Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Bianca Belair, JungleHook, Shane Douglas & More
January 22, 2023
DougMaynard.com

Just when I thought it was time to go to bed, I went and checked my e-mail one last time. Guess what I found? Plenty of questions for the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. No rest for the weary, I guess. Thanks to Marco & Joey. Now, let’s do this.

Do you think we’ll ever see wrestling reach the popularity that it had in the 80s and early 90s and what’s your opinion on today’s wrestling?

Do I think we’ll ever see two wrestling shows competing against each other on TV and drawing a combined 10 million plus viewers? No, I don’t. Wrestling is and has always been a niche business, and as the choices and options for different forms of entertainment continue to grow, through cable, streaming, other sports, etc., the audience will continue to get smaller as time passes. It’s sad, but it’s true. And my opinion of today’s wrestling. Like everything else, it’s evolved and changed from the wrestling I grew up on and loved in the 80s and 90s, but that’s inevitable. To paraphrase Toby Keith, it’s not as good as it once was, but it’s as good as it ever was. Wrestling is, has always been, and always will be, the greatest form of sports entertainment in my opinion. The men and women who wrestle are the best athletes, the best improvisational entertainers, and the best thing going, ever, period! And there you go.

Are Bianca Belair’s promos stereotypical? Vince Russo thinks so.

And I hate to agree with Russo, but for this, he’s right. Bianca is very athletic and a good performer in the ring, but when it comes to cutting a promo, she’s very generic and it’s always the same old thing, remembering what lines she memorized a few minutes earlier. I’d love to see her cut loose and be real for a bit and cut a real promo rather than the stuff they have her doing now. She needs to step up and get better to move on to the next level. Otherwise, she’s just another pretty face playing a part.

What are your thoughts on JungleHook (Jungle Boy, Hook) as singles wrestlers and as a tag team?

As singles, I like both guys. Jack Perry needs some size, but he’s got the potential to be a big name one day. I doubt he’ll ever be the World Champion, but he’s got that “it” about him and is someone who is fun to watch. Hook? I like him, but AEW seems to have dropped the ball with his character. He was on fire for a few months and then off the television with no explanation for several months and then, all of a sudden, he’s back. Why? He needs some size and some solid matches to build his character back up to be a serious wrestler for AEW. Otherwise, he’s just another pretty face on the roster. And the tag team of JungleHook? It doesn’t make sense and there’s no real story behind it that would fit the characters of Jungle Boy or Hook. Just hotshot booking in my opinion, but if it gets these two on television, I guess we’ll have to take it.

Toni Storm & Saraya turned on Willow Nightingale on AEW and have turned heel. Thoughts?

We’ve been given no explanation as to why this happened and I doubt if we ever will. It doesn’t make sense, but I guess it’s just more shock value booking and hot shooting by the writer/booker/owner. I’ll be the first to admit that Saraya (Paige) is a better heel than a babyface, but there should be a reason to change, and not just because it’s Wednesday. I don’t get it at all.

Any chance that Elias comes out at the Rumble, goes out, shaves the beard, and comes out as Ezekial?

No, I don’t think there is any chance of that happening.

Allegedly, WWE has signed Colby Corino. Thoughts?

I think this is a good move by WWE and for Colby if it’s true. He’s a talented young guy with a great future ahead of him and being a part of the WWE/NXT family will only make him better and make that future even brighter. Also, his father, former NWA Champion Steve Corino, works down at the WWE Performance Center as a coach and trainer, so this makes even more sense in the big picture of things.

What are the chances that Axel Mania returns at the Royal Rumble? Would you like to see that happen?

I don’t think the chances are very good, but with Hulk Hogan (Hulkamania) scheduled to be at RAW XXX, the final RAW before the Royal Rumble event, never say never. And yes, I would be very excited and pop big time to see Axel Mania back in a WWE ring.

Ric Flair recently said that Shane Douglas does not belong in any Hall of Fame and never did anything of merit. Agree or disagree?

Ric is just talking out of his ass again, as per usual, trying to be a drama queen and stir the pot. Shane Douglas as “The Franchise” in ECW. Just for that alone, he belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame. And while his run as “Dean Douglas” in the WWF was less than spectacular, he had a solid run in WCW where he & Buff Bagwell were tag team champions. And who did they beat? Lex Luger and Ric Flair. Go figure.

Andre the Giant, in his prime, versus The Big Show, in his prime. Who wins?

In his prime, Andre could actually do quite a bit in that ring and was a solid performer. Big Show, when he was in shape, wasn’t really all that bad either. This could actually be a damn good match. It wouldn’t be pretty, but it would probably be far more entertaining than it has any right to be. And who wins? Andre of course.

Who’s the best heel in AEW Women’s division? Not the heels fans like to cheer for…real heel with heel reaction…probably Tay?

Tay has that “bitch face” that you just want to punch in, much like her husband, Sammy Guevera. I guess that’s why they work so well together. And for being a “real heel” in AEW, she plays her role so well and does a great job. I’ll agree with you. Tay Conti is probably the best.

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 done for now and headed to bed. Have a great night (morning) and I’ll catch you on the flip side. Be well my friends and watch out for foreign objects. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!