Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Asuka, Drew McIntyre, Damage CNTRL & More
April 9, 2023
DougMaynard.com

Happy Easter and welcome to a very special edition of the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. My apologies for missing the past couple of days, but work and life kept getting in my way so finding time to fulfill my role as an internet wrestling journalist, whatever the hell that is, just didn’t seem to happen. But it’s an extended edition of the Q&A today with more bang for the buck. Yeppers, extra questions. You’re welcome. And now, let’s get on with the show. Let’s do this.

What was your biggest disappointment about Wrestlemania?

John Cena did not come out in the Peacemaker suit and do the Peacemaker dance. Yes, having those Make-A-Wish kids was very cool and touching, but I was wanting to see Cena do that dance live. It was a lost opportunity to be sure.

Who are on your Mt. Rushmore of Bad Talkers/Promos?

This is tough because even the worst promo guys usually had a moment or two to shine or weren’t allowed to talk and were given a manager to speak for them. But I’ll try. Sid Vicious, The Shockmaster, Linda McMahon, and Beautiful Bobby Eaton. Sid would fumble words and should never have been allowed near a live microphone. The Shockmaster. Remember his WCW debut? ‘Nuff said! Listening to Linda speak was like taking a bottle of Valium and chasing it with Jack Daniels. Far better than any sleeping pill ever made. And Bobby? A great wrestler and a nice guy, but thank goodness for Jim Cornette.

Fatal 4-Way Match: The Great Muta versus Exotic Adrian Street versus Bret Hart versus CM Punk. Who wins?

It depends. Are we in Canada? If we are, Bret can’t lose the match because he’s a national hero in Canada. Just ask him. He’ll tell you. But seriously, if this match happened with all four men in their primes, I’d go with Muta to take the win.

Asuka is now 0-5 at Wrestlemania. Should she leave WWE and go back to Japan as some have suggested?

She may not have a good record at Mania, but Asuka has won Money In The Bank, The Women’s Royal Rumble Match, and the Elimination Chamber. She holds the record for the longest NXT Women’s Championship reign and is also a former 3-time Women’s Champion. Asuka continues to be booked as one of the top women in WWE and just imagine a match with her versus Rhea Ripley. Or against Ronda Rousey? I think she’s perfectly fine where she is with the WWE.

Should Damage CTRL be disbanded with Iyo Sky, Dakota Kai, and Bayley all going their separate ways?

It’s hard to figure out what exactly WWE is planning for the Bayley-led faction, but I think there is still a lot left to be done with these women, as a unit, and as singles stars. They haven’t even begun to hit their stride yet. I’d keep them together for now.

Drew McIntyre’s deal is expiring this year, but allegedly, he and WWE are far apart in contract negotiations. Do you think Drew will stay with WWE and if not, where next? AEW?

Drew is one of those names that actually has some value to it and I think that WWE would be crazy to let him slip away and go to AEW because that is exactly where he’ll end up if he and WWE can’t come to terms on a new deal. Drew is probably frustrated with all the top spots being pushed onto the Bloodline, Sami & Kevin, Cody, and Brock, but his frenemy relationship with Sheamus and recent battles against Gunther have been excellent stories over the past few months and he has nothing to be ashamed of. I hope they come to terms and Drew is around for many more years to come, but only time will tell.

Do you believe talent will either request their release or simply walk out due to Vince being heavily involved with creative once again?

I think they’re probably as confused as we are as to who is truly in charge of the creative direction of WWE and most will ride it out and wait and see what happens before attempting to jump ship. A few may ask for a release, but given how poorly AEW is in terms of being creative and stories, it’s not necessarily a strong option so better to just stay put and hope for the best.

How long do you think Endeavour will let WWE viewership go before they realize that putting Vince back in charge was a colossal mistake?

Once the deal is finalized and closed, I think that all it will take is a look at the numbers, both financially and in ratings, and they’ll realize just how bad that call is turning out to be. They need Vince on board if this sale/merger is to happen so give him the world to get the deal done. Once the ink is dried, they can deal with the consequences.

So we’re unifying the women’s belts finally. Will the Rock’s daughter join the Bloodline?

I haven’t heard anything about unifying the Women’s titles. I know that Rhea and Bianca teased a possible match in the future, but nothing is set in stone or implies any differently in regards to the title belts, especially with the Draft coming back soon. As for Ava Raine, the Rock’s daughter, I wouldn’t expect to see her as part of the Bloodline anytime soon. She’s got a strong presence about her, but based on her match at NXT Stand & Deliver, she’s not ready yet for the main roster. She’s getting better in that ring, but she’s not there yet for matches on the big stage.

Where does Roman go from here? Who does he face at the next Saudi show on the 1000th day of his title reign?

For now, I think the plan is to have Roman and the Bloodline continue their story with Roman as the boss, but there may be some dissension in the ranks. As for who he should face at the Saudi show, I would suggest Bobby Lashley, making up to Bobby for his match at Mania being pulled. It’d be a good, strong match and a change from the usual challenger for Roman. That would be my call.

After WWE’s recent booking decisions. Do you think the grass looks much less green to AEW talent with upcoming contract renewals?

As shown with FTR, I think even the possibility of Vince being back in control has to be weighing on the minds of AEW talent quite a bit. It has to be a factor for the AEW talent to consider when their contracts are coming up. How can it not be?

Who would you choose to be Jay White’s first proper feud in either WWE or AEW?

Well, we know it’s not WWE as Jay announced last week that he had signed with AEW and is now All Elite. His first proper feud? Based on his Dynamite debut on 4/5, it looks as if Ricky Starks might be the first man he does battle against. I’d like to see him go against a bigger, more established name though, someone like Wheeler Yuta or maybe Jake Hager to get his AEW career rolling though. I like Ricky, but I can’t see a feud with Ricky versus White benefiting anyone.

Predict a time and person who picks up the 24/7 belt out of the trash.

R-Truth will be the one when he’s cleared to return to the ring after his recent injuries. After all, that 24/7 belt was his baby, right?

Do you think Shane will fight in a UFC match? And if so then who would you want to see him go against?

Shane can’t even do a leapfrog without tearing a Quad, plus he’s 53 years old. Shane will not be fighting in the UFC, and most likely, will never wrestle again either. Even CM Punk would destroy Shane in a UFC fight at this point and we all know how well Punk did when he went into the Octagon. But, if by some miracle, Shane was able to get a match for UFC, I’d want to see him fight Punk. Yeah, it would be a disaster and an absolute trainwreck, but I’d love to see it happen.

Do you think AEW is leading up to the BCC and The Elite in Blood and Guts?

From what I understand, Matt Jackson has a pec tear and will be out of action for a little while so if that was the plan, a Blood & Guts match between The Elite and the BCC, it’s probably been put on hold for now. It’d be an interesting match and fun to see though.

And there you go. It’s time to wrap things up and close shop for the day. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. Take care and be well, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches. Happy Easter.

Ubuntu!