Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Wrestling Books, New Day, Billy Gunn & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. I’m Doug. Are you ready? Let’s roll.

You can go back and change any single moment in wrestling history, not limited to match results. What do you change?

The murder and suicide of Nancy & Daniel Benoit by Chris Benoit. It was such a waste and tragedy that changed wrestling forever. I wish it had never happened.

Current rosters: any wrestler, any promotions – Dream PPV card and location (for convenience; Opener, mid-PPV, pre-main event, Main Event).

I’d go with an event in Charlotte, NC to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Helene. I like the Triple H model for PLEs so I’d go with six matches. The Opener would be a Chicago Street Fight with Jack Perry versus CM Punk. My next two matches would be Roman Reigns, The Usos, Cody Rhodes, and Sami Zayn w/ Paul Heyman versus Kenny Omega, Adam Page, The Young Bucks, Bryan Danielson w/ Tony Khan, and Rhea Ripley versus Liv Morgan. Seth Rollins versus Will Ospreay would be next. Mercedes Mone versus Charlotte Flair would follow. And the main event? Brock Lesnar versus The Final Boss, the Rock.

Have you read any wrestling books lately? Not asking for favorites just if you have read any lately.

While in the hospital recently, I re-read Ole Anderson’s book, Inside Out: How Corporate America Destroyed Professional Wrestling. It’s a really good book for an insider’s look at the territory system and early days of WCW.

Do you think we are going to see the build-up to Kofi vs. Xavier for WrestleMania, with the big surprise being Big E returning during the match for a reunion?

That makes sense and sounds like a plan to me. Lots of Kofi versus Woods until Big E saves the day. Book it, Hunter.

Is a young wrestler getting the six-week treatment in AEW the new version of seeing your favorite NXT wrestler heading to the main roster?

At least with the transition from NXT to the main roster, there’s a chance of success. With the huge push, and then limbo in AEW, that’s just business as usual and has yet to work for anyone.

Is the main problem with Billy Gunn that they book him like he’s Sting?

The main problem with Billy Gunn is that they don’t know how to book him. Billy has an established character going back several decades, but he’s also older and while in tremendous physical shape, isn’t the same guy he was twenty years ago. It has the writers and bookers that are AEW creative baffled and unsure what to do with Billy so they’re just throwing him out there with no particular plan or reason. And it shows.

Which wrestler do you think had the greatest potential but just never got given the chance to shine?

While in WWE, Zack Ryder. The guy was so over with the fans and WWE consistently wasted it. Ryder has proven that since his release and rebirth as Matt Cardona.

Why do you think Tony just threw Will and Ricochet at us so early just for it to be a double pin turned into a DQ turned into a triple threat? Just seems like a waste of a “dream match”.

Tony just threw away a potential big-money, PPV-level match on free television with no build. He does that sometimes. Ospreay and Ricochet deserved better. So did the fans.

What are your thoughts on the possibility of AEW having a show on FOX?

Fox cut ties with Smackdown because they were losing money despite Smackdown’s strong ratings. Will they take a chance with a new show by AEW? It depends on the costs. I can see it happening though if it’s a good deal for Fox.

If you could choose one person right now, excluding Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson since they’re the obvious answer, who would you put the belt on for the next year to re-structure the Main Event scene into what you think would help drive the company upwards… or whatever.

Looking over the AEW roster, I’d go with the other obvious answer that you didn’t mention, that being Will Ospreay. And I’d have him switch the belt and build around him and Shelton Benjamin. Just imagine the matches that they could have. Give Shelton some time to build his character up and gain some momentum and the sky is the limit. I just hope AEW gives him the chance.

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 it up. Take care and be well, my friends. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!