Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Jay Youngblood, John Hennigan, Crusher Blackwell & More
June 26, 2023
DougMaynard.com

Time is not on my side, but time only fears the pyramids and the legends of professional wrestling. It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. Let’s do this.

Had she not been injured, do you think Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks would have been wrestling at Forbidden Door tomorrow night?

Well, Forbidden Door was last night so this question has been waiting for a few days in my inbox, but the answer is the same. Yes, if she had not been injured, I have no doubts that Sasha would have been wrestling last night, most likely against Toni Storm in the spot where Willow Nightingale was used instead. And the match would probably have been not as good. Willow is still proving herself and works hard every match. Sasha, not so much in my opinion.

Squash matches” have never not worked to introduce the effectiveness of a dominant wrestler. True or false?

True. If you want to get a guy over, have him go out there and destroy some jobbers. It’s a time-proven technique that has always worked and always will.

Manny Fernandez versus Buddy Landel. Who wins?

I had the opportunity to see both of these guys wrestle live many times back in their Crockett days and this would be an intriguing match to see. When I saw Landel, he had James J. Dillon as his manager so I’d assume J.J. is here as well. And that would be the deciding factor. J.J. with the shoe from the outside to allow Buddy to steal the win.

Thoughts on Jay Youngblood?

Jay was a good worker, as proven by his many tag team title reigns with Rick Steamboat. I also had the chance to see Jay work in a singles match one time against Gene Anderson and I don’t know what was going on that night, but at a little show in Lumberton, NC, with Andre the Giant versus John Studd as the main event, Gene and Jay went crazy, had a damn good match, and stole the show. It’s a match my then-14-year-old self has remembered forever since that day. But back to Jay, he wasn’t much of a talker, but promo skills weren’t as important back then. He had that killer chop and was a good-looking guy who all the ladies loved. A very underrated legend who doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves.

John Hennigan, aka Johnny Televison, is All-Elite. Thoughts?

This is a good move for Hennigan as he’ll be able to travel with his wife, Taya Valkyrie, plus as a former big star for WWE, plus his history of titles in Impact Wrestling, Triple AAA, and all over the world, he’ll be used well and get the big push. It’s a good career move for Hennigan and I’m happy for him.

Thoughts on Crusher Jerry Blackwell?

Blackwell was a big man, well over three hundred pounds, but he moved like a Cruiserweight. The man could throw a standing dropkick. The main memory I have of Blackwell was a match on television from Crockett where he wrestled The Mighty Igor and Igor was legit just bouncing Blackwell around the ring like a basketball. Maybe not that dramatic, but I was probably ten years old at the time and that’s how I remember it. But Blackwell was easy to underestimate, usually to his opponent’s regret. A good wrestler and a man who belongs in every Wrestling Hall of Fame there is.

Ravishing Rick Rude versus Paul Orndorff. Who wins?

This would be a good match and it could easily go either way and it wouldn’t be an upset in the slightest. But more often than not, my money would be on the Ravishing One. Rude wins.

Choose one: 10 chops from Gunther or 5 mins in the ring with Haku?

If Haku is sober and in a good mood, I’d take the match with him. He was always professional in the ring and I’ve never heard anyone complaining about him taking advantage or intentionally hurting an opponent. It was always outside the ring or people that crossed him that had to worry about getting hurt. Those chops from Gunther though? My chest is hurting just thinking about them. I’ll pass.

Tyrus versus Jinder Mahal. Who wins?

This match would either be surprisingly good or really, really bad. There would be no in-between. I like both men and would like to see this happen. I’m probably the only one. I think Jinder would win.

If AEW did a Forbidden Door PPV with WWE, what would you book as the top 3 matches?

Kenny Omega versus Seth Rollins, MJF versus The Miz, and for old-time’s sake, FTR versus The Usos.

What are your thoughts on Eddie Kingston ever being an AEW world champion?

It’s not going to ever happen. Eddie is a lot of things and has an odd appeal to a lot of fans, but to be the face of the company? He’s not that good.

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. Take care and be well, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!