Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Hollywood Hogan, Hook, Natalya & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. I’m Doug. Let’s roll.

The Rock or Ric Flair?

If we’re talking about in-ring careers, I’d have to go with the Nature Boy. From 1972 until around 2004 or so, Ric was arguably the best wrestler in the world. The Rock had a great run in WWE, but let’s be honest. No one can deny Rock’s charisma and how over that character was, but his in-ring abilities were not all that good. The Rock is 98% character and persona and that made him a star, but Ric was the total package in that he could talk, work, and do it all. Ric seems determined to destroy his legacy and can’t let it go these days, but in his prime, Ric was the best.

What’s your favorite version of Hulk Hogan? Hulkamania or Hollywood?

Hollywood Hogan by far. The Hulk Hogan character, for me, was so cartoony and fake. I was raised NWA and saw Hulk on the TV, saying take the vitamins and say the prayers and having the same, by the numbers, style of match, cheating more than the worst villain, but getting cheered. I despised Hogan. But the Hollywood character was a back-stabbing ass-clown, controlled by ego and just the ultimate self-centered heel. It was how I thought Hogan to be in real life and it came across as more real to me.

What’s your opinion on Ricky Starks?

A good-looking kid with a lot of potential that needs to be primed and molded into a future superstar. He’s got all the tools but has been wasted over the past few years. Give this kid the proper training and supervision in a place like OVW or NXT for a year or so and he’s a star waiting to happen.

Who should be the next AEW world champion?

If it was up to me, I’d go with Christian Cage as the next champion, giving him and his “Family” a Bloodline-like run as Champion for at least six months before moving on to someone else.

If Jey Uso never wins a Singles Title during this solo push, before realigning with his Brother/The Bloodline, would you consider it to ultimately be a failure?

Look at the merchandise that Jey is selling with this whole “Yeet” deal. Look at the reaction that Jey got from the fans in France at Backlash. While it would be a disappointment in some ways, I don’t think it could be called a failure. I think Jey, on this current run, has cemented his legacy.

The NWA Crockett Cup Tournament is this weekend. How much interest do you have in this event and the NWA in general? If you were hired by Billy Corgan to make the NWA better, what would you do?

Truthfully, I had forgotten about this tournament this weekend. I try to keep track of the NWA and their big events, but this week, it just slipped my mind. And if Corgan were to hire me, I’d try to push the events in social media and do as many crossover events with the NWA stars and other promotions and activities as possible. Get as much attention to the stars and NWA events and try to draw as many eyes as possible. If the fans tune in once and like what they saw, maybe they’ll come back for more.

Thoughts on Hook. Would you consider his time in AEW a success or not? And if not, what should AEW do to make Hook a bigger star?

I think Hook’s time in AEW has been a mixed bag. He’s caught on with the fans and has drawn a following. That’s good. He’s getting some match-time and wrestling regularly, but much like Jade Cargill before him, he’s not getting better. He’s gotten stale and while he remains popular, he’s not growing as a performer or wrestler. What can AEW do to make him a bigger star? More matches against a wider variety of opponents, including matches on the Indy circuit. Only through repetition and working different styles against different people will allow him to get better and tap into his potential.

What happened to manager Dan Lambert in AEW? I thought he was pretty good and then he just kind of vanished.

Lambert was good and had that old-school aura about him as a manager. The man could draw heat. He was on fire and getting a great reaction every time he showed up on TV or in front of a live crowd. And then he was gone. I don’t know what happened, but AEW should reach out and look into bringing him back. Don Callis and the Elite could take some notes.

Eddie Guerrero versus Goldberg. Who wins?

Eddie was the better wrestler and character by far, but Goldberg was the “star” and had the size, the power, and the aura of a monster. Goldberg would be the one to get his arm raised at the end of the match.

Natalya’s WWE deal is set to expire in the next couple of weeks. Is she the game changer AEW needs?

If Natalya were to go to AEW, she most definitely could be a big name for AEW and be a huge presence in the Women’s Division. She could, but I don’t think AEW would know how to book and use her correctly. I think WWE will give Natalya a solid deal and she’ll stay as part of the WWE family.

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, I’m out of here. Be well, my friends and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!