Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Raven, Tully Blanchard, Brandi Rhodes & More
December 16, 2021
DougMaynard.com

I forgot to do a Q&A yesterday so it’s a double-sized, packed edition of the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. Don’t say I haven’t given you anything for Christmas. So are you ready to talk pro-wrestling? Let’s do this.

Would you like to see Raven as AEW backstage producer or maybe a manager to a new faction?

The last thing that AEW needs is more factions. But if they were to add another one, Raven would be a good one to show up and form a new following of obedient associates. Or he could just take over the Dark Order. But that aside, Raven is a smart and creative guy and could help Tony Khan with the creative process of AEW and would be a big asset. So yeah, if his head is straight, then AEW and Khan should bring him aboard.

Jim Cornette recently talked about on his podcast how Tully Blanchard is too old to be the manager for FTR. Who would you like to see, if anyone, replace Tully as FTR’s manager?

I have to agree with Corny that Tully, while he’s a true legend, is lacking as a manager for FTR. Tully is low-key and while he’s a presence to be sure, he’s not as active or mobile enough to really make any kind of impact in their matches. Tully is too important to discard totally, but I’d shift him to a role as more of a general manager for FTR, as perhaps the head of Tully Blanchard Enterprises, with a younger “hype-guy” to handle the ringside duties and manager stuff as Tully’s assistant. As for who would be good in that role, looking at the AEW roster, Chavo Guerrero Jr. or Kip Sabian are two members of the roster that stand out for me. Maybe Joe Henning, aka Curtis Axel could be brought in. Aiden English would be another name that would work well in that role.

Are you a fan of Brandi Rhodes?

I like Brandi okay as a backstage personality, having seen her show up a few times on Sammy’s VLOG and she’s got charisma and a presence. As a wrestler though, Brandi needs more training and is definitely the weak point of any match she’s a part of. Brandi is an asset to Cody and AEW, but she needs more seasoning and work before taking part in angles and matches on television.

Thoughts on the passing of Jimmy Rave?

It’s always sad when someone so young passes away, but to be honest, though I’ve heard the name many times, I’m not very familiar with his body of work or characters. I know who he is, but that’s about it. From the way he’s been spoken of, it’s a big loss to the wrestling industry. My condolences to his family, fans, friends, etc.

Miz recently announced himself as an inductee into the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame. Work or shoot?

At this point, it’s an angle and work. It may eventually evolve into an actual induction and if that’s the case, he definitely deserves it and is worthy of the honor. It should be interesting to see where this leads.

The better podcast co-host: Conrad Thompson or Brian Last?

Conrad has about a million podcasts out there with almost everyone it seems, talking weekly with Eric Bischoff, Jeff Jarrett, Arn Anderson, Jim Ross, Bruce Pritchard, and Tony Schiavone. Brian Last has a podcast of his own and is primarily best known for his two weekly shows with the Louisville Lip, Mama Cornette’s favorite manager, Mr. Jim Cornette. Conrad is hit or miss in his role as the Podfather, but Last and Cornette definitely have that great chemistry and make for the better podcast team. I’m forever a Jim Cornette guy. I even have the t-shirt. And since Last is Cornette’s sidekick, he absolutely gets the nod here as the better of the two.

Will Umaga ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame?

I don’t know for sure, but considering who his family is and their presence on the WWE roster (Roman Reigns, The Usos), I think it’s a strong possibility. He definitely does deserve it.

What is your opinion of Vince Russo?

Russo is a strange cat. The man has a very creative mind. That can’t be denied. But he’s also a hypocrite, tends to believe his own publicity, and needs someone to reign him in from time to time to separate the good stuff from the shitty stuff. I’ll give him credit where it’s due that he was able to do a lot of good things in his short time as a top writer for WWF, but then when he got to WCW and didn’t have someone to put the brakes on him from time to time, it got pretty bad. I don’t hate him as Jim Cornette does, but I don’t really have any kind of positive opinion of him either. He’s just kind of there.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions feel free and drop me a line. Until the next time, take care of yourself and stay good. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!