Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Bischoff, Bayley, PG-13 and More
October 17, 2019
DougMaynard.com

In Memory of Keri J. Ellerbe – Rest In Peace Sir…

It’s time. Let’s do this. The questions come from Cheese.

Thoughts on Eric Bischoff’s being fired as Executive Director of Smackdown?

It’s big news, but not really surprising. We kept hearing reports how Paul Heyman was doing this and doing that and yet when it came to Eric, we would hear nothing but he’s “getting settled in” and how Bruce Pritchard was “helping him”. I think that Eric has been out of the business for too long and he and Vince may have realized that he’s not the same Bischoff he once was and best to part ways before it gets too involved or deep. Bischoff hasn’t said anything all bad about the WWE and they haven’t said anything bad about him, except for that he’s been fired from his role. Hell, Eric even made a t-shirt about it. We’ll know more when Eric’s next podcast comes out, but I think it’s probably the right call for all persons involved. Eric’s not a “creative guy” and while I’d love to see him as an adviser and maybe in an on-air role, his days of being the guy in charge are probably best left in the past.

Do you think Eric will end up going to AEW?

No, I don’t think so. While Eric no longer works for the WWE, he still has his podcast and appearances to keep him active and I don’t think the bridges with WWE have been burned either. I still expect to see Eric rebound as an occasional talking head on WWE Network, appear at the nostalgia and Anniversary shows and eventually end up a member (well deserved) in the WWE Hall of Fame. He doesn’t, so far as I know, have any kind of relationship with Cody, Omega or the Young Bucks that would lead to a role in AEW and I don’t think he’d be interested in a role with them unless the money was too good to pass up. But I’m sure that AEW has eyes on other talent rather than a non-wrestling ex-authority figure and I think Eric has plenty of other options still on the table as well.

Thoughts on the recent “WWE Draft”?

People got shuffled around and now, presumably, we’ll see the brand split more tightly enforced and each division of the WWE able to forge ahead with their own identity. I hate it that they broke up the team of R-Truth and Carmella, but aside from that, I’m satisfied with the majority of the moves. Maybe now, we can see Heath Slater, EC3, The B-Team and a few others finally get the breaks they deserve.

Thoughts on Bayley’s new chareacter and change into a heel?

It was well done and long overdue. Bayley, as the huggy bear face, had grown stale and boring to me. Now, we can see some attitude and inner-bitch come out and really get a chance to see her in action with everything on the table. This change was and is a very good thing.

What do you think about Seth Rollins “burning down” the Firefly Funhouse?

It was a lame segment and went over like a big giant turd in my opinion. I was, like most people, excited for the prospect of a Seth – Fiend war, but so far, the booking and matches have been lame and boring and now I’m just ready for it to end. I hope that these two men can rebound because they’re both damn excellent performers and deserve better, but this whole situation needs to be torched just like the Funhouse was. Let’s move on to something else after Crown Jewel.

Mike Kanellis has allegedly asked for his release. Thoughts?

The way his career in WWE has been so far, I can’t and don’t blame him. Maria has made it clear in a tweet earlier today that she loves Mike and family is over everything, but she has no plans to leave WWE. She has a history with the company and they might eventually use her correctly, but for Mike, it’s been one slap in the face after another. He was a top guy for ROH and at Impact and now, he’s getting stomped weekly by people who may or may not have impregnated his wife. I hope he can get his release and put all of this behind him and enjoy the success he deserves elsewhere. The whole WWE run thus far, has been nothing but embarassing and well worth just forgetting, never to speak of again.

Does PG-13 (JC Ice and Wolfie D) belong in the WWE Hall of Fame?

For their in-ring work and the things they accomplished in USWA, ECW, WWE and WCW, absolutely. They were a great tag team that made an impact and even now, Wolfie continues to wrestle on occasion and looks great. I could see another run with WWE or AEW or at least NWA in his future if he so desired. Jamie though? His mouth is a problem and the racist and insulting comments he’s made in different shoot interviews, have totally destroyed any chance he has of ever getting into the Hall of Fame. Jamie is loud and wild and fun to watch perform. Hell, we’re friends on Facebook and I enjoy his posts. He’s just a good ol’ boy redneck and unfortunately, when that beer starts flowing, he doesn’t have a censor or off-switch. In today’s politically correct world, that just doesn’t work. So do they deserve it? Based on their talent and careers, yes. Will they ever see it? Nope.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Thoughts and comments are welcome as are any questions. Please send me some questions for future columns. I’d greatly appreciate it. Until the next time, take care of yourself and remember to tell those that matter most to you, friends and family, that you love them. You might not have the chance tomorrow. Take care and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!