Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Corey Graves, Keith Lee, Zelina Vega & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. I’m Doug and this is the third edition of the Q&A for today. Keep those questions coming. I’m having fun. And with that being said, let’s roll.

Corey Graves made and then deleted a post on social media talking about unprotected chair shots, seemingly referring to the chair shot that Jack Perry got from Mark Briscoe. Did you see this post? Thoughts?

I saw the post. It said, “This is not meant to sound judgmental, or incite ‘us vs. them’ or question anybody’s passion, or talent or intentions. This is just coming from a guy whose career ended from a few too many ACCIDENTAL headshots. The ART of this business is protecting ourselves and each other. Trust me… the gaps in memory are not worth it. I promise.” And my thoughts? It was a dangerous spot for Perry, no matter how ‘gimmicked’ the chair was, and Graves is 100% correct. It’s not worth it.

Keith Lee’s deal with AEW allegedly ends soon. Thoughts?

And it’s been a wasted couple of years for Lee as part of AEW. What has he accomplished during his tenure with the company? If he can get back in shape and medically cleared, I can see Lee going back to WWE under the auspices of Triple H, but honestly, I feel that when the contract expires, we’ve probably seen the last of Keith Lee as part of a major promotion.

Were you alive when Flair fought Funk in 1989?

Not only was I alive, but a whopping 23 years old. I remember this match very well. And the whole feud. Flair versus Funk was a great feud.

Is it a hot take to say AEW has the best women’s division in pro wrestling anymore? Toni Storm and Mariah May’s feud has been amazing!

A hot take? No, not really. More like simply delusional and mistaken. The Storm/May feud has potential, but the rest of the AEW Women’s Division, in comparison to the WWE/NXT and TNA, is majorly lacking.

What are your thoughts on Zelina Vega?

Vega is a talented in-ring performer and wrestler with a lot of fire and energy. I was also a fan when she was the heel manager for Andrade, Garza, and Theory. She’s a strong woman with a lot to offer WWE, both as a performer and a person.

Booker T doesn’t think casual fans want to see an hour-long match on TV anymore. Is he right?

The average fan these days barely has patience for a ten-minute match, much less an hour-long event. Immediate gratification is the goal and patience is hard to find with most people. Booker is right, but when a match can hold their attention for 45 minutes to an hour, it’s a beautiful and amazing sight. It just doesn’t happen very often anymore.

Bryan Danielson says his AEW wrestling contract will expire on August 1st, 2024. So what’s next for Danielson?

I’m sure an extension will be put in place to keep Danielson around long enough for All-In Wembley. And since Tony Khan has repeatedly said that he wants Danielson to be part of AEW forever, a deal will be worked out and Danielson will most likely continue with AEW as a part-time performer and in a backstage role.

Who needs the SummerSlam win more? Drew McIntyre or CM Punk?

It’s a tough call, but I think that Punk needs the victory more. Punk has only wrestled a couple of matches since returning to WWE and needs to prove he can win a match without getting injured again. Drew can eat a loss and then do something dastardly to get his heat back. This feud should go far longer than just one match and the wins and losses can be evenly split, but Punk needs the initial win more than Drew does.

The Authors of Pain w/ Paul Ellering versus The Colossal Kongs w/ Harley Race. Who wins?

With all due respect to Harley Race, the Colossal Kongs sucked. They were just two fat guys with masks that Harley was stuck with for a few weeks. The AOP have some skills and potential and are the far better team. The AOP wins.

Where do you think the disconnect is with Karrion Kross? He can make great moves, he is a beast, and he has charisma, but why don’t you think he is connecting? Could it be that he is good at a lot of things but not outstanding (in WWE) at one?

I’ve watched Kross wrestle many times and he just doesn’t come across on television as a big star. When he was in NXT, he had an aura of being dangerous and a badass, but it’s not there anymore. He’s a talented wrestler and has the skills, but something is missing. Maybe it’s the strong roster and he’s just being overshadowed by the stronger and more unique characters. I don’t know what the problem is with Kross, but something is going on there.

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!