Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Nia Jax, The New Day, Naomi & 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.

Am I the only person in existence who likes Ronda Rousey in the WWE?

No, you’re not. I liked Ronda too, but it seems to me that after her initial debut and run, WWE didn’t know what to do with her. I’ll blame most of that on the transition of power between Vince and Triple H. Quite a bit of the creative stuff seemed to be just coasting and not getting the proper attention. Ronda should have been protected, used as a special attraction, and treated as a female version of Brock Lesnar. Instead, she was thrown out there and it didn’t work properly. Another run, under the Triple H regime, would be cool to see.

Will Ospreay says “The bar is too high now” for ex-WWE stars that want to “just walk into AEW”. Is he right? Thoughts?

Ospreay is just talking to be talking. The ex-WWE stars aren’t working because, currently in AEW, nothing is working. But I can assure you that if any prominent name from the WWE was to call Tony, be contractually free, and want to come play in AEW, they’d be on Dynamite the next week. You know it and I know it. Ospreay knows it too, but just doesn’t want to admit it.

Is WWE running too many major events too close together?

Massive overexposure. I’ve spoken on this many times already. And the answer is, YES!

Do you think Naomi went too far bringing Bianca’s family into this—or is she just playing the game better than anyone?

It’s all storyline and Naomi is being the evil heel she’s supposed to be. Nothing more.

Do you think Vince McMahon manipulated WWE’s corporate structure to serve his personal interests?

Of course, he did. Vince was the founder, owner, and boss, and that’s what the boss does. Tony Khan does the same thing in AEW, and the promoters of the past, like Crockett in JCP, Heyman in ECW, and Jarrett and Lawler in Memphis, did the same thing. It’s not just Vince. It’s every boss in existence.

According to Jeff Jarrett, AEW is a much bigger competition to WWE than Jim Crockett Promotions ever was. Thoughts?

It’s a different era and different time, so the comparisons are moot. Crockett was a territorial promotion that tried to expand too fast with limited resources. AEW is the hobby of a billionaire rich kid with the backing of his daddy. I get what Jarrett is saying, but it’s like comparing steak and lobster for dinner—two totally different things.

How would you rate Nia Jax on a scale of 1-10?

Nia has gotten much better in the ring over the past few years, but her character has, to me, seemed to have lost some of the fire and drive she once possessed. But she stands out from the crowd and is a solid performer. She’s not great, but she makes for a solid heel and can be injected into the stories almost anywhere. I’ll give her a 7.75 out of 10.

What are your thoughts on Nikki & Brie Bella as wrestlers, and as characters?

As wrestlers, they were okay at best. Not bad, but not outstanding or great either. As characters, as proven by their success in the world of reality television, they are outstanding and know how to draw a crowd and make an impact. I’m not a big fan of either, but when they are mentioned, I take notice. Their biggest appeal is drawing in the fans who otherwise wouldn’t watch wrestling. Two pretty women, who happen to be twins. They stand out and that makes them stars.

Should The New Day bring in a new member, Ridge Holland? Imagine the response if Woods & Kofi replaced Big E with the man who ended his career. Thoughts?

It may be a little late for this as most of the heat on Holland seems to have faded, but yeah, it would be an awesome heel move and would easily put Woods & Kofi right back up at the top of the most-hated list of WWE villains. I would love to see this happen, and see Big E’s response.

For the life of me, I will never understand why WWE goes out of its way to intentionally hurt the competition. Isn’t the more wrestling that succeeds better for WWE in the long run or have they truly just got paranoid that somebody is going to give them a run for their money?

Competition is great and makes everyone better, but don’t forget who fired the first shots at who? If you poke the bear enough times, the bear will maul you and rip you apart, or at least try. AEW made it personal first, and now, WWE is hitting back. Yes, they’re scooping low and being petty, but AEW wanted to challenge WWE and have a promotional war. What’s the old cliche about being careful what you ask for? AEW wanted it and now, they’re getting pounded as a result.

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!