Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Rampage, Sting, The Forbidden Door & More
July 23, 2023
DougMaynard.com

It’s time to talk about that wrestling thing. It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. Are you ready? Let’s do this.

Two parter: 1) What is your favorite storyline of the last 30 years outside of Attitude Era and The Bloodline? 2) How would you define great storytelling?

Second one first. Great storytelling is when a storyline draws a person in and you become invested in the wrestlers and their actions and wonder what will happen next. And my favorite of the past thirty years that’s not from the Attitude Era or about The Bloodline? How about Heath Slater and the legends leading up to Raw 1000? I think that story, about Heath challenging the legends and getting his ass handed to him each week, was the point that made Heath a star for WWE.

Thoughts on wrestlers and celebrities who work conventions and are shitty with their fans or unhappy to be at the event?

I can understand being tired and frustrated and not happy, but the fans are the reason that these people have jobs and careers, so even if the wrestler or celebrity is not happy, fake it for a few hours and do your job or else don’t do those events. It’s just that simple.

Who would you like to see do a podcast next from the active AEW Roster?

Billy Gunn would be a great AEW superstar, and WWE Hall of Fame legend, to host a podcast. His career has been a great one and just imagine the stories he has to tell.

What is a DVD/Documentary that’s not been made you would like to see?

How about one on the Tough Enough series, the early years, where Al Snow, Ivory, Bob Holly, and the others discovered such stars as The Miz, Ryback, Daniel Puder, Nidia, Linda Miles, Maven, and so many others? Just tell the stories behind the series, how it evolved, the talent that came through the show, and all the behind-the-scenes stories, like that of The Boogeyman, for example. It would be interesting and fun to see.

Where do you see Rampage heading? Now that it’s a clear “C” show for AEW, is this the new Dark? What’s Mark Henry gonna do if they cancel that show?

It’s the C-show for sure, but I think it will continue just to keep the people at TBS happy and give them regular content. 300,000 viewers a week is better than nothing at all. And if that series fails, Mark Henry will still get paid. Tony can just move him to a role as a trainer or agent.

What wrestlers or tag teams were you “down on” then one match or one promo changed your entire opinion of them?

I didn’t care much for Matt Riddle at first, but then I saw the Fight Pit match with Timothy Thatcher in NXT and I was immediately a fan and hooked on him. I still find aspects of the character to be annoying, but that one match showed me what he’s capable of and the potential that Riddle has. So there you go.

Do the EVPs refusing to do business with certain talent send a bad message to anyone looking to come into AEW? Like, don’t cross the Bucks, or else?

It shows that the Bucks are childish, immature, doesn’t deserve to be in that EVP position, and have no idea how to be professional adults. And yes, it looks bad and sends a very bad message to anyone with hopes of being a part of AEW that management is selfish, incompetent, and has no concerns about putting the company over their petty concerns.

Who do you personally think should be Sting’s last opponent when he decides to retire and why?

Just call Flair. He’d be happy to do it. Okay, I’m kidding. Please don’t call Flair, ever. Considering the past three years, I’d go with either Darby Allin or maybe MJF.

Is the Forbidden Door PPV worth it? Buys were up and ticket sales were great, but is this type of PPV sustainable?

It’s a bunch of matches thrown together with no story or build to each match aside from that Tony Khan thinks they’re all interpromotional dream matches. It may have drawn decent numbers thus far, but there are just so many “dream matches” available before they run out of names and ideas. It’s not sustainable for a long-term deal. Not at all.

What do you think of the Blind Eliminator idea?

On paper, it isn’t a bad idea, but the execution of the idea by AEW was lackluster at best and disappointing. They just threw matches out there where everyone was either with their main rival or their best friend, but didn’t show how the teams were made, the reactions of the wrestlers learning who their partners would be, or anything to build this tournament or the characters involved. It was just, here are the matches and go. It’s WCW Battle Bowl but with no planning, build, or execution. It’s the WISH version and could have been so much better with just the slightest bit of planning and work.

Where do you rank Dom Mysterious as a heel right now?

Dom Mysterious? I have no idea because that name doesn’t even come up on my radar. Dom Mysterio though, he’s doing great and the heat he generates every time he enters an arena is amazing. He’s still learning, but he gets it and is a natural heel, quickly growing and developing into one of the very best in the business today.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. Be sure to like, share, and subscribe. And with that, let’s wrap things up. Take care and be well, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!