Tossing Salt - Worldwide News: November 19, 2011

Tossing Salt - Worldwide News
November 19, 2011
Doug Maynard

Never before and never again. That's the premise for the tag team of John Cena and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson tomorrow night at the 25th Anniversary, live from Madsion Square Garden edition of Survivor Series. Never before? I can believe that. Never again? Yeah, right! If that's what they so, so be it, but if the buy-rates are good, it'll happen again. And again. And again. This is the WWE and never say never, especially where money is concerned.

And that is totally not the introduction I wanted to start off with. I was assuming that after I put "never before and never again", some clever and witty remark would pop up and I'd be able to kick this column off with a bang. It didn't work. I have nothing. Hell, I may as well change my name to John Laurinaitis if this keeps up. But then again, that would never work because I used to know how to ride a skateboard. (Burn!) Let's just get on with the column, okay? Maybe I'll find some humor and wit somewhere along the way. One can only hope.

What's on the agenda? Stuff! Lots and lots of stuff. Old faces. New faces. And a few smart-ass remarks about people who fall somewhere in between. And of course, I've got predictions for Survivor Series. And as my "filler segment" of the column, I have a little thing called "One on One" where I match up the stars from November 1984 against the stars of November 2011. Who's better and who would win in each match? I'm going to tell you. It's a full and packed extravaganza with more fun than Chaz Bono and Larry Flynt visiting the Westboro Baptist Church for Sunday night dinner. Let's do this.

Before I really get to rambling, I want to send a major league shout out to the man who owns my heart, Cal. He turned 30 this past Wednesday (you're getting old, fella!) and I just wanted to take the opportunity to wish him a very Happy (belated) Birthday! You're an awesome person (have to be to put up with me) and truly the best thing going today or any day. I love ya! Happy Birthday!

Hey Brad and Derk... Isn't it about time for a brand new edition of BD TV?? Got some ideas for some shows if you're interested. Give me a holla holla holla!!

Now, let's talk some rasslin'...

Barry Windham Update...

Nothing much too new to report on Barry Windham, 51, who suffered a stroke a few weeks ago. Barry is one of wrestling's greatest stars from the 1980's and early 1990's until knee problems and injuries took their toll and he was forced to go into semi-retirement. From what I've heard, Windham suffered a broken wrist and twisted his knee when he suffered his attack and will have to relearn how to walk, talk and take care of himself due to the seriousness of the stroke. He's currently recovering in a rehabilitation facility in Florida and the WWE has stepped in to pick up the tab and medical bills. Kudos to them for that.

I know from personal experience (my sister suffered a series of strokes when she was 24 years old and has been dealing with the effects ever since) that recovery is never easy, but if anyone is capable of doing so, "The Lone Wolf" Barry Windham, former NWA World Champion, is the man. Prayers and best wishes go out to Barry and his family in this most trying of times. I doubt we'll ever see Barry in the wrestling ring again, but I'd love to see the man back one day making the convention rounds and perhaps, along with his father (Blackjack Mulligan), Brother-In-Law (Mike Rotundo) and brother (Kendall Windham) start a wrestling school to teach the next generation of superstars.

But that's for the future. Just get well and hang in there, Barry. Your fans are wishing for the very best for you and the prayers are there. Good luck Champ.

Matt Hardy...

As one legend attempts to recover from major health woes, another one is taking a tumble in a major way. Matt Hardy is back in jail after being kicked out of a WWE Sponsered / court ordered rehabilitation program. The way I understand it, Matt was acting oddly at the rehab facility and was ordered to take a breathalyzer test which tested positive for alcohol. And then Matt was asked to leave and was taken into custody by Moore County Sheriff Officials for being kicked out of the facility and violating his probation.

I was going to pepper Matt with insults and comments, but even I can't do it. It's just not worth it anymore. Matt has made mistake after mistake and he just doesn't seem to learn. The funny thing is I remember when I first heard about Matt (and met him via mutual friends), he didn't drink or do drugs. He was as close to straight-edge as a young man in the sandhills of NC could be. And when he and Jeff first went to the WWE, they were considered to be the oddballs because they didn't drink or party or raise hell. What the hell happened?

The best thing that could happen to Matt right now is that his friends and family just leave him alone and let him suffer the consequences of his behavior. If it's prison, so be it. Maybe even a detox ward and involuntary committment. Matt has danced the dance, so let him pay the band. Be supportive, but quit compensating and making excuses for Matt. Make him want to get better and find it in himself to do so. He's been protected and sheltered from the consequences of his behavior for so long just because he's Matt Hardy. The kid gloves need to be taken off and he either is forced to want to get past this or he dies. It's that simple.

And have no doubts about that. Matt doesn't have the control to drink or moderate his "recreational drug use". He goes all out and doesn't know when to quit. And he's either got to get away from the alcohol and drugs or the next headline we read about Matt will be his "accidential death" and a shining star will become another cheap statistic. He's worth far more than that. I just hope that maybe this new incident and the consequences make him realize that and he gets real help before it's too late.

Have A Nice Day...

As witnessed this past Monday, when he tried to show John Cena his life and ended up eating a "Rock Bottom" from The Rock, Mick Foley, aka "Cactus Jack", "Mankind", and "Dude Love" is back with the WWE. And actually, I like this. Foley, if used correctly, can be entertaining and draw fans. TNA didn't know how to use Mick when he did the brief stint with them, but for the most part, WWE has proven quite capable of using Mrs. Foley's little boy more correctly.

I'm not sure exactly what his role in the current WWE will be. Maybe he'll end up fighting Johnny Ace for the job of RAW General Manager? Maybe, if the rumors are true that former six-time World Champion Booker T will be putting the tights back on for one for run in the near future, then Foley can replace him at the Smackdown Announce Table. Hell, maybe he'll be a part of Tough Enough if the show is brought back next year. (And based on the ratings it did, it should return. Steve Austin has indicated that he wants to do it again.)

Regardless of his role for the company, be in as an authority figure, a commentator, a manager or behind the scenes as an agent, having a person like Mick Foley, especially when it is Mick Foley, can only be a plus for the WWE. And will there be "one more match" at some point for the "Hardcore Legend"? I would suspect so. How about a Foley - CM Punk brawl? Come on now - you know you'd like to see that. I surely would. Hey Vince, make it happen.

Another WWE Return?...

Another former name making news about wishing to come back to the WWE is former Diva / DX Founder Chyna. Will it happen? Well, considering that her ex-boyfriend and the woman who stole that boyfriend away are the people in charge of the WWE these days, I seriously doubt it. And when you factor in Chyna's new "career" with Vivid Video and her most recent DVD release, "Back Door To China", that makes it even less likely.

But to be honest, I'd like to see it happen. One of the problems with wrestlng today as compared to the 1990's and before is that there aren't any surprises left. Nothing is shocking anymore and "What the...??" moments are few and far between. Maybe it's just me, but if Steph and Hunter are secure in their marriage, what's the problem? I undestand that Chyna has had problems in the past with substance abuse, but if she can pass all the medical tests and wellness tests, she should be given the same chances and opportunities as any other past WWE performer.

Hell, they brought in Eric Bischoff and he ended up being there for almost six years. They brought back Brian Christopher for the Michael Cole - Jerry Lawler angle last year. They even hired Kid Kash and Juventud Guerrera for short periods of time and we all know their histories. The bottom line is money and being professionals. Is there money to be made with a Chyna return to the WWE? I think there is.

Just picture HHH and Kevin Nash doing their program over the next few months and Nash says that he's got a "secret weapon" to use against HHH. Here comes Chyna out to be Nash's partner. We get some "worked shoot" promos and people start to sit up and take notice. We get Stephanie McMahon involved too. And so long as everyone stays professional, this would draw money. There is enough of a real history there that people would get interested and want to see what happens next.

And I'd build it all up to a match at Wrestlemania or one of the big pay-per-views. In the end, Chyna and HHH "reunite" as friends, we get some cameos from both X-Pac (who works at the WWE Developmental Territory in Florida) and Road Dogg (who's now working as a backstage agent for the WWE). Hell, bring in Billy Gunn for a night and fly in Shawn Michaels. Just work it all up to a full DX reunion for one night only. I know this is a lot of personalities and would take a lot of work and patience on the parts of everyone involved, but DX always means money for the WWE and the positives would well exceed any problems or headaches. All of these people involved (Hunter, Steph, Chyna, X-Pac) are all supposed to be professionals so let them prove it and make some of that big time money. It's an angle that could work and bring back a lot of older fans, as well as give closure to any personal issues with everyone involved.

Those are just my thoughts on Chyna and the whole "coming back to the WWE" situation, but so long as Chyna is able to pass the medical tests and wellness tests, I think it would work and be a major win-win scenario for the WWE. They should do it.

Survivor Series Predictions...

And now, tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden inNew York City, it's the 25th edition of WWE Survivor Series. Let's make some predictions.

WWE Championship
Alberto Del Rio (c) versus CM Punk

I'm not sure about this match. They need to go ahead and pull the plug on Punk's run for the title and go ahead and give him the title already, but I don't really think Del Rio has even approached what he's capable of as champ. His reign thus far has been totally forgettable and he needs a big-time moment to really make an impact and cement his spot as a top guy. But it can't be at Punk's expense. They've been cutting him off at the knees ever since his return to the WWE and while he doesn't need the title, he really can't afford to take a loss at the hands of Del Rio. So what the hell should WWE do?

Punk needs a clean win far more than Del Rio needs to keep the title, so I'll predict that Punk goes over and wins the title to capture the gold. Then Monday night on RAW, we can have Johnny Ace come down and reverse the decision for some crazy reason and give the belt back to Del Rio. Then Punk can put Ace to sleep and keep his heat, Del Rio keeps his title and gets more chances to have that big moment and Johnny Ace gets laid out. Everyone wins. Yeah, that'll work.

Winner and NEW WWE Champion: CM Punk

World Championship
Mark Henry (c) versus The Big Show

A big, nasty, slow moving brawl with lots of high impact and "damn, that hurt" moments. Look for Show to dominate for most of the match. Henry gets his shots in as well and maintains his "monster" look and role. And Daniel Bryan comes down towards the end and gets involved to cause a disqualification. Show wins the match, but Henry keeps the title and the build towards Henry versus Bryan at Wrestlemania continues.

Winner by DQ: Big Show (Mark Henry retains Championship)

United States Championship
Dolph Ziggler (c) versus John Morrison

Excuse me!! Dolph and John put on a great match, but the outcome is never in doubt. Dolph keeps the title and then realizes he's got some Long Island Iced Z in his future come Monday night. Woo Woo Woo. You know it!

Winner and STILL United States Champion: Dolph Ziggler

WWE Divas Championship - Lumberjill Match
Beth Phoenix (c) versus Eve Torres

The Barbie Girl's best friend cries. The Glamazon reigns supreme!

Winner and STILL Diva's Champion: Beth Phoenix

The Rock & John Cena versus The Miz & R-Truth

Can the Rock and Cena co-exist? Can they be a team? Will "boots to asses" be trending worldwide on Sunday night? All of these questions. And my answers are no, no and probably. Crossed signals between "The Great One" and "The Champ" result in confusion and chaos. They blow up and end up fighting each other. And Miz & Truth sneak in and steal the win. That's what's going to happen. And that, my friends, is the awesome truth!!

Winners: The Miz & R-Truth - The Awesome Truth

Survivor Series Match
Team Orton (Randy Orton, Sin Cara, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston & Mason Ryan ) versus Team Barrett (Wade Barrett, Hunico, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler)

A traditional Survivor Series match. I think they should have tried to slide Zack Ryder into this match somewhere since they are in his home town and a ton of Broski's will be in attendence, but this is the WWE so I should have known better. There's still room to add one more match if they choose to so maybe we'll get to see Zack. Hope so. As for this match, I haven't got a clue as to who will win or lose. I can see valid arguments for Orton and Sheamus, but I can see similar arguments for Rhodes and Barrett. I expect that we'll see Christian at ringside for Team Barrett and I expect that we'll see him get involved once or twice during the match and maybe cause Sheamus to be counted out. I'll go for the heel team of Wade Barrett and friends to win (Wade, Cody and Hunico last men standing) because they need it more than Randy or his team does.

Winners: Team Barrett

And now, to close things up, let's move on to a little thing that I like to call...

One On One...

It's the Superstars of 1984 versus the Superstars of 2011. What I did was take the "Official Top Ten Ratings" from the magazine "Wrestling Superstars" for the period ending November 6, 1984 and decided to match those superstars up against the WWE's "Power 25" for the period ending November 5, 2011. I look at the matches and analyze who I think would win if these superstars were matched up against each other. It's purely speculation on my part, but what the hell. It's fun. So let's do this.

Ric Flair versus Randy Orton

This was Ric about halfway through his second reign as the NWA World Champion and he was really on fire and in his prime at this point, working seven nights a week and all across the world. This era is what cemented Ric's reputation as arguably the greatest wrestler of all time. And Randy is really at his prime right now and could be considered among the very best of today's generation.

This would be a helluva fun match to watch. Randy is more into the high-impact moves and by the end of the match, Ric would be a giant bruise from top to bottom. As good as Ric was, I can't see him pinning or beating Randy Orton. But I can't see Randy getting the pin on Ric either. We'd get about a million 2 3/4 counts and another couple of near falls with Ric just managing to get a foot on the ropes or just barely escaping Orton's grasp. I think Orton would dominate the match, but Ric would catch the low blow or get himself disqualified at the end to get out of the match in one piece. Yeah, it would definitely end up with some DQ's and no-decision endings.

Winner: Randy Orton by DQ

Rick Martel versus Mark Henry

At this time, Rick Martel was the AWA World Champion. Mark Henry, as you know, is the current WWE World Champion. Rick's a great scientific wrestler and a good performer, but in my eyes, he was strictly a mid-card guy. He had the in-ring talent, but not much charisma. He was a good looking guy, but that's about it. Henry has really come together in the past year or so as a monster. He's scary as hell and has really grown into the World Championship. This match would be back and forth for about fifteen minutes and then Henry would catch Martel with the slam and lay the French-Canadian out. That would be all it takes.

Winner: Mark Henry

Dusty Rhodes versus John Cena

Superman versus Superman. That's all you can say about this match. Dusty sold a little bit more for his opponents, but you always knew that he would come back in the end and be "The American Dream" with the bionic elbow and get the win. And Cena takes a beating, but then comes back with the "Five Moves" and Super-Cena always gets the win in the end too. So who would win between these two? Depends on who's doing the booking, I would think. How about a double-count out so neither man has to take a loss. Hmmm! That's lame. So Cena wins since I think he's actually the better wrestler of the two. (Yeah, I said it!)

Winner: John Cena

Hulk Hogan versus The Big Show

I wish this was the Big Show of about five or six years ago because then it would be a fun match to see, but The Big Show as he is right now versus the Hulk Hogan of 1984 when Hulkamania was just really starting to take off and become the strongest force in the Universe isn't even really a match. Hogan takes a beating and then starts to shake and "hulk up". We get the boot and the legdrop and it's over. Hulkamania reigns supreme.

Winner: Hulk Hogan

Kerry Von Erich versus CM Punk

Kerry had a great body and was capable of putting on a good match, but he wasn't the smartest guy on the block. Punk is more of a thinking man's wrestler and right now, is arguably "the best wrestler in the world". Don't believe him? Just ask him. He'll tell you. It would be a weird mesh of styles, but I think it would be an entertaining match to witness. As for who wins, Von Erich tries for the discus punch, but Punk ducks it and nails the "GTS" to get the win.

Winner: CM Punk

Wahoo McDaniel versus Alberto Del Rio

Wahoo was a fair wrestler with a nasty, vicious chop that was second to none. Del Rio is a damn good wrestler who mixes tactical moves with some flying and lots of sneakiness. And both men whine far too much. This would actually be a fun match to see with a huge clash in styles. In a legitimate fight, I have no doubt that the Wahoo from 1984 would beat the holy hell out of Del Rio. But in the ring, I think Wahoo would lose his temper, get distracted by Ricardo Rodriguez outside the ring and end up falling victim to Del Rio's sheanigans. Del Rio would walk out the winner by pinfall.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio

Greg Valentine versus Sheamus

Forget wrestling moves. These two men would just pound the holy hell out of each other. We might see the occasional armlock or leglock, but it'd be mostly just pound for pound forearm smashes across the chest to see who can take the biggest beating. As for the match, as tough as Sheamus is, I think Greg is just the slightest bit tougher and when all was said and done, "The Hammer" would pound "The Celtic Warrior" into the ground. Yeppers! Hammer wins!

Winner: Greg "The Hammer" Valentine

Magnum TA versus Zack Ryder

I like Zack Ryder and I think that he's got a big future ahead of him in the WWE. He'll be the United States Champion before the year is out, unless they decide to save that match for Wrestlemania. But right now, Ryder is more sizzle than steak. And Magnum TA was the real deal. He had the "pretty boy" image, but when it came to getting things done in that ring, he was definitely at the top of his game every night. Just ask Tully and the Horsemen. It'd be a fun match to watch and the crowd was have a great time and really be into it, but the outcome wouldn't ever really be in doubt. Ryder WILL BE a major name one day, but Magnum was already there at that point in his career.

Winner: Magnum TA

Andre The Giant versus Wade Barrett

Andre the Giant was "The Man"., And Barrett is damn good, but he's not "the man". Not even close. It'd be a good match for about five minutes and then Andre would get bored and lay Barrett out.

Winner: Andre The Giant

Kevin Von Erich versus R-Truth

This would be a good match to see. Kevin was arguably the best wrestler of his family and was capable of putting on a good show with anyone and everyone who came into the World Class area. And Truth is a fantastic wrestler as well who has really developed and grown as a performer, especially over the past few months. What? Don't you 'what' me? While this wouldn't be a "steal the show" type of match, it would be solid and entertaining and the fans would be entertained. I think we'd see a lot of back and forth and a lot of near falls for both competitors. And in the end, it'd be the Von Erich claw taking that trip to the pay window as Kevin sneaks out the win.

Winner: Kevin Von Erich

And there you go with the wrestlers of 1984 taking on the "sports-entertainers" of 2011 with an even split in the series ( 5 / 5 ). Those were some tough matches and they were much more evenly matched that I had expected them to be. It just shows how good the stars of yesterday and the stars of today really and truly are.

Final Thoughts...

And I guess that's all for tonight. Any comments or questions can be sent to Doug28352@yahoo.com. Also, come visit me on Facebook at www.facebook.saltpalace.com. Add me as a friend. You know you want to. And for all things Dougie, including short stories and fictions, wrestling columns, political commentary, surveys and randomized rambling and ranting, check out my site at http://www.tsfiction. blogspot.com.

I'm Doug and with that, I'm out of here. Thank you for reading. And don't forget to support your local Indy wrestling companies. Have a great night and I'll catch you on the flip side.

Ubuntu!