleared to wrestle. Thoughts?

A very bad and unprofessional call by Mr. Khan and if Punk had gotten hurt in that match, he would be in a large deal of legal trouble. Tony gives us all the talk about how much he cares for his wrestlers, but actions speak louder than words and well, I think that asking Punk to work when he’s not medically cleared says a lot about AEW’s resident snowman.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions you may have are welcome and appreciated. And now, it’s time for breakfast. I’ll be back later with more stuff. Take care and be well, my friends. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!