Tossing Salt Presents
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Harley Race, Mike Tenay, Jinder Mahal & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A and what more do you need to know? You ask the questions and I have the answers. Let’s roll.

Who would you say Harley Race had his best match with?

It’s a hard call because Race wrestled for nearly thirty years, and much of that time was spent as the NWA World Champion, traveling constantly and wrestling 5-6 matches a week against a large variety of opponents. That means most matches, I have never seen. But of the ones I have seen, the answer is obvious. Nature Boy Ric Flair.

Sami Zayn versus Bobby Eaton. Who wins?

Two very underrated talents, similar in so many ways, that the fans got it when the promoters often didn’t. This would be one hell of a great match and if left to their own merits, could go either way. But Bobby always had Cornette on the outside, just in case, and I’ll factor that in as well. Cornette lays out Sami from the outside with the tennis racket. Bobby takes advantage and hits the Alabama Jam for the win.

So WWE has lost Lesnar and now Punk for Mania. Rollins is iffy. Seems to me like the WWE needs Rock at this point so how do they play it if they can get him for a match? Also if Rollins goes it has to be Gunther to step up to that spot right?

The roster is so stacked right now that arguments can be made if WWE needs The Rock or not. If they get him, use him as the special referee in the Cody/Roman match, thus negating the interference from The Bloodline, and setting up a future match with Roman and Rock to be the Tribal Chief and Head of the Table. If Rollins can’t make it for some reason, I would expect to see either Gunther or Drew McIntyre fill that role.

Where does “The Hart Foundation” rank on the list of greatest tag teams ever?

It’s hard to give them a ranking when admittingly, I was never a big fan. I was an NWA/WCW guy from the start and while I watched WWE, my preferences always tended to lead more to The Anderson Brothers, The Midnight Express, The Steiners, The Road Warriors, etc. Bret and The Anvil were a great team and one of the top teams of their era in the WWE. No one can argue about that. But so far as they’d rank in the listing of all-time? It’s hard for me to say.

On RAW, R-Truth was officially kicked out of Judgment Day. So what’s next for Truth?

I’d like to see a long-term feud with Truth and maybe Miz against Judgment Day, so maybe we can have a match at Mania with The Awesome Truth challenging Judgment Day for the tag team belts. After that, just use Truth semi-regularly and let him be himself. Don’t overexpose him by using him too much, but a little Truth goes a long way and he’s too good to not use in some capacity.

I enjoyed the territorial wrestling era. I’d rather have a wrestling channel featuring different territories than how it’s set up today. What do you think?

I miss the territories too, but time moves on and things change. The Network, over at Peacock, is the best place to watch the shows from the past. Well, that and YouTube if you know what you’re looking for. A channel devoted to nothing but the territories that currently exist, that’s too niche an audience to make it in today’s market and the logistics would be nearly impossible to manage. It’s a nice idea, but I can’t see it working.

What are your thoughts on Triple H’s booking?

We’re getting long-term storytelling, matches that make sense, realistic characters, and all the numbers in WWE are on the rise. I’d say, so far so good.

No Jinder Mahal in the Royal Rumble match? Is WWE dropping the ball with Jinder or is his brief return and time in the spotlight over already?

I was surprised not to see Jinder as part of the Rumble. Has he even been mentioned since the match with Seth on RAW? It seems that Jinder’s time in the sun may be over and if it is, I agree that WWE is dropping the ball. Hopefully, someone in creative will realize this and put a word in Triple H’s ear before all the momentum and buzz from the Seth match fades away and ends.

Rhea Ripley versus Jordynne Grace? Who wins?

Jordynne looked good at the Rumble and she’s a very tough woman, but Mami is always on top, period. Rhea wins.

Thoughts on “The Professor” Mike Tenay.

As a commentator in WCW and then later, TNA, he was always more annoying to me than anything else, but now, as I’ve gotten older, I recognize more what he brought to the table and appreciate the insight and knowledge he shared. A very smart guy and a big part of both WCW and TNA, truly deserving of the nickname, The Professor.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. Be sure to like, share, and subscribe. And with that, let’s wrap things up. I need to leave for a doctor’s appointment and a trip to Wal-Mart. Pray me me, my friends. I hate damn Wal-Mart. Take care and be well and watch out for foreign objects. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!