Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
The Major Players, Chris Benoit, Jeff Hardy & More
January 1, 2023
DougMaynard.com

Happy New Year my friends and welcome to 2023. It’s the first edition of the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A for the new year and it’s a packed show. So are you ready? I said, ARE YOU READY? Let’s do this.

What If Edge brings Major Players Curt Hawkins, Matt Cardona fka Zack Ryder and Beth Phoenix against Judgment Day to even the odds?

While that would be very cool to see, as well as a great way to reintroduce The Cardona Family, aka the Former Edgeheads to the WWE, I don’t see it happening. I think it’d be great to have Edge’s two former proteges return and aid him against The Judgement Day, and then after that’s settled, do a turn on Edge and become the characters we’ve seen more recently in the NWA and Impact. It would be a great piece of booking and storytelling. Unfortunately, Hawkins recently signed a new deal with Impact Wrestling so he’s not available. Of course, Cardona is also associated with former WWECW star Mike Knox as part of the Cardona Family so replace Hawkins with Knox and it could still work? Hmmm!

You have free reign to choose absolutely any celebrity to participate at Wrestlemania. Money isn’t an issue. Who do you choose, and why?

I’d like to bring in David Arquette. He’s a former WCW Champion and he catches so much slack for that, I’d like to give him a little redemption. He does truly love our business and even made an effort to redeem himself with some pretty good matches all across the country a few years ago. How about a match at Mania against someone like Miz where Arquette doesn’t have to win, but takes ass whipping, gives a good fight, and earns the respect of the modern wrestling fans. That would be really good to see.

I find it extremely difficult to watch any matches that have Chris Benoit involved. Do you find that difficult as well?

I’m mixed on this one. Benoit was a great wrestler and some of his matches were incredible, especially as part of my favorite wrestling faction, The Four Horsemen. I can watch him wrestle and it doesn’t bother me much. What gets me the most is when he does promos and interviews, especially when he’s standing next to Nancy, aka Woman, for the interview. I look at them together and it just reminds me of how things ultimately ended. I can’t forgive or overlook that and it kills the enjoyment I would normally feel seeing my favorite group talking and cutting a promo. So matches, yes. I can watch them. Promos and interview segments? Not so much.

Shawn Michaels recently referred to Shelton Benjamin as a “guaranteed WWE Hall of Famer”. Agree or disagree?

Yes, I can see it. I would agree. And I also wish that Charlie Haas would return to the WWE so that he and Shelton could have one last run as the World’s Greatest Tag Team with the WWE Tag Team Championship titles. That would be so cool.

Stan Hansen, Buzz Sawyer & Harley Race versus Roddy Piper, Nikolai Volkoff & King King Bundy. Who wins?

I have to go with Hansen, Sawyer, and Race for this one. Having Nikolai in there just reeks of he’s there to take the fall. This would be a fun and very interesting match, but I don’t think the selections of victors would be in any doubt.

The Harlem Heat (Stevie Ray & Booker T) versus The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods). Who wins?

This would also be a great match and almost of dream-match quality and expectations. I think Booker and Stevie would pick up the win here.

By the order of Konnan, Sammy Guvera &Tay Melo were stripped from the Triple AAA Mixed Tag Team Championships. Thoughts?

The way I understand it, Sammy & Tay were booked for a big show in Mexico this past week, but Tony Khan and AEW pulled them from that show due to a match he wanted Tay for on Dynamite. It’s not Sammy & Tay’s fault, but they couldn’t be at the big show that Konnan needed them for to defend the titles. Apparently, that’s not the only incident of AEW pulling talent from AAA shows and I guess Konnan needs champions that he can depend on and have at the big events. Strictly a business decision and one that I have to agree with.

Do you think Jeff Hardy can pull himself together again?

Can he? I don’t know, but I sure hope so. It’s a tough road he’s going to be traveling, but I’ve seen people make the decision to change and fight their demons many times up close and personal. It can happen. It’s just making priorities and being willing to sacrifice for what matters the most, your health, life, and those you love, or the addictions. It’ll be a day-to-day struggle and fight that never truly ends, but here’s hoping for the best.

When R-Truth returns from his injuries, should he get a run as a serious wrestler to wind up his in-ring career?

I would love to see that happen and to see Truth, who is a formerU.S. Champion and former NWA World Champion, wear gold one more time. We all love R-Truth, the comedy wrestler, but I think that before he ends his in-ring career as a wrestler, we should get to see and appreciate the talent that he truly is one more time as well.

Chyna versus Amazing Kong. Who wins?

Chyna was stronger, but Kong was definitely the better wrestler in the ring. I think Awesome Kong would win.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions you may have are welcome and very appreciated. And with that being said, it’s time to call it a day. Take care and be well, my friends. Happy New Year. I’ll be back later today with more stuff. Watch out for foreign objects.

Ubuntu!