Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Roddy Piper, The Undertaker, Ronda Rousey & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

Another edition of the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A? You’re damn right! Let’s roll!

Hulk Hogan is not available. Who is the greatest rival to Rowdy Roddy Piper?

I wouldn’t even put Hogan in the top three rivalries for Piper. I was fortunate enough to see Roddy during his run with Crockett before he was sanitized by the WWF machine and Vince McMahon. I saw Piper versus Flair, Piper versus Greg Valentine, Piper versus Wahoo McDaniel, Piper versus Jack Brisco, Piper versus Jimmy Snuka, etc. All of these feuds were better than anything WWF and Hogan did. Also, go look up the Piper versus Buddy Rose feud from Portland in the late 70s. That was a rivalry that is still talked about, even forty-plus years later. Greatest rival for Piper not named Hogan? All of the above.

Ronda Rousey is back in wrestling, showing up at Lucha VaVoom’s two-night Area 51 event in Los Angeles. Do you think this is a one-off spot or will she be returning to WWE full-time?

Rousey is now booked for another show for Wrestling Revolver later in November, so obviously it’s not just a one-off appearance. Ronda has also been moved into the Alumni section of the WWE website, so it looks as if she’s through with the company, at least for now.

What do you think is the best current storyline or who has the best character going in AEW right now?

The best character in AEW right now is Christian Cage. He’s so head and tails above everything else with that company right now, it’s not even close. And the best story? The Christian versus Adam Copeland tease and build towards a feud.

So when the Bloodline versus Judgement Day feud finally happens, who should the Bloodline bring in to counter Rhea Ripley? Tamina, Nia Jax, or someone else?

Given that Rhea and Nia are already having heat and a situation between them, Nia would be the most obvious choice and make the most sense. I’d personally rather see Tamina just because I like her better, but at this point in her career, she’s not what she once was and Nia is the better choice.

Do you think MJF vs Kenny Omega is happening way too soon?

This match had a total build of three days from the announcement to the actual match on television. So too soon? It would have been a great PPV main event and with lots of build, been a huge event for AEW, but instead, it was just another TV match. Too soon? Yes!

Heath Miller, fka Heath Slater’s contract with Impact Wrestling has expired and he’s now a free agent. So what’s next for Heath in your opinion?

I’m hoping that he returns to WWE with a new attitude, and a strong push, and can follow in the footsteps of his fellow 3MB partners, winning the WWE Championship. Maybe a return and win at the Royal Rumble? One can only hope, after all, he’s got kids!

Would you like to see Simon Miller become a full-time wrestler for AEW?

For Simon and his in-ring career, it would be a big move, but that would also mean we’d lose him from WhatCulture and the Ups & Downs videos and that would suck big time. I’d feel all sad and miserable in my tum-tum. So for purely selfish reasons, I don’t want to see Simon join a major promotion full-time. It’d make me a sad panda.

Would Ric Flair make a good manager for AEW after the run with Sting ends? If so, who would do well in a Flair-managed faction?

Flair is a walking time-bomb at this point and the nays, for me anyhow, would far outweigh any positive factors with Flair being full-time in AEW, be it as a manager, announcer, or anything else. I’m ready for him to go away already and it’s only been one week. As for who would do well being managed by Flair, maybe Andrade’ since that’s his son-in-law and Lance Archer.

Wardlow versus Lance Archer. Who wins?

This would be a fun match to see if it was given time and a good build. I think Wardlow should win.

If the Undertaker were to debut for the 1st time on WWE Smackdown tonight, do you think the character would still get over in today’s wrestling climate?

A good wrestler and character will always rise to the top when given the opportunity, and while in today’s world of internet marks, next-day quarterbacks and bookers, and know-it-all clowns, it wouldn’t be as easy or get over quite as well. If given time, consistency, and a strong, steady push with limited stupidity, I think it would catch on and grow and do well. Mark Callaway and his commitment to the character always went above and beyond and the fans would come around sooner rather than later. It wouldn’t be an instant success, but the gimmick could still work.

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!