Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Dino Bravo, Ricky Starks, Cody Rhodes & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

It’s a lovely Sunday morning and I’m up way too early, but these columns don’t write themselves. It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A, where you have questions, I have answers, and nothing is off-limits. Let’s roll.

February is Black History Month. Who’s on your Mt. Rushmore of black pro wrestlers?

For me, it’s The Big Cat, Ernie Ladd, followed by Ron Simmons, Jacqueline, and Rufus R. “Freight Train” Jones. And the “R” stands for guts!

43 years ago today, in 1981, Harley Race was defeated by Tommy Rich for the NWA World Championship. Harley won the belt back several days later. Thoughts?

From what I understand, business was down in the Georgia territory and Tommy Rich was the hot young babyface so the promoter, Jim Barnett, asked Harley for a favor to jump-start the territory. Harley agreed and it worked, giving Rich the honor of being a former NWA World Champion when that belt mattered and stood above all others, plus popping the fans to believe that anything can happen and they needed to be there just in case, thus causing attendance to rise across the territory. It was good for business.

Ray ‘The Crippler’ Stevens, Nick Bockwinkel, and Larry Zbyszko versus Ole, Gene, and Arn Anderson. Who wins?

Man, this would be an awesome match. The irony here is that Ole and Ray Stevens were the NWA Tag Team Champions together, while Arn and Zbyszko were WCW Tag Team Champions together as well. Ole started as part of the AWA and both Bockwinkel and Stevens were his peers in those early days. This match would be a clinic in tag team wrestling at its very best. I think the AWA faction would probably end up as the winner, but to be honest, it could easily go either way.

Thoughts and memories of Dino Bravo.

I do remember Bravo from wrestling for Crockett in the late 70s, where he was the NWA Canadian Champion and had a nice rivalry with Ken Patera. A good-looking kid and so damn strong. And of course, he was in WWF as part of a tag team with Dom DeNucci, with whom he held the WWF Tag Team Championship. He also had a feud with Jim Duggan. A talented performer who met an untimely end when he got involved in cigarette smuggling and was shot, assassination style, while sitting in his chair in his living room.

Should Vince McMahon be given the Chris Benoit treatment by WWE?

That is far easier said than done. Vince was not just a wrestler, but an announcer, the owner, a wrestler, etc., and the Mr. McMahon character has been engrained across the WWE for over forty years. I can see removing some of the more implicating scenes, like having Trish bark like a dog, but WWE can never remove Vince from its history entirely. It’s just not possible in my opinion.

Ricky Starks recently commented that when he needs advice or someone to talk to, he still calls/contacts Cody Rhodes because “I don’t have anyone to talk to” in AEW. Thoughts?

It makes me wonder what people like Sting, Dustin Rhodes, Jake Roberts, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, and the many other veteran wrestlers backstage are doing if they’re not open to giving advice and helping out the younger talents. But that being said, I can see where Starks is coming from. Cody was his trainer and mentor and that’s who he’s most comfortable speaking to. So if Cody is cool with it and there for him, why quit or stop?

Mick Foley wants to drop a 100lbs and have another death match. Who would you like to see Foley face?

If Foley is going to have a Death Match, why not face the King of Death Matches, Matt Cardona? It makes sense and would make for a nice payday for both men. I don’t think that Foley should take the risks of another match, but if it does happen, Cardona would be a good, and safe opponent.

Buff Bagwell versus Austin Theory. Who wins?

Buff is highly underrated as a wrestler and to me, Buff Daddy will always be The Stuff, but Theory is on his way to being a huge star one day. I think Theory would be the one to take that trip to the pay window.

Since Punk is hurt, and Seth is hurt….just let Damien cash in on him, and let’s start building up the REAL Wrestlemania main event, Damien Priest versus R-Truth, for the World Championship. What say you?

If that were to happen, it would not upset me in the slightest. Can you imagine the pop if, by some chance, R-Truth was to walk out of Wrestlemania holding the World Championship? No one would give a damn about finishing stories or The Head of the Table. Even the AEW haters would be happy. R-Truth versus Priest for the World Championship at Wrestlemania? Book it, Triple H.

Cody has seemingly stepped aside from Wrestlemania 40 to make room for Roman versus The Rock. So what’s next for Cody and when does he get his shot?

I have no idea. Roman runs down the World Championship, held by Seth Rollins, and Cody makes it clear what belt he wants and why, and then gives it all up for The Rock. What was the point of winning the Royal Rumble if he’s not going to wrestle the champion he wants in the main event? WWE has dug itself into a big hole due to, allegedly, the politics of The Rock and his desire to “save” WWE and wrestle Roman at Mania. For me, the most logical solution would be, since there are two nights of Mania, to have Roman wrestle both nights, with the match against The Rock for the Tribal Chief being on one night, while the title defense against Cody is on the other. That’s not fair to Roman, but if Cody has matches on both nights, maybe against Drew McIntyre on the first one and Roman the next, no one could complain. I’ve heard that Cody may challenge Roman at the Elimination Chamber event, but that’s not the same as Mania. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this all plays out. Maybe we’ll get some great surprises and good news for Cody, but I do know a lot of wrestling fans are not happy right now. Let’s just see how it goes.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. And with that, let’s wrap it up for today. Take care and be well, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!