Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Hulk Hogan, Nia Jax, Iceman King Parsons & More
September 15, 2023
DougMaynard.com

I can’t sleep, so I will write. It’s time for some more playing catch-up as I tackle the many questions sitting in my inbox about the King of Sports, professional wrestling. I’ll never take a day off again. So are you ready? Let’s do this.

What’s one rivalry you wish we would have gotten to see Hulk Hogan have during his prime WWE days? Who would have gone over in the feud?

The man was winding down in his career and playing a babyface more often than not, but I would have loved to see a heel version of Blackjack Mulligan go after Hogan and the WWF title. He fought Bruno, Morales, and Backlund and took them all to the limit, so just imagine the big man from Eagle Pass, Texas versus Hulkamania. That would have been a fun series of matches to see.

Arn Anderson or Jake “The Snake” Roberts?

As much as I like and respect The Snake, I’m a fan of the Horsemen for life. Double-A Arn Anderson would get the win.

Steve Austin versus CM Punk at Wrestlemania 40. Yes or no?

It’d be a fun match and there is plenty of backstory going back several years, with a memorable on-screen interaction backstage at an episode of RAW. The two men get along quite well in real life and given their characters, it’s almost a dream match just waiting to happen. I’d say yes to this.

Should AEW have a roster split?

A roster split? No, not really. They just need a solid and consistent booker who can create good stories and make solid matches that make sense and serve a purpose. Worry about that before trying to separate the talents so that the EVPs won’t get their feelings hurt anymore.

Nia Jax is back in WWE and seems to be targeting Rhea Ripley. Thoughts?

Honestly, it’s a good match-up and makes sense. And to keep it real, I’m glad to see Nia back. She’s not as bad as people try to say, plus she has a good character and matches up well against Rhea. It’s a logical story that makes sense and should be good for both women.

Between Hogan and Austin, who had the better run in their career? Who had the bigger influence? Who had a bigger impact on the business?

No offense to Steve Austin, but without Hogan, there never would have been a Wrestlemania, and probably not even a WWE, at least not the mega-powerhouse company that it grew into. Vince McMahon put everything into Hogan and built around him to make the WWE what it became. Austin is a legend and one of the best, but as much as I hate to admit it, Hogan was the man!

DX (Triple H, HBK, Chyna & X-Pac) versus Judgement Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley & Dom Mysterio). Who wins?

As much of a fan as I am for The Judgement Day, this match would only have one fitting way to end. DX would be standing over Judgment Day and telling them to suck it.

Who would be on your Mt. Rushmore of tag team wrestlers?

First off, I’d have to go with Bobby Eaton. He had successful tag teams with Stan Lane, Dennis Condrey, William Regal, Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit, and many others. My second guy would be Arn Anderson, and I’m sure that Matt Borne, Ole Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Larry Zbyszko, Paul Roma, Barry Windham, Ric Flair, Dustin Rhodes, and several others would agree with that. The third spot? Ole Anderson. He won tag team gold with Gene Anderson, Arn Anderson, Lars Anderson, Ray Stevens, Stan Hansen, Thunderbolt Patterson, and so many others. When I hear tag team wrestling, The Anderson Brothers essentially wrote the book on the subject. So Ole gets the third spot. And the final spot? Kofi Kingston. He’s held gold with the New Day, Evan Bourne, CM Punk, and R-Truth among others. A talented man who has had success in all aspects of his career, but when it comes to teaming up, he’s one of the best.

Thoughts on Iceman King Parsons?

King Parsons was the first wrestler I’ve ever heard call anyone a “Rooty-Poo”. He had a brief run for Jim Crockett Promotions in the early 80s and while he stood out as a talented performer, that’s my biggest memory of him. And then, in Texas, he was a great heel and called himself the “Blackbird” as he teamed up with Freebird Buddy Roberts in a series of matches against Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy, the Fabulous Freebirds. Talented in the ring and good on the mic, Parsons was ahead of his time. If he had come along twenty years later, he would be the top guy with AEW or WWE right now. He was that good. An awesome wrestler to be sure.

Silo Sam & El Gigante versus The Great Khali & Omos. Who wins in this big match?

When you have four freaks of nature in a match, it’s a trainwreck just waiting to happen. When Omos is the most talented performer in the match, that makes it just that much worse. Omos has potential, and Khali and Gigante could be bearable at times, but Silo Sam. Unathletic and has no charisma at all. The stories I’ve heard lol. Look him up. Khali and Omos would win. And the fans would gouge their eyes out for having to witness this match. It would be bad!

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. Be sure to like, share, and subscribe. I need the numbers. And with that, let’s wrap things up. I have to be up in three hours to go to a doctor’s appointment. Wish me luck. So take care and be well, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!