Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Lord Alfred Hayes, Prince Iaukea, The Hardys & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

Welcome to the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. I’m Doug. A slightly belated Happy Birthday to my nephew, Shawn Gantt. Love you, Nephew! And now, let’s talk wrestling. Let’s roll.

Do you believe The Hardys will see even greater success in 2025 now that they have re-signed with TNA Wrestling?

Greater success than what? I think TNA is a much better fit for Matt & Jeff at this point in their careers than AEW or WWE would be. But more success than their earlier runs in WWE? I think Matt & Jeff’s glory days have passed. They’ll do well in TNA, maybe do some crossovers with NXT, and keep building their legacies. I think they’ll be fine.

Jimmy Valiant versus Jimmy Snuka. Who wins?

Are we talking about Jimmy Valiant, who wrestled Lawler in Memphis and held the WWF Tag Team Championship titles with brother Jerry, or are we talking about the Boogie Woogie Man? If it’s the early version of Valiant, then he would give Snuka a fight and most likely win. If it’s Handsome Jimmy, the Boy from New York City, I’d have to go with Snuka for the win.

Did War Games need CM Punk and Bronson Reed?

To even up the odds and make it a 5-on-5 encounter, two additional talents were needed, and Punk and Reed were the men selected. They added some spice and uncertainty to the event and made a potentially good match into a great one. So yes, they needed to step up, and they did just that with some excellent performances that went above and beyond.

Are there any wrestlers (retired) you’d like to see step up and fight Jake Paul?

I think I’ve already done the Ric Flair joke. And you know Flair would take the fight if given the chance. Jake Paul versus Ken Shamrock would be fun to see. Jake Paul versus Haku (Meng) could be very interesting as well. And hell, given their backgrounds, Jake Paul versus Jake Hager, Bobby Lashley, or Brock Lesnar would all be fun to see.

What are your thoughts on Lord Alfred Hayes?

A fair announcer with a very distinct voice and character, as well as amazing knowledge and background. Hayes may have played the loveable goof on TV< but he was quite the accomplished wrestler and manager with a great career before going to work in WWE with Vince McMahon. Very underrated as a wrestler and manager, but a true legend in every sense of the word.

Demolition (Ax, Smash, Crush) versus The Shield (Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins). Who wins?

What a great encounter this would be. Demolition is arguably one of the best tag teams in WWE history. The history of The Shield, as a unit and then later, in the singles careers of all three members, is beyond comparison as well. This match would be a war that could go either way. The deciding factor might be the additional man outside the ring. The Shield didn’t use a manager. Demolition had Mr. Fuji. So a distraction, a cheap shot with the cane, and some salt to the eyes, and Demolition wins.

What are your thoughts and memories of Prince Iaukea, aka The Artist?

I remember this kid from WCW. He was a second-generation talent, the son of King Curtis Iaukea, and had a good look. His original character was kind of bland though and while he won some matches, he wasn’t high on the roster or considered important in WCW. Then he made a gimmick change, added Paisley as his valet, and became a rip-off of the musical artist, Prince. It was a change for the better and he got a small push in WCW, but that quickly vanished and he was just kind of there, with no stories and a quick feud against The Stro’ and some stuff with Jericho, but little else. I think he may have held the Television Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship, but I can’t remember for sure. He worked a few Independents after WCW closed and worked in TNA in the early years, but retired soon afterward and was working as a Military Contractor the last that I heard.

Who is the worst wrestling journalist? Sean Ross Sapp or Dave Meltzer.

Sapp is good at getting scoops, but he’s a total prick and ass clown. Meltzer used to be a good wrestling historian, but the past several years have taken their toll and he’s a joke more often than not. So who’s the worst? They both suck. If you want good wrestling journalism, go to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com. Just ignore these other two clowns. They suck!

ECW versus AEW – 5 versus 5 Survivor Series Elimination Match – who would be your picks for each team? Which team would win?

For ECW, it would be Shane Douglas, Terry Funk, Raven, Tommy Dreamer, and The Sandman versus AEW’s The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Adam Page, and Jack Perry. And Team Extreme would win.

WWE versus WCW – 5 versus 5 Survivor Series Elimination Match – who would be your picks for each team? Which team would win?

Representing WWE would be the winning team from Survivor Series War Games last night, The OG Bloodline, Roman Reigns, Jimmy & Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and CM Punk w/ Paul Heyman versus, representing WCW, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Sting, Lex Luger, and Booker T. And the WWE would win.

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

Ubuntu!