Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A:
Declan McMahon, Managers, CM Punk & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

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

Shane McMahon’s son Declan says he’s the most likely to carry on the family legacy in WWE. Thoughts?

He’s got the look and the ego already at only 19 years old so I wouldn’t bet against him. A` fourth-generation promoter/wrestler? Those are pretty big shoes to fill, but it’ll be interesting to see if Declan can live up to those aspirations. I’d like to see him do it.

Hillbilly Jim & Elias versus Heath Slater & Jamie Noble. Who wins?

My money would be on the two rednecks. Okay, that doesn’t narrow it down much, does it? Jamie was an amazing character/wrestler in his time and Heath? He’s got kids! The West Virginia Alliance takes the win, as they should, with a big celebration at the truck stop to follow.

We all know who the top managers of all time are. Jim Cornette, Paul Heyman, Bobby Heenan, Gary Hart, etc. Who are the four best B-Level Managers in your opinion and why?

Right off the top of my head, the best “territory” managers who were unique, and different, and I always enjoyed watching were Sir Oliver Humperdink, Number One Paul Jones, Lord Alfred Hayes, and Dan Lambert. They knew their role and job and while not as polished or paired with the top guys as some of their peers were, if one of these guys was on the television screen or at ringside during a match, it would always be entertaining.

Jeff Jarrett invited Jim Cornette to the AEW Tapings on Friday which are being held in Louisville, KY, just a few miles from Cornette’s home. Cornette, in his smart-assed fashion, declined the invite. Thoughts?

Given the nature of some of the executives at AEW, Cornette probably made the right decision. If he were to attend an AEW show, you know that it would be played and twisted to attempt to benefit the company and get cheap heat, most likely at Cornette’s expense. Cornette wouldn’t be able to watch or attempt to enjoy the show, which is probably a good thing, but given his temperament, he’d end up in a confrontation with someone. With the offer being made and Jim declining, it gets some publicity and everyone comes out okay. It’s probably for the best.

Putting aside the drama and issues that happened in AEW regardless of who was at fault. Also, put aside all the bad history that happened with WWE. Which do you think is most likely to happen?
A. Cm Punk returns to WWE at Survivor Series.
B. Somehow things are resolved and he returns to AEW.
C. He’s done. Maybe a random indie appearance every once in a while.

I keep hearing the rumors that CM Punk may end up being the mysterious devil in AEW and make a surprise appearance to go after MJF and if this turns out to be true, I’d admit it’s a great swerve and watch every moment. It would be awesome. But that being said, I think we’ll see “A” happen. CM Punk at the Survivor Series.

I just finished watching Superfan and I was just amazed to learn about Vlad and his passion for WWE and to get recognition by both the WWE and the WWE Universe. Do you think he could even be indicted to the WWE Hall of Fame?

Do they still have the “Warrior Award” at the WWE Hall of Fame? With Dana Warrior being among the executives who were released earlier this year, I’m not sure if that award is still there or not. But if it is, Vlad would be a great choice to receive it. From all indications, he’s a great guy and everything that the documentary said is a testament to his legacy. Having him get that induction into the WWE Hall of Fame would be, as Miz would say, awesome!

Not to get too macabre here, but what wrestler who died young still had the most to give in his (or her) career? Who would have gone onto the biggest things?

Owen Hart and Brian Pillman were the first names that came to mind, but they were established and had great careers, despite their early demises. Gino Hernandez was only really beginning to peak when he passed. The American Love Machine, Art Barr, also comes to mind as just really hitting his stride. Okay, I’ve got it. Reid Flair. Unlike older brother David, Reid had the “it” to be a big star, plus the Flair drive, talent, and name. He could have been one of the best of all time, but unfortunately, the demons won and it was not to be. It’s a shame.

Bobby Heenan or Mean Gene Okerlund: Which was the better signing for WCW?

It’s a tough call because I’ve always been a fan of The Brain since his AWA days and he’s one of the best announcers/managers/performers in the history of the business. Mean Gene was boisterous, annoying, and had that con-man aura about him, but he was good at what he did, leading interviews and helping wrestlers develop their characters and get the story across to the fans. That is missing in today’s wrestling product and a lead interviewer, such as Mean Gene, would add so much more to companies like AEW or WWE. I’ll go with TheBrain though, simply for the fact that he had so many great one-liners and insults, many of which I still use regularly today. I think Gene’s presence helped the company more in the big picture of things, but Bobby will always be “The Brain” to me.

Chyna versus Nicole Bass. Who wins?

By today’s standards, this match would be a stinker to be sure. But it’s still an interesting match-up, given the size of both women and the characters they portrayed. Chyna would win, but I think Nicole could have given her a good fight.

The Devil in AEW. Who is it? MJF, CM Punk, or someone else?

As I mentioned earlier, I’d love to see it be CM Punk. That would be a great swerve that could almost make me respect Tony Khan and try to watch the AEW product in its entirety instead of just clips on YouTube. But I don’t think it’s Phil Brooks. It would have leaked out by now, given all the dirt-sheet stooges and Meltzer loyalists backstage at AEW. My guess? Dr. Britt Baker. As for why, why not?

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 for the night. I have a movie to go watch, 5 Nights of Freddy. Take care and be well, my friends. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!