Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Dominik Mysterio, Ricky Starks, Teddy Long & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

Happy Thanksgiving Eve. I’m Doug and this is the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. Let’s get cooking.

Do you agree with ESPN that Dominik Mysterio is the best pro wrestler in the world under 30?

I think there was some close competition with Rhea Ripley for the honor, but I have no objections about Dom being named the best. He’s not the best wrestler, but he gets better with every appearance. And his character is arguably the best in pro wrestling today. Dom has so much heat with the fans and stays in character 24/7. It wouldn’t have worked without Rhea, but the argument can be made that Rhea wouldn’t have been so popular without the Dom factor being figured in. They play off of each other so well. But back to Dom. He’s so good at being Dominik Mysterio, I have to agree with ESPN. No one else even comes close.

Liv Morgan says even if Becky Lynch never wrestles again, she’s still a future Hall of Famer. Is Liv right?

Liv is 100% on this. Becky will be in the WWE Hall of Fame one day. It’s not a question of it, but just when. Liv can claim that she “retired” as a future Hall of Famer. I wonder how long it will be before Liv starts calling herself a “Living Legend”?

What are your thoughts on Darby Allin’s straight-edge lifestyle? Does it inspire you, or do you think it makes him stand out even more as a performer?

I have no thoughts about his straight-edge lifestyle. That means nothing to me. It’s the reckless behavior and crazy stunts that have me taking notice. This guy will be in a wheelchair before he’s 40 with his body a total wreck. And he doesn’t care. I’m not sure if it’s bravery or stupidity, but his friends and family need to step in and have him pull back a bit before he kills himself or ends up in that wheelchair prematurely. Darby is a walking disaster just waiting to happen.

Who was Teddy Long’s best client as a manager?

An argument can be made for DOOM since they put him on the map as a manager, but once they broke up, Teddy’s managerial run was pretty sad for a long time. The best? I think it was Rodney Mack in the WWE. That whole white-boy challenge was excellent and made both Teddy and Mack stand out. I’ll go with Mack as Teddy’s best client.

Besides the wrestlers getting paid. What is the nicest thing you can say about AEW?

They give the WWE something to compete against, thus making WWE stronger, and they give us, the wrestling fans, something to argue about and debate. That’s a nice thing, right?

Kronik (Brian Adams & Bryan Clark) versus Jacob Fatu & Bronson Reed. Who wins?

This would be a battle for the ages. As powerful as Brian and Bryan are, look at the size and power of Fatu and Reed. This would be, as Gordon Solie liked to say, a Pier Six Brawl. Jim Ross would call it a slobber knocker. Fatu and Reed have the unpredictability factor in their favor, but Kronik is a team and works as a unit, like a well-oiled machine. I think, in the end, Fatu and Reed would learn the immortal truth. It’s all about Kronik! Clark & Adams win.

Ricky Starks has been pulled from all of his upcoming planned GCW appearances by AEW. Thoughts?

Allegedly, this stems from something that Effy said about Tony Khan’s father and Tony is getting petty about it. Or maybe it’s Ricky going on Chris Van Vliet’s program and in an excellent interview, spoke about how AEW is freezing him out and not using him, speculating as to why. Regardless, AEW approved Starks of working for GCW and now, they’ve changed their minds. No definite reason has been given, but it just strikes me as petty and wrong. If AEW doesn’t want to use Starks in the ring, let him wrestle in GCW. This is a developing story to keep an eye on. AEW should either use Starks or just release him already. These childish games are just dumb.

Which hurt AEW more? Cody Rhodes leaving for WWE, or CM Punk being fired?

Cody leaving AEW hurt because it took the grown-ups from the room and allowed the children of AEW to be in charge. CM Punk being fired hurt AEW even more because it exposed all the back-stabbing, the lack of structure, and how bad of a boss Tony Khan is for the entire wrestling world to see. It opened the eyes of a lot of fans who, before the Punk issues with the EVPs, had been willing to give AEW a chance. So which hurt AEW more? In the big picture of things, it was the loss of CM Punk.

UFC Fight: Bobby Lashley versus Brock Lesnar. Who wins?

This would be a fight for the ages. It’s a tough call, but I think Brock would score a win by decision.

Fatal 5-Way Match: The Undertaker versus Triple H versus John Cena versus Jeff Hardy versus Shawn Michaels. Who wins?

Any of these men could win and it would not be considered an upset. It would be just another day at the office. I’d go for Jeff Hardy to win since he’s the biggest underdog in this match and the one that people would expect the least to come out on top.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. Be sure to like, share, and subscribe. Send comments and questions to my e-mail at Doug28352@yhoo.com. And with that being said, let’s wrap things up. I just noticed the time and I have a doctor’s appointment to get to. Take care and be well, my friends. Have a good Thanksgiving and watch out for Gobbly Gookers. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!