Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
The Big Show, King Kong Bundy, Dutch Mantell & More
May 20, 2023
DougMaynard.com

As I psyche myself up for a live show tonight at the National Guard Armory in Laurinburg, NC, presented by ACW & CAGE, what better way to get into the mood to see all of these future superstars, plus NWA Legend & Perfect 10 Baby Doll than to answer a few questions about the business we all know and love. It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A, here daily, all just for you. Let’s do this.

The Midnight Express w/ Jim Cornette versus Kabuki & Al Perez w/ Gary Hart. Who wins?

Can you imagine this match and the promos with Cornette and Hart taking shots at each other? The build alone would be incredible and then the actual match. It’d be interesting to see how Perez & Kabuki work together and the contrast in styles from the well-polished machine that was Bobby & Stan would easily make this a must-see event. I think the win would go to Bobby & Stan, the Midnight Express.

The Big Show could be wiped from WWE history and nothing would be impacted. He was there for decoration. Agree or disagree?

That’s a strong statement, but unfortunately, I have to agree. The show had a good career in the WWE, but he was primarily used as a special attraction instead of being in the title mix or at the top of the card. He had his moments and some quick runs as Champion, but when compared to others like HBK, Triple H, The Rock, Steve Austin, or even CM Punk, there isn’t much there. It’s sad but true.

Do you want to see CM Punk back on AEW television?

Punk was the only guy to consistently bump the ratings. His matches and promos made sense and he’s an entertaining guy. So that would be a yes from me and I think there are quite a lot of fans out there that would agree.

Should King Kong Bundy get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame?

Bundy had a great career, both in the WWE and all over the world. Is he worthy and does he deserve an Induction? I would say yes.

I haven’t been in tune with the recent AEW news but is Collision gonna be a legit 2nd brand or just a more hyped/live version of Rampage?

Honestly, the jury is still out on that and we’ll have to wait and see. I’m hoping for a strong must-see program with stories, characters, and booking that makes sense, but I’m scared that we’ll see the same cluster that dominates Dynamite every week. It’s like the old song goes, “Hope for the best. Expect the worst!”. We’ll just have to keep that advice in mind and see how it goes.

Has WWE dropped the ball with Baron Corbin?

Repeatedly. Corbin is a good worker and has good matches consistently, but the booking and repeated tweaking and changes to his character have cut his feet out from under him numerous times. If they could just find a character, preferably the Lone Wolf that he started with, and stick with it, Corbin could be saved and be a strong player for WWE, but they won’t leave well enough alone and have the constant urge to “tweak and improve”. It’s the same thing with Lacey Evans. They had a character that was getting over and worked and they did a total repackaging. Both Corbin and Lacey can draw and ne big names for WWE, but they won’t leave the characters alone.

Disney has apparently cut all ties with The Rock over the Rhaka Khan lawsuit. Thoughts?

The only ties cut so far are changing their minds about Rock taking over the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Young Rock being on the edge about being renewed or canceled for the next season. The lawsuit is frivolous and makes no sense at all and shouldn’t affect Rock’s career in Hollywood in any manner unless they (Disney) are just looking for a reason to drop the Rock and move on to a new (and cheaper) face for their projects. I think people are just reading too much into the business dealings of The Rock & The Mouse and trying to make a story out of nothing. We’ll see if anything comes of all of this, but I personally think it’s just a load of nothing.

Do you think Dutch Mantell is a racist and homophobe?

I think Dutch is a good wrestler, a good booker, a great storyteller, and a wrestling icon & legend. Do I think he’s racist? From what I know and have heard of Dutch, I think he judges people on their character and behavior, not on their skin color. And homophobic? It seems to me that anyone who doesn’t agree with the craziness that is currently making the news about trans-this and trans-that is automatically labeled as homophobic and slammed. Hell, I’m a gay man and I know I have, so Dutch, who speaks his mind and doesn’t pull the punches and calls out the insanity for what it is, is being labeled as homophobic and transphobic by folks like Effy. I’ve never heard of Dutch making anti-gay remarks or being an ass to anyone because of their sexual preference, but since he’s not a supporter of the Woken movements, he’s getting labeled and slammed anyhow. So do I think he’s racist or homophobic? No, I think he’s just tired of the BS, doesn’t agree with the extreme factions who are demanding special treatment and thinks for himself rather than just following the sheep in the crowd. So there you go.

If Tammy Sytch was released from jail tomorrow, do you think she could still have a career in professional wrestling?

Unfortunately, yes. While the bigger companies and major players would avoid her like a rash, there will always be promoters with no morals or scruples, shoot interviewers, and other weasels who would be throwing all sorts of money at her to cash in on her infamous notoriety. She’s a habitual offender and killed a man, but so long as she can make someone a dollar, right?

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. And with that, let’s wrap things up. I need to make a drink run before I start getting ready for the show tonight and time is not on my side. Take care and stay well, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!