Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Ronda Rousey, Hardcore Wrestling, Michael Hayes & More
July 5, 2022
DougMaynard.com

And here we are, back again with the second edition of the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A for today. I told you I’d be back. So let’s get funky like a monkey and do this. And away we go.

Do you think wrestling needs to be doing more cinematic matches?

No, I don’t think so. If it can’t be done in front of a live crowd, it doesn’t need to be done.

So why does everyone hate (Austin) Theory? He came up through Evolve so he’s not some guy just given the opportunity. Is it just because he is in storyline Vince’s guy?

Everyone hates Theory because he is a damn good heel, with the face you want to punch. He’s doing his job and is very good at it. Theory is exactly what the WWE should be doing with Sammy Guevera, or maybe Theory is the WWE version of Guevera. Being Vince’s guy is just part of the character and right now, Theory is killing it.

Liv Morgan cashed in Money In The Bank and is now the Smackdown Women’s Champion. Thoughts?

I think it’s a good move for WWE and I’m happy for Liv. Personally, I still would prefer to see Asuka as the champ, but if not my Empress, then Liv will be fine. But seriously, she’s been a good character for so long on the verge of breaking out, it’s good to finally see her get some credit and rewards.

I saw that Ronda Rousey is through with the WWE and that’s why Liv Morgan cashed in MITB on her to get the title. Thoughts?

Immediately, after the loss to Liv, I saw something online about how Ronda allegedly met with Vince before the Money In The Bank show and said she’s leaving WWE to go spend more time being a mother. I saw that and then almost immediately afterward, I saw that Ronda was scheduled to be at Smackdown coming up on Friday. So honestly, I don’t know what is up with WWE and Rousey right now. I’m thinking (hoping) that Rousey will take a few months off and then come back as a pissed-off heel. No more smiles and no more Miss Nice Guy, so to speak. Ronda’s most recent run with the WWE has been kind of lackluster and less than impressive. A smiling Rousey is not a fun Rousey to watch wrestle. I hope it’s not Ronda leaving for good, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.

Should AEW recreate the WCW Three-Ring World War III Battle Royal event for a show?

Some things should be left in the past as just a memory. I remember the sixty-man, three-ring matches that WCW was so proud of and well, those PPVs are those things. World War 3 and the Reverse Battle Royals, not only no, but heck no.

Mox is officially the #2 hardcore legend behind Mick. True or False?

False. Moxley is a decent wrestler and seems to love to do stupid things, but is he a hardcore legend? No, I don’t think so.

Mick, Terry Funk, Sabu, New Jack, and Mox are the Mount Rushmore of Hardcore. Who would be your Mt. Rushmore of Hardcore?

First off, Mt. Rushmore only has four slots and you chose five people so I guess there will be a little construction taking place to accommodate the extra face. As for who would be on my Hardcore version of Mt. Rushmore, I’d go with Mick Foley, Terry Funk, Abdullah the Butcher, and the original Shiek. Why Sheik and Abby? To steal and paraphrase Country music singer Barbara Mandrell, “They were hardcore when hardcore wasn’t cool!”

One of the things missing from wrestling today is the nationalities.
You don’t have the Arab Sheiks like Skandar Akbar trying to use their money, the obnoxious English like Lord Alfred or William Regal, or the Russians like Ivan & Nikita. Would today’s wrestling be better if they tried to bring some of that back?

Wrestling would be better, but the world has grown so politically correct and woken that if any such characters were brought back, people would start screaming and crying “racism” or “discrimination” and just bitching to be bitching. I’d love to see it because when wrestlers had characters, it was much more fun, but in today’s politically correct world, it wouldn’t work very well.

Michael Hayes was great as a Freebird. But what if there never were Freebirds? Would Michael have been an A-lister or a mid-carder?

Hayes was a great talker, a great character, and could draw heat better than almost anyone of his era. Hayes was never a great wrestler, but he was competent and didn’t totally suck and the matches were good enough. Hayes would have been a top guy for any promotion he worked at.

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. Until the next time, take care and be good. Watch out for foreign objects. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!