Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Kevin Von Erich, Shayna Baszler, John Cena & More
June 30, 2022
DougMaynard.com

Welcome to the show. Did you see AEW Blood & Guts last night? A big kudos to AEW for a match very well done. Happy Heavenly Birthday to my dad, Kenneth F. Maynard, who would have been turning 89 today. Now, let’s talk wrestling.

What are your earliest wrestling memories?

The two earliest I can think of are (live) being at the Dorton Arena in Raleigh, NC. I was maybe four years old and being terrified of Brute Benard. And I remember seeing Mighty Igor toss around Crusher Jerry Blackwell on television like a big old basketball. I was maybe six then. But after those experiences, I was totally hooked.

Bret Hart versus CM Punk in a 60-minute Iron Man Match. Who wins?

As much as I personally prefer Punk, this match should and would go to the Hitman, Bret Hart.

How would this team have worked as Horsemen? Flair, Arn, Scott Putski, and Chris Jericho? What do you think?

I think you need to lay off the weed for a while. During the time he was in WCW, Jericho’s whole character would be going totally against everything the Horsemen stood for. It would never have worked. Putski is an interesting choice. A great body and look, but wasn’t really all that in the ring. The biggest thing to happen to Putski during his WCW run was sleeping with Missy Hyatt, and from what she says, it really wasn’t all that big. But Putski, if groomed and pushed correctly, had potential. He certainly couldn’t have been any worse than Paul Roma. I could see him working out with the right repackaging and help from Ric and Arn.

I saw somewhere that Kevin Von Erich may be coming out of retirement for a match. Thoughts?

Kevin is 65 years old and in great shape. From what I understand, this potential match is a one-and-done event, much like Ric Flair’s “last match ever” coming up in August. Unlike Flair, who has a pacemaker and has had major health problems over the past few years, Von Erich is in great shape with no major health issues that we know of. Jerry Lawler wrestles regularly, as do The Rock & Roll Express, and Sting, and they’re all either older or in the same age range as Von Erich. I think Von Erich is smart enough to know what he’s doing and more power to him. Good luck in that final match.

Who is AEW’s biggest non-WWE talent? I’m talking about never having been signed to WWE at one point or another.

Obviously, it’s MJF. He’s one of the best talkers, good in the ring, and even by not being there currently due to his “issues” with Tony Khan, he’s talked about more than most anyone else in the company. It’s got to be Maxwell. No one else even comes close.

WWE is screwing Shayna over. She should be at the top of the women’s division. They don’t appreciate her. Agree or disagree?

I do agree. She’s amazing in the ring, has a legit shoot background in MMA, and has a great look as well. I guess she’s currently lost in the shuffle, but she absolutely deserves better.

Does Bill Alfonzo make the top 25 managers?

I’m not sure if I personally would consider him a manager. He seemed more like a coach to Taz & Sabu than an actual manager, but a list of the Top 25? Fonzie would definitely make the cut.

20 years ago today, John Cena made his WWE debut. What were your initial opinions of Cena? Was it evident that he would be the face of the company he would become later on?

From Day 1, it was obvious that Cena was special. He stood out and you could tell that he had that hard-to-find “It Factor” that WWE is always looking for in his top guys. Yes, he was a bit annoying and cheesy at first, but he was a strong character and consistent from the start. It’s no surprise that he became a big star and the face of the company. It’s not a surprise to anyone at all who was paying attention.

Indian Strap Match: Wahoo McDaniel versus Samoa Joe. Who wins?

Wahoo, in his prime, against Joe, in his prime, tied together by ten feet of rawhide leather. This match would be brutal as hell and so damn stiff. Both men would walk out covered in sores and welts. I’m cringing just thinking of it. And it’s an “Indian” strap match, thus the Native American should win. Wahoo wins.

What’s going on with AEW and all the injuries? It seems as if 3/4 of the top stars are currently out with an injury. Why?

Why? It’s because of Danhausen. Think about it. AEW was going well and then they signed Danhausen. And what does he do? He puts curses on everyone. And once he starts flinging those curses around, the injuries started piling up. AEW needs to hire a curse-breaker to take care of this issue. I wonder if Papa Shango is available? Also, I think the wild styles of wrestling, with the crazy bumps, the lack of common sense or regard for their own safety, and the love of high spots when they’re not necessary contribute quite a bit to the injury factor in AEW. But I blame Danhausen.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions you may have are welcome and appreciated. And with that, I’m out of here. Take care and be safe. Watch out for that surprise roll-up. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!