Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Booker T, Sapphire, Tony Khan & More
September 17, 2023
DougMaynard.com

It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A and that is all the people need to know. Let’s do this.

Booker T recently stated that without CM Punk, he thinks that AEW Collision may end up getting canceled. Thoughts?

It’s a logical assumption since the deal with AEW and Warner Brothers/Discovery for the Saturday night show included having Punk as the main star of the show, but I don’t think, if AEW can maintain their ratings, that we’ll see any cancellation. If the ratings continue to drop, there may be consequences, but if they’re keeping Rampage around with the low numbers that it’s been bringing in, then Collision should be safe as well.

What are some Nia Jax dream matches you want to see now that she’s back?

Nia versus Rhea of course, but also Nia versus Shayna Baszler would be fun to see as well. Nia versus Rachel Rodriguez would be a good matchup, and hell, Nia versus Piper Niven could be fun to see.

Name a wrestler that aged like fine wine.

Christian Cage is the first name that comes to mind. Both in the ring and especially on the promos, Christian is hotter now than he’s been in years and on fire. Mickie James also comes to mind. And after that cage match against Becky at Payback, Trish Stratus would be in the argument as well. She’s been far exceeding all expectations.

Does Juanita Wright, aka Sweet Sapphire, belong in the WWE Hall of Fame?

As a featured Inductee, I would say probably not. Her WWE career was only a couple of years at the most and aside from that, she has nothing else to fall back on as a top star. I can see her going in as a Legacy Inductee, but that’s about it.

Norman Smiley versus Akeem (One Man Gang) in a Dance Battle. Who wins?

Akeem may be the African Dream, but nothing beats the Big Wiggle. Smiley would win.

Crusher Blackwell versus Otis. Who wins?

Otis is a remarkable talent and extremely underrated, but Jerry Blackwell was a true icon and freak of nature. The things he regularly did inside that ring were unheard of for a man of his size and stature. Blackwell would win.

Plenty of wrestlers have acted in movies. Are there any wrestlers who surprised you by how good they were in a movie?

I recently watched The Marine 5: Battleground and Bo Dallas surprised me. He had as much airtime as The Miz and was amazingly good. I could see him pursuing a job in Hollywood and doing quite well when the wrestling days are through. Curtis Axel and Heath Slater looked great in this movie as well.

Becky Lynch is the new NXT Women’s Champion. Thoughts?

It gives Becky another feather in her cap, plus it brought some amazing numbers to the NXT product with great ratings. I’m happy for Becky and it looks like a great move for WWE/NXT.

The commentary team of Booker T. & Vic Joseph has to be the most underrated in the entire business. Agree or disagree?

Vic Joseph is very good at his job and does a great job getting over the NXT product as the lead announcer for the brand. Booker T? Well, he’s Booker and I tend to prefer to turn the sound down when he’s talking. A talented wrestler and two-time Hall of Famer, yes, but a great commentator? That’s something he’ll never be. So is the team underrated? One-half of the team is.

If Tony Khan were to call you up and offer you a job as a consultant for AEW, would you take the job, and what advice would you offer Tony?

I’d take the job, but I’d probably be fired sooner rather than later because some executives might not like what I tell Tony. My advice would be what we’ve all heard so often already. Stories to build characters and matches. Vignettes to introduce wrestlers that the fans don’t know, explaining who they are and why they’re in AEW. More consistent pushes for the talents that matter rather than a strong push one week and then vanishing for six weeks before there’s another match. A strong figure, like Jim Ross maybe, to handle talent relations and be a true authority figure instead of everyone’s “friend”. Most of the solutions to AEW’s problems are just common sense and the need for a strong, consistent, experienced leader and booker, something Tony Khan will never be. It’s obvious to everyone, but Tony Khan, so I’d probably hurt his feelings and be sent home quickly, but it’d be an amazing experience.

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. I’ll be back later today with more stuff. Take care and be well, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!