Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Scott Steiner, Mr. Fuji, King Kong Bundy & More
DougMaynrd.com
Doug Maynard

I’m Doug and this is where we talk pro wrestling. It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. Let’s rock.

Should King Kong Bundy be in the WWE Hall of Fame?

This one is a no-brainer in my opinion. The man main-evented WrestleMania II, plus had great success all over the world, squashing opponent after opponent, and demanding a five-count. He belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame.

What are YOUR top 3 wrestling-related podcasts/YouTube channels?

Jim Cornette and his Drive Thru and Experience podcasts, the Insight program with Chris Van Vliet, and Storytime with Dutch Mantell are my three favorites.

What do you think about WWE’s decision to book the live sex celebration? Should wrestling push boundaries like that, or did it go too far?

It was a bit out there, even for the time, but considering who the boss and head of creative for WWE at the time was, it was par for the course. I’m always happy to see WWE push the envelope and try new things, but that situation, with Edge and Lita, was a bit much to be sure.

Scott Steiner is teasing the 2025 Royal Rumble. Would you like to see Big Poppa Pump be a surprise entrant in the Rumble?

Big Poppa Pump in the Royal Rumble match? Speaking on behalf of all of the freaks out here, I’d love to see that happen. It would be very cool.

Do you think AEW is underutilizing Deonna Purrazzo? Should she get a bigger push, or look for opportunities outside AEW?

When was the last time Purrazzo was even on AEW television? Deonna proved in TNA that she’s a talented woman and a good wrestler and adds to the product. AEW is absolutely, in my opinion, dropping the ball by not using her more often or effectively.

Allegedly, AEW tried to buy TNA before TNA inked a deal with WWE. Thoughts?

It was long before the creation of AEW that Tony Khan and the then-owners of TNA, most likely the Carter family, discussed Tony Khan buying a controlling interest in TNA. For whatever reason, the deal didn’t happen. TNA continued on the path even as it does today. Tony went back to booking e-feds until he eventually started AEW. It’s a nice little piece of trivia, but in the big picture of things, means absolutely nothing.

Do you rank Mr. Fuji as a Top 10 wrestling manager of all time?

No, I don’t. Fuji was a legendary wrestler who had a great career. He had a good character that played well to audiences. But as a manager, he was average at best. What did he add to Demolition? He managed Yokozuna, but WWE had to bring in Jim Cornette because Fuji couldn’t talk or do promos for Yoko’s character or take bumps. Fuji had a great career and much respect for him, but as a manager, he wasn’t one of the better ones.

Does AEW need to do a better job developing its younger talent? Should these wrestlers take more initiative, or is it on Tony Khan to push them harder?

The youngsters want to wrestle and get better, but it’s hard to improve when you’re only allowed 5-minute squash matches, twice a month, at best. The wrestlers have the ambition and initiative but need the resources to grow, develop, and improve. Tony Khan’s booking doesn’t allow that or offer those.

If you could be an invisible fly on the wall for any backstage moment in wrestling history, what would you choose?

Backstage in Montreal at the Survivor Series, 1997. To be in the office and booking meetings, listening to Vince McMahon, Pat Patterson, Earl Hebner, Shawn Michaels, etc, as the plans for the “screw job” came together. I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that.

Build a Survivor Series/Forbidden Door show AEW v WWE. Male and female 5v5, tag, 2 women and 2 male singles matches.

For the two five-on-five matches, how about The Bloodline (Roman, Sami, The Usos), along with Bron Breakker versus The Hurt Syndicate (Lashley, Shelton), MJF, Hangman Page, and Wardlow? The women would be Bianca, Naomi, Iyo Sky, Bayley, and Jade Cargill versus Kris Statlander, Mariah May, Athena, Penelope Ford, and Julia Hart. The four singles matches would be, Gunther versus Swerve Strickland, CM Punk versus Jack Perry, Rhea Ripley versus Mercedes Mone, and Tiffany Stratton versus Toni Storm. And finally, the tag match would be The Young Bucks versus The Motor City Machine Guns.

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. Watch out for foreign objects, and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!