Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Ivory, Mike Shaw, Black Bart & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. I’m Doug and this is how we roll, with the best wrestling questions and no topic is off limits. Are you ready? Let’s roll.

I just finished watching Stevie Richards talk about RTC, and he suggested that Ivory would have done a good job as the faction’s leader. What do you think? Would Ivory have been a good leader of RTC?

It would have been a groundbreaking move for WWE and RTC, and I would have loved to see it happen. Unlike most of the RTC faction at the time, as Richards explained in his podcast, Ivory was very much into the character and her role with RTC. And she was naturally bossy. Ivory was a natural leader, and moving her to a more prominent role in the faction could have extended the life of the group for at least another year.

Dirty Dutch Mantell versus Stevie Richards. Who wins?

And put James Romero as the special guest referee. An interesting clash of styles and characters, this could be a fun match. I’d pick Dutch to take home the victory.

How would you rate Logan Paul as a heel?

Logan is a natural heel and everything he does is smarmy and heelish. If anyone was born to be a heel, Paul is that one.

Who should Stephanie Vaquer’s Manager be?

Armando Alejandro Estrada just signed a legend’s deal with WWE so if he doesn’t end up as part of the new Bloodline, he’d be good in the role. And I just heard, although I don’t know how true it is, that Jose Garcia, who worked as Jose the Assistant in AEW and was released in April, has signed a deal with WWE/NXT. If this is true, he’d be ideal for the role of manager/translator for Vaquer as well. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Now that Jey Uso is the Intercontinental Champion, who should his first challenger be?

After Bron Breakker is moved to the side, I think a feud between Uso and Finn Balor, as an extension of the recent Judgment Day hostilities, makes the most sense. Uso versus Carlito? That’d be cool too.

Thoughts and memories of Black Bart?

Thoughts and memories? Has he died? I know he’s been fighting cancer, but Bart is still alive and kicking. I first remember Bart as a job guy named Ricky Harris in Crockett in the early 80s. A tough kid who looked great, but wasn’t standing out much. He vanished for a while and James J. Dillon and Ron Bass brought in a new partner, Black Bart. And thus, the story begins. Bart was rough and a steady mid-card heel who could slide into any story and make an impact. He was never the main event, but he was always a big part of the show. He’s responsible for training Necro Butcher and JBL and helping them get into the business. A true wrestling icon.

Is it (pro wrestling) still real to you?

Part of me analyzes characters and plots out stories and looks primarily at the business that is professional wrestling. I’ve been around too long and seen way too much to lose myself in the magic that is wrestling. I break down matches in my head, look for the high spots and angles, and try to understand why this or that happens the way it does. But every so often, a match or an angle will catch my eye and that inner child in me perks up and takes notice. And I want to believe again. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s an excellent feeling. And when it happens, it’s real to me all over again.

On the most recent Raw (Sept. 16), Damien Priest and Rhea Ripley were again outnumbered and beaten down by The Judgment Day. This has become a weekly event since Priest and Ripley were kicked out of the group. At what point do they become fools for falling prey to the same stunt week after week?

It seems that they’re catching on as of this past week with Rhea’s laying out of Liv & Dom. It’s all part of the story. Rhea and Priest are not Sting, constantly falling for Ric Flair’s fake friendship over and over. They’re evolving and taking the appropriate measures. It’s just the benefit of long-term storytelling.

Favorite Mike Shaw gimmick/character?

I know he played Makhan Singh, Norman the Lunatic, Trucker Norman, Bastion Booger, Friar Ferguson, and Jed Grundy. I may have forgotten some of the other characters that he portrayed. My favorite was Norman the Lunatic. He was simple and kind of fun in a dumb way. I had the chance to see him wrestle several times at live shows during his run as this character, and it was always entertaining.

How would you rate LA Knight’s reign as the WWE United States Champion so far? Who would you like to see him feud against?

So far, I haven’t been impressed. LA Knight is, to me, bland. I can’t seem to get into his character and he’s just another guy on the roster right now. Once Kevin Owens finishes his current stuff, maybe a Knight versus KO feud would be good. Knight versus a returning AJ Styles would be fun as well.

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 close up for the night. I’m going to bed. Take care and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!