Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Natalya, Seth Rollins, Meltzer on Cornette & More
June 6, 2022
DougMaynard.com

It’s time to do it one more time. It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. It’s going to be a long one so be sure to pack a lunch. Let’s do this.

Now that WWE has officially (?) given up on the roster split, how long before they’re going to introduce it again as a never seen concept in order to spice things up?

According to the WWE, the brand split is still alive and well and will not be ending anytime soon. I think the lines have been shaded a bit due to the smaller roster and lack of depth, but at least according to the WWE, there are still two brands and the concept of one roster for each show isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Who do you think will beat Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal championship? And will WWE separate the titles once again?

I was thinking Cody, but after his injuries were revealed last night at WWE Hell In A Cell, I think someone else will be shoe-heeled into the spot and get that opportunity against Roman, most likely Seth or maybe Drew McIntyre. It actually wouldn’t surprise me to see Edge get one last run, as Judgement Day versus The Bloodline would be a great feud. As for separating the titles, I think that will happen and it’s just a matter of time.

Danhausen. I feel like I should not enjoy him but every time he is on screen I am delighted. Is he the best gimmick wrestler ever?

I’m not sure if I’d call him the best gimmick wrestler ever, but I feel you about his character. I originally thought this gimmick was just plain stupid, but once I’ve seen him perform a few times and do his thing, he’s fascinating and hard to turn away from and not watch. I’ve become a fan, Lord help me. I guess he would fall under the title of “guilty pleasure”.

Why are people so harsh on Natalya?

I think part of it is that she’s been there so long and accomplished so little in the process. Natalya is a great worker, but her personality and character aren’t strong and rarely have been presented as such. I think people just expect more from her, due to her experience and the legacy of her name. She’s a strong talent, but we just want and expect more and when the fans don’t get it, they blame and take it out on her. It’s just human nature.

If you had to remove one of these from wrestling history, who would you pick and why? Orton, Batista, Rollins, or Punk?

Of these four, I’d go with Batista. As for why he just doesn’t, in my eyes, stand out as a big guy. He’s pretty generic and was more of just a right place and right time than anything else. Name a great or memorable Batista match or promo. I can for the other guys, but for Dave, not so much.

With CM Punk injured, is this a perfect opportunity to push someone “out of blue” to see if they have what it takes?

It would be a great way to allow some of the younger talent to really step up and get over. I’d love to see some of the homegrown talents, like Ricky Starks, Aaron Solo, or The Gunn Club take advantage and get a major push, maybe not winning the AEW Interim title, but coming so close, that the fans take another look. Anytime one of the ex-WWE guys is out of action for some reason, it’s a chance and opportunity for the younger guys to step up and prosper. I just hope that AEW realizes this.

With both WWE and AEW struggling to showcase their women effectively, should they look to have a proper women’s segment open or close every 2/3 hour show they produce, instead of giving them two or three minutes randomly in the middle of the show as “filler”?

Just book the women exactly as they do the guys, with the talent that looks great in the ring, can talk, and is over being used in the strong segments, regardless of the gender. Make the booking based on ability and the fan interest rather than gender or stupid labels and all the divisions will improve as a result.

Meltzer said this on Twitter: “Actually he’s the single last person to listen to. He doesn’t know the audience or the modern product. Maybe you could say that about John Muse, but Cornette is the last guy who could help Tony.” Thoughts?

Just more of Uncle Dave’s crazy anti-Cornette rambling and bullshit. Meltzer says that Cornette doesn’t know the modern product, but his numbers with the podcast outdraw the audience for AEW and Impact Wrestling combined each week. And who was the first person Tony Khan called to ask for help when he was starting AEW but was turned down?
It was Jim Cornette. Basically, this is just Meltzer rambling and destroying any credibility he may have once had. Bottom line is that Meltzer said something and who the hell cares. It will be cool when Corny hears of this and reacts. He’ll tear Dave a new one, again.

Cody Rhodes is injured and will probably be out of action for a while. So what’s next for Seth Rollins?

If I was booking Seth, I’d have him go with the pissed-off, crazy routine. He failed against Cody, but he did manage to put Cody on the shelf for a while. He lost the battles but won the war. And just have Seth obsess with Cody to keep Cody’s name out there and in the fan’s mind. And while Cody is MIA, the crazy and obsessed Seth can go after Cody’s legacy and friends. If you’re a friend of Cody, Seth is coming after you. I’m thinking of Miz, Maryse, and Dolph, who are known to be good friends with Cody behind the scenes. Mix and blur the story with reality as Seth goes after these F.O.C. (Friends of Cody). It’ll keep Seth cackling on our TV screens, keep Cody on our mind, and make for some fun stories.

And there you go? My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. Until the next time, take care and be good. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!