Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Cora Jade, Mercedes Mone, More WWE Releases, and More
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

Welcome to the show. It’s the only pro wrestling Q&A that matters. You have questions, and I have answers. It’s the Ultimate Wrestling Q&A. I’m Doug, your party host and Guiding Light. Are you ready? Let’s do this.

Former MLW Tag Team Champion EJ Nduka has departed AEW and Ring of Honor. Thoughts?

Who? I had to look this guy up to even figure out who he was. Never pushed in AEW or used very much. He wasn’t fired either. His contract just expired. It still sucks to be out of work, but why this is even news, I have no idea.

Cora Jade has been released from WWE/NXT. Thoughts?

Cora is a talented wrestler who I felt had a good future in WWE, so this is a surprise. She’s worked before in TNA, plus would be a welcome addition to the AEW Women’s roster. She’ll be okay.

Katana Chance and Kayden Carter have been released by WWE. Thoughts?

No big surprises here. Neither woman has been used much or featured on NXT television. They’re both talented women, but now just isn’t the time. I wouldn’t be surprised to see either of them back in the future though.

Gigi Dolan, Eddy Thorpe, Jakara Jackon, and Riley Osborne were released by NXT. Thoughts?

Of these four names, Dolan and Jackon are both mysteries to me and I had to look them up to realize who they were. Thorpe is a surprise given that he had a small push a few weeks ago, but I guess WWE didn’t see in him what they wanted or expected. I think he’ll be back at some point. Osborne is a talented guy and I’m surprised to see him being released as well. Osborne will be a star one day. I guess he just needs to pull a Cardona or a Drew McIntyre and prove himself on the Indys. He probably won’t be gone for very long.

Scottish stars Gallus – Joe and Mark Coffey, and Wolfgang, were released by WWE. Thoughts?

These guys were recently on WWE Evolve, and have been a strong part of the NXT Brand for a few years. This is a surprise to be sure. I think we’ll see these men, either separately or as a unit, in either TNA or AEW soon.

Are you surprised at all the recent WWE/NXT releases?

Not really, no. The WWE roster has so many top-level talents available, but there are only just so many spots available. Cutting the dead weight from the group was inevitable and was due to happen eventually. It’s a shame that so many people are losing their jobs, but looking at the list of names released, are any of them truly what would be considered big losses for WWE? There are some surprises who I feel eventually, will be back as part of the WWE roster at some point. But for the here and now, WWE is just doing what is best for business.

Are there any stars in WWE that you feel are probably next on the chopping block and should be updating their resumes?

As soon as I saw this question, the names Apollo Crews and Omos immediately came to mind. Otis and Tozawa might need to be worried as well. I think most of the lWo is safe right now due to potential crossovers with AAA soon. Pretty Deadly is great but hasn’t really caught on with the audience. They may need to be worried too. Also, Tamina is still listed on the WWE roster, probably because of her family connections. I expect that free ride will be ending at some point as well.

Mercedes Mone is now offering a private texting service for $99.99 a month where you can have personal one-on-one chats with her. Thoughts?

A hundred dollars a month to text with someone who may or may not be Mercedes Mone? It sounds shady to me and I can’t imagine too many fans being interested in this. If I’m paying a wrestler a hundred bucks to talk to me, they’d better be coming to my house and bringing beer. Otherwise, no thanks!

Do you think Shayna Baszler got the respect she deserved in WWE, or was her potential wasted?

Shayna was well-liked and respected by the wrestlers and the company, but I don’t think they knew what to do with her. She has legitimate skills, plus a background in MMA, but she’s not a good talker or promo. I guess that’s why she always ended up in groups. Shayna would have made a great addition to the Heyman group. She has the skills but needs a voice. I think WWE dropped the ball with Baszler.

So, how about all these released WWE talents unite, form a faction, and launch an “Invasion” of TNA and Lucha Libra AAA, kind of like an updated nWo angle? Thoughts?

That would be interesting. There is certainly enough talent available, plus it’s a mixture of big names and unknowns. It’s an idea for sure, but I doubt right now that WWE is thinking that far ahead.

And there you go. Thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and questions are welcome and appreciated. Reach me by e-mail at Doug28352@yahoo.com or on X at @Doug28352. 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!