Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Dutch Mantell, Ernie Ladd, Randy Orton & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. I’m Doug and I can’t sleep. You’re welcome. Let’s roll.

I heard Dutch Mantell say that wrestling is an addiction. Agree or disagree?

No way. I only watch, read, and talk about wrestling daily because I want to. I only read old magazines and write for at least two hours daily because I want to. I can quit at any time. sighs Yeah, he’s right. My name is Doug and it’s still real to me, damn it!

Ken Patera & Wahoo McDaniel versus The Bloodline (Jacob Fatu & Solo Sikoa). Who wins?

Wahoo and Patera is an odd combination, but I wouldn’t want to cross either of those men or get on their bad side. Fatu is awesome and Solo is impressive, but Wahoo would chop both of them down by himself. Add Patera to the mix with his swinging neck breaker and it would end quickly. Wahoo & Patera would win.

Allegedly, The Masked Superstar was originally picked to be the transitional champion between Bob Backlund & Hulk Hogan. Still, Vince Sr. vetoed it and they went with The Iron Sheik instead. Would Superstar have worked better?

I don’t think that Superstar would have worked quite as well as the Sheik did. The Masked Superstar was a credible heel, but he was also a well-respected dude with a long history and a lot of respect from the fans. Beating Backlund by Masked Superstar would have been credible and believable, but losing to Hogan, may not as well. Given the role and how hated Iron Sheik was, he was the perfect person in the perfect spot for that role. Iron Sheik has the in-ring credibility and reputation, but he had so much heat and the fans hated him. He was just right. Vince Sr. made the right call.

What do you make of Steve Austin’s comments in the McMahon documentary about not believing in CTE?

I think that Austin had a brain fart and made the comment without thinking. Do I think he believes it? Not really, but I think he didn’t think out the consequences of his words before speaking. If given another chance to respond and more context, I think Austin would answer differently the next time.

What are your thoughts and memories of the Big Cat Ernie Ladd?

A big man who always created a stir whenever he showed up. Ladd was a former NFL star who moved to pro wrestling when he realized that the money was better. Ladd was a great heel, arrogant and condescending to everyone. I knew he was something special as a kid, and as I grew older, I grew to appreciate his genius more and more. Calling black wrestlers ‘Uncle Tom’, calling commentators ‘Mr. TV Announcer’, and Ladd was the asshole with the superiority complex. Truly one of the best.

How about Bronson Reed and Otis as a tag team? Imagine the Natural Disasters 2.0.

Somewhere down the line, with Otis doing a heel turn and aligning with Reed, I like this idea. It would work and make much money for both men and WWE.

Is Sheamus a future WWE Hall of Famer?

This one is a no-brainer. Sheamus will one day become part of the WWE Hall of Fame. And it’s an honor he greatly deserves.

Who would you personally consider the WWE Wrestler of the Year?

Taking out the most obvious names like Punk, Rhea, Cody, Roman, etc., my pick would probably be Drew McIntyre. He’s been on fire all year and turned into truly the ultimate heel. After the feud with Punk, he is certainly deserving. And for the women, Liv Morgan. Herin-ring work isn’t much better, but she’s become a great character since hooking up with Dom. She’s amazing.

If Tiffany cashes in successfully at Crown Jewel, does she also become Crown Jewel Champion?

It’s an interesting question. My guess would be if Tiffany cashes in her contract on either Liv or Nia after the match to win a championship, she’s the new champion, but not the Crown Jewel Champion. That title would go to whoever wins between Nia & Liv before Tiffany cashed in. If she pulls a Seth Rollins and cashes in during the match, she would win the title of whichever champion she pins, plus since she became a part of the Crown Jewel Match, she would win that title as well.

Randy Orton’s character arc will be incredibly compelling on TV now. He’s friends with both KO & Cody. Where does he stand?

This reminds me of a song from the seventies by Mary MacGregor. Torn between two lovers, feeling like a fool. Loving both of you is breaking all the rules. Damn, I’m old. But yeah, given his relationship with each man, this puts Randy Orton in a tough spot. More good storytelling from the WWE. What will Randy do? We’ll have to watch and see.

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 it up. Take care and be well, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!