Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
The Ringlords, Paul Heyman, The Fallen Artist & More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

I’m Doug and this is the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. Let’s rock!

A&E has announced a new show called “WWE LFG (Legends & Future Greats)” where potential wrestlers train and compete in a bid to win a WWE Contract. The coaches will be The Undertaker, Bully Ray, Booker T, and Mickie James. Thoughts?

This is the old Tough Enough series with a new name. Nothing more than that. The Undertaker will basically be the head guy while Booker T and Bully Ray, who both own wrestling schools, along with Mickie James, get to play trainers and coaches. I’ve always wondered when they would bring this old show back. Well, now they have. I’m looking forward to it.

How could Eric Bischoff be on NXT and MLW the same week?

It’s simple. Eric is not under an exclusive contract with anyone at the moment and both promotions wanted him. The two shows were on different nights so he did both.

After the big jump at War Games, Bronson Reed will require ankle surgery and be out of action for a while. Thoughts?

I hate to see this happen because Bronson was just beginning a strong push and now, that momentum will come to a halt for a few months. Hopefully, after his surgery, he can pick right back up where he left off. Best wishes to Reed for a painless and speedy recovery.

Where is the Bang Bang Gang? They seem to have vanished from AEW television.

Austin and Colten Gunn, also known as the Gunn Club, and the Bang Bang Gang, are the sons of WWE Hall of Famer and AEW star Billy Gunn. As to where they are, I don’t know. Their last appearance on AEW TV was on July 20, 2024, and they kind of vanished since then. I don’t know if they’re injured or just being kept off TV until AEW Creative can find something for them. They are still under contract to AEW. They’re just not being used right now.

Thoughts & memories of Little Guido/Nunzio?

Despite not being the biggest man, James Maritato, be it under the name Nunzio or Little Guido, is a talented man and as tough as they come. He always gives 150% in the ring and had a pretty good run in ECW, WCW, and finally, WWE. He continues to wrestle regularly on the North-Eastern United States Independent Wrestling scene and made an appearance at NXT a few weeks ago, challenging Tony D’Angelo for the NXT North American Championship. The ultimate wrestling underdog who never quits and never fails to deliver.

What are your memories of the tag team, The Ringlords?

I dimly remember The Ringlords, Rick and Speedy, from a few matches for the NWA/WCW, where they worked both as The Ringlords and Magnum Force. They’re multiple time SAPW Tag Team Champions and also wrestled regularly in Puerto Rico. They were mainstays on the NC Indy scene during the late 90s.

The main thing I remember about the Ringlords is the one time I met Ringlord Speedy. My buddy, Mike Youngblood, came by my home late one night, probably around 2-3 in the morning. I was asleep. Mike had Speedy with him. They came into my house and Mike woke me up. I freaked out and went spastic. Mike and Speedy left quickly. It was just a typical day in the life of that time. But anyhow, they were a good and solid team. I wish I had more memories of them.

Diamond Dallas Page versus Damion Priest. Who wins?

DDP may be the master of DDP Yoga and he might be the most positive person in the world who helps people get more BANG out of their lives, but Priest is damn good and is getting better every week. Priest would take Page South of Paradise. Priest would win.

Do you agree with Tony Khan that AEW delivers the best pay-per-view events in wrestling?

Tony delivers the most chaotic and longest pay-per-views, but the best? I would have to disagree with Tony on that. I prefer stories and structure in my wrestling events and not just long matches that are thrown together and make no sense.

Kane has successfully transitioned from wrestling to politics, as have Linda McMahon, Jesse Ventura, and Tyrus (as a commentator on Fox). What other wrestling personalities would you like to get involved in politics?

Right off the top of my head, I think Mark Callaway at some point would be good in politics. Eric Bischoff is a natural politician and would probably do well. And a friend of mine, The Fallen Artist, Derk Douglas, is considering a run for a local political office, the Mayor of McColl, SC. I’m not sure how serious Mr. Artist is, but he’s a smart and very charismatic guy. He was a wrestler, as part of BD Productions, for a long time and then transitioned into a manager, then ring announcer, due to accumulated injuries, but the guy never quits. He’s also a musician and has recently attempted stand-up comedy as part of his resume. And now, he’s considering a move into politics. If he does do this, McColl will be very fortunate indeed. No one works harder than Derk. He’s smart and focused and would give McColl the kind of attention from an honest man that it hasn’t seen in a long time and desperately needs. Derk is weighing his options, but if he does run for the office, he has 100% support from me and my site. We don’t agree on every issue, but you can’t find a better man and McColl would be in great hands.

Could you see Paul Heyman in Hollywood producing and directing a movie?

Heyman is a natural leader and knows how to get the very best out of any person while hiding the weak points and flaws at the same time. He’s a natural storyteller and if WWE still had a film division, I could easily see Heyman directing a movie. He would be excellent in that role. I hope he remains a part of WWE for a long time to come, but at some point, I could see Heyman giving Hollyweird a shot. It would be epic.

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 for now. Take care and be well, my friends. Watch out for the thumb and spike to the throat and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!