Tossing Salt Presents:
Ultimate Wrestling Q&A
Lio Rush, Dusty Rhodes, American Gladiators & 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.

We are officially halfway through the year with 6 months to go. Who has been the MVP of pro wrestling so far in 2025?

It’s a tough call because there are many top stars, such as Seth Rollins, Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso, Rhea Ripley, Dirty Dominik Mysterio, etc., who have had banner years thus far. My pick? Ron Killings. He got fired, united the world of pro wrestling in a way that never happens, got rehired, and is getting probably the biggest push of his life thus far.

Has heel John Cena lived up to your expectations 100 days in?

Truthfully, not at all. He’s been boring to me as a character, like he’s phoning it in and is having some second thoughts. Cena hasn’t done much for me in quite a while anyhow, and this heel Cena is even more unbearable than usual.

Remember the old Batman series, the Adam West version? Would you like to see a wrestling match with special bat-effects, like, “Pow!”, “Smash”, “Blam”, etc.?

No, I wouldn’t want to see a legit match with special effects such as those. But, if some fan with tech skills and too much free time took a pre-existing match such as maybe one of the Swerve Strickland versus Hangman Adam Page matches from AEW, and spice it up in that manner, I’d probably watch.

High Heel on a Pole Match: Gene Snitsky versus Tony Atlas. Who wins?

To put this into context, part of Snitsky’s character in WWE, and as admitted to in a recent interview, is that he likes sexy feet and has a foot fetish. And the stories of Tony Atlas and his foot obsession are legendary. This would be a battle of the freaks. And Snitsky would win with a punt to Tony’s baby Atlas’. And Snitsky would get the shoe, and it’s not his fault.

CM Punk on a Pole Match: AJ Lee versus Lita. Who wins?

To put this into context, CM Punk and Lita used to date. And CM Punk is married to AJ Lee. And AJ Lee wins. She’s the one who got Punk to take the Pepsi Plunge and put a ring on it.

Kevin Kelly & Tate Twins’ (The Boys) dispute against AEW is going to arbitration. Thoughts?

I’m not surprised at this. The lawsuit that Ryan Nemeth has against AEW is also going to arbitration. So the lawyers all talk, settlements are made, NDA’s will be signed, and everyone is happy. Kelly, The Boys, and Nemeth all get what they set out to get, paid!

Sammy Guevera versus Brad Armstrong. Who wins?

Brad would do what he always did. Outwrestle Sammy, make him look like a billion dollars and then do the job to put Sammy over. Brad was the better wrestler by far, but Sammy would get the win to make the promoters happy.

Former TNA talent Jessie Godderz and former WWE talent Rick Boogs have both been cast in the upcoming American Gladiators revival hosted by The Miz. Thoughts?

My interest in this program has just jumped quite a bit. Miz as the host sounds intriguing enough, but to add Godderz, and Boogs, who used to play Shinsuke Nakamura to the ring and are married to former WWE/TNA star Emma, adds to the mystique and intrigue quite a bit. This show should be fun to watch.

Jim Cornette talking about Lio Rush: “Would be one of the hottest managers in the history of the business if I was the booker.” Thoughts?

I can see it. I remember when Lio was the hype man for Bobby Lashley in WWE. LIo has the gift of gab and can talk. Unfortunately, he’s not a big guy, and while he’s good as a wrestler, it’s hard to take him seriously. He already “retired” several times from TNA, New Japan, and MLW, if I recall correctly, due to injuries. He keeps coming back and I’ll give him credit for that, but in a managerial role, there would be less chance of getting hurt and he could do what he does best, run his mouth. I’ll agree with Cornette on this one. Lio has missed his calling, trying to be a full-time wrestler. A managerial role would work much better.

It’s been ten years since Dusty Rhodes passed away. What comes to mind when you think about “The American Dream”?

Dusty wasn’t the best wrestler in the ring, but damn, he had more charisma than anyone else in the room by far. The guy had an ego, but he could back it up, and the fans would pack the arenas to see The American Dream do his thing. A truly unique talent and legend of professional wrestling. One of a kind, for sure. RIP Dream.

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!