Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Sgt. Slaughter, JYD, The Hollywood Blondes & More
June 29, 2023
DougMaynard.com

Tell me when I’m telling lies. It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. Are you ready? Let’s do this.

Sgt. Slaughter is upset and says that no one from the WWE called him to ask about Lacey Evans using the Cobra Clutch as a finisher. Thoughts?

My question is why should they? Maybe they called Masked Superstar or Baron Von Raschke, who used the finisher early in his career, long before Bob Remus ever thought about playing pretend soldier, before settling on The Claw. I seem to recall reading something maybe a year ago about Slaughter wanting to come work with Evans in a managerial role and now he, a fake Marine who has been coasting on stolen valor for over forty years, is mad that Lacey Evans, a real Marine, is using a gimmick similar to his and using the same finisher he did. There is no way that Sarge wins this argument. He needs to just wish Lacey the best, and then go back to his career of signings and GI Joe instead of acting like a Maggot. And Sarge, that’s an order!

Thoughts on The Brooklyn Brawler, Steve Lombardi?

A prominent figure in the office of WWE for nearly forever it seems. Lombardi was a good wrestler with an aptitude for characters that allowed him to play not just one, but four very distinct characters during his WWE career. Though he never won any titles or worked the main event of any shows while part of WWE, Lombardi is a WWE icon and deserves the respect and credit for being so.

Thoughts on The Junkyard Dog?

I watched the Dark Side episode about JYD and that told me many things that I had heard about before, but it clarified things up a bit. I never had the chance to see JYD wrestle in Mid-South except for the occasional video on YouTube, so the only JYD I remember is the lackluster character at the end of his WWE run and then when he showed back up in WCW. I was not impressed, but now that I know about how heavy his drug use was at the time, I understand why this alleged legend was such a disappointment during the time I was watching him wrestle. It’s a shame what drugs and overindulgence can do. The few clips of early Mid-South, he was impressive. Later, after screwing over Bill Watts and going to WWF and WCW, not so much.

What has happened to Nikki Cross? If you were in WWE, how would you use her?

I suspect she’s in catering backstage at WWE waiting to be used. I’ve heard rumors that she was to be part of Bray Wyatt’s faction, and also that SAnitY was rumored to be coming back and she would be a part of that, but so far, it’s just speculation and nothing solid. I’d like to see her back in the mix on either RAW or Smackdown. Give her a feud with Lacey Evans or Piper Niven to fill some space and give them some television time. I like her crazy character and she should, in my opinion, be used more frequently.

When Randy Orton returns, who should his first feud be with?

Riddle is the obvious answer, but I’d like to see Randy versus Gunther. That would be an epic feud. Randy against Austin Theory could be pretty decent as well.

The Acclaimed versus The West Hollywood Blondes. Who wins?

I guess this question was sent in accordance with Pride Month, right? Well, Lenny and Lodi weren’t “brothers” but they played it on television and did it very well. They were a fun and entertaining mid-card tag team. And Lodi, who I’ve met a couple of times, is an awesome dude. But The Acclaimed is a fantastic team of two up-and-coming talents who have really set the AEW tag team scene on fire. I think The Acclaimed would win this one.

Christian Cage recently stated that heels need to be okay with being genuinely hated. Agree or disagree?

I agree. If the wrestler isn’t into being a heel 100% and giving it everything, then why should the fans believe it or accept him as a heel? Simple, they shouldn’t and won’t. Christian is 100% on this one.

If you were in charge of making a “Jobbers Hall of Fame”, who would be your first 8 inductees?

My picks, right off the top of my head, would be: George South, The Mulkey Brothers, Rocky Johnson, The Brooklyn Brawler, Iron Mike Sharpe, Joey Maggs, Brad Armstrong, and the late, great Rick McGraw.

Who would you say is the best, all-around, wrestler in WWE? How about in AEW?

For the WWE, I’d say Seth Rollins. He’s been on fire for a while now and hits all the check boxes of what a company would want for a professional wrestler. And for AEW, it has to be Bryan Danielson.

How would you rate The Hollywood Blondes (Steve Austin & Brian Pillman) as a tag team?

As a team, very underrated, but they were very good and could easily match up against any team in professional wrestling. It’s obvious how good they are based on what both men did after their team was broken up, but they had the whole tag team psychology down pat as well. If they had remained together, they’d probably be mentioned in the same breath as the Midnight Express, The Rock & Roll Express, The Hart Foundation, etc. The Blondes were good. Damn good!

The Hollywood Blondes versus The Midnight Express (Eaton & Lane). Who wins?

I’m surprised this match never happened, but it didn’t and it would have been a total classic and clinic on great tag team wrestling. As much as I hate to admit it, I think Austin and Pillman would have won.

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 or flying tennis rackets. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!