Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Roman Reigns, LA Knight, Ronda Rousey & More
July 5, 2023
DougMaynard.com

You have questions and I have the answers. It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. Let’s do this.

Lance Storm passive-aggressively complimented Will Ospreay on becoming the wrestler with the most Meltzer 5 stars ever, saying he’s good but isn’t at the Pinnacle of the industry. If WWE is the pinnacle, would it make Ospreay a superstar If he joined, or can he achieve that elsewhere?

It would certainly improve his credentials to have a WWE run under his belt and on his resume. Ospreay is a good wrestler, but the majority of the wrestling fans in the United States have limited knowledge of this man, nor have ever seen him wrestle. He may have a lot of five-star matches from Meltzer, but all that means is that one person likes to watch him wrestle. Lance Storm is correct, period!

With the finish to MITB in the books. Do you think this goes towards Roman versus each Uso 1-on-1 or do they jump right to Solo to give Roman more off-time after Summerslam?

I think we need to see Roman versus each of the Usos first before we get any kind of turn by Solo. I think we have several more months of activity before Roman vanishes for any significant time.

What next for LA Knight? This seemed like the perfect opportunity to strap the rocket to him.

The time for LA Knight might have happened, but good things come to those who wait and the story with Knight is growing and drawing more interest as time passes. It would have been the perfect opportunity for Knight, but it was the right time for Damian Priest so they went in that direction. Knight’s time is coming.

Where do you think Roman sits alongside the all-time greats like Bret, Shawn, Stone Cold, etc? And if he is short of them, what would he have to do to get to their level?

Roman is damn good, but does he belong in the same conversation with Bret and the others? Not yet. He’s on his way and if he continues at this pace, he’ll be there. He just needs more memorable matches and to up that promo games a notch or two. He’s getting there, but just not there yet.

Is Wrestlemania coming to the UK? If so, 2 days at Wembley?

WWE mentioned it in the middle of a PPV and now, the British government has taken notice and is making some moves in that direction as well. It has to happen and probably, within the next two years, it will. And yes, two days at Wembley.

What do you love about wrestling today that was not present back in the older eras of wrestling?

Today, the majority of wrestlers, at least in the WWE, look like athletes and wrestlers. Back in the old days, we had great athletes, but we also had the bikers, the cowboys, the truckers, etc. The wrestlers are better athletes and the matches are stronger and faster than they used to be.

If you could have a Table for 3 with any two wrestlers and yourself, who would it be with?

I’d want to sit and have that dinner with a fired-up Jim Cornette and CM Punk.

Has anybody ever figured out where “Parts Unknown” is?

To get there, you go way down yonder, around the bend, through the mountains, and keep driving until you come to a fork in the road and turn left. And there you go.

What do you think of Superstar Billy Graham?

A good wrestler, a great promo guy, and a top guy for his day and era. Unfortunately, the only time I had the chance to see him live was when he was in Crockett doing that bad karate fighter gimmick and he was a shadow of what he had been in earlier days in the WWF. I wasn’t a big fan, but he was a fascinating character and had a great career.

Triple Threat Match: Ric Flair & Harley Race versus Bob Backlund & Hulk Hogan versus Verne Gagne & Nick Bockwinkle. Who wins?

I can’t see Backlund & Hogan working together in any way as a team, so they’re sure not winning. Verne and Nick were both great wrestlers, but they’re about as exciting as watching a slug get salted and die. Flair and Harley would take the win here, as they should.

With Ronda Rousey reportedly leaving WWE again shortly after Summerslam, do you think she should come back and, probably more importantly, do you think she will come back?

Ronda has lost that edge during her time in the WWE and has gone from a major star to just another wrestler, at least in my opinion. Taking a break from WWE to go back to UFC and reestablish her reputation as a legit badass would work wonders for Rousey and make her marketable in WWE as a big deal once again. Should she come back? Once her next UFC run is complete, she can come back as a conquering hero, reputation reestablished, and ready to make money. And would she? Yes, I think she would.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. And with that, take care and be good, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!