Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Alex Wright, Harlem Heat, Damian Priest & More
MAy 8, 2023
DougMaynard.com

It’s time to talk ‘rasslin. It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. Let’s do this.

What do you think is the biggest difference between today’s generation of wrestlers vs. the previous generations?

Today’s generation seems more focused on getting in their spots and fancy moves while the previous generation was more into ring psychology and telling a story in the ring, playing to the moods and reactions of the audience instead of memorizing moves and spots. Also, maybe it’s just me, but the art of selling seems to be lost as well.

What did you think of the team of Dick Murdoch and Adrian Adonis? I like them. They had good teamwork and got good heat. Your thoughts, please. Thank you.

Murdoch and Adonis were one of the most underrated teams of their era and don’t get the credit they deserve. Two legit tough men who didn’t have much in common on the surface, but they gelled well and quickly became tag team champions for the WWF. Both men are gone now, but they left behind some great memories and great legacies.

Thoughts on Aiden English?

I was always a fan of English and don’t understand why he’s not part of any of the major companies these days. He proved, as part of the Vaudevillains, that he was a good tag team wrestler, plus he had that strong run as part of the whole Rusev Day story and worked as an announcer for WWE and NXT. The man can literally do it all. I’d like to see him come back and be a part of AEW or WWE again. Will it happen though? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Alex Wright aka “Das Wunderkind” said recently that he’d be interested in making an appearance in the Royal Rumble. Would you like to see Wright pop up and do a Rumble spot?

I was always a big fan of Wright and I would pop to see him show up as part of The Rumble or any other major wrestling event. He was vastly underrated as part of WCW and his tag team alliance with Disco Inferno as part of the Boogie Knights/Dancing Fools didn’t help. One last run for Das Wunderkind? I’d say hell yeah.

What’s your honest opinion on Harlem Heat?

As a tag team, especially with Sherri Martel, I liked them. They were solid in the ring, always had good matches, and could kick some ass. I liked Stevie Ray when the team broke up and he turned heel. He introduced me to the word “Fruit Booties” and for that, I’ll be forever grateful. As for Booker, he was a good pick for WCW at the time as the five-time champion, but since he’s been in WWE, he’s kind of hit-and-miss for me. I liked the King Booker storyline, but almost everything else has been kind of “Eh!” at best. But Harlem Heat as a team? They were one of the good ones.

Who is the first wrestler that comes to mind when I say “NWA Missouri Champion”?

The NWA Missouri State Championship was often referred to as a steppingstone to the NWA Championship and in the 70s and 80s, almost every man who held that belt went on to become the NWA Champion. But the first wrestler that comes to mind for me is Harley Race. He was a multiple-time Champion and even won this title in between his NWA title reigns. He set the bar for everyone else as to what that title should mean and everyone else just had to try and keep up.

Tommy Rich was the NWA World Champion for four days in 1981, beating Harley Race and then losing the title back to Race. Was this a good booking move or not?

It was a good move in my opinion because from what I understand, the show’s attendance in Georgia was down a bit and the territory needed a little kick in the pants to get things back up again. Rich was the big babyface for promoter Jim Barnett so he worked out a deal with Harley Race and the NWA. Rich won the belt and Georgia is the home of the new World Champion. Harley won it back four days later and wasn’t hurt at all by the loss, but it did light up the territory and boost the business. It made Rich’s career as he could now claim “NWA Champion” on his resume. It was a win-win for everyone involved. And yes, I’ve heard the rumors that the title win was a reward from Barnett to Rich in exchange for favors. I’ve seen Rich address that rumor and he denied it so I’ll take him at his word. Whatever the reason, Rich got the title, the business in Georgia got a boost, and Harley got his belt back to continue with business as usual.

Bruiser Brody versus Brock Lesnar. Who wins?

This match would be awesome. I think the amateur skills of Brock would give him a definite advantage. It would be one hell of a slobber knocker and both men would know that they had been in a fight the next day. Brock would win.

Is Damian Priest a future World Champion?

After watching his performance this past Saturday night, I am a fan of Damian Priest. He’s got all the tools and in my opinion, there will be championship gold in his future. I’m sure of that.

So, Finn Balor & Dom Mysterio versus Rey Mysterio & Carlito at RAW Monday night? Yes or no?

RAW is tonight and I don’t think it will happen, but I would absolutely love to see it. It would be, as Carlito would say, cool.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. Take care and be well, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!