Sports Illustrated has published an interview with wrestling legend Dirty Dutch Mantell, perhaps best known to WWE fans as former manager Zeb Colter. Mantell also appeared on a recent episode of the Jim Cornette Experience podcast and told some amazing stories about his long career in the business. During his talk with SI, Mantell explained why he felt the whole MexAmerica angle and his pairing with Alberto Del Rio failed so badly.
“WWE failed to take into account that it didn’t make a lot of sense,” he said. “Remember, I hated Alberto Del Rio, and he hated me. So, all of a sudden, I disappeared and came back. But it’s not necessarily the first step in wrestling that is the most important, because it’s the second step that identifies and clarifies the first one. That’s what we didn’t do. There was no chemistry, but there was also no logical explanation as to why I would be with Alberto. I said to the guys in the back, ‘I’m not getting the story,’ but people kept saying, ‘Just wait.’ I’ve walked on enough wrestling floors, and I know if a crowd isn’t getting a certain vibe. The chemistry wasn’t there with me and Alberto.”
The alliance with Del Rio really work out, but Mantell had a different idea for his reintroduction to WWE storylines. “I suggested that I get back with Jack [Swagger]. What I really wanted to say during my return was, ‘When I was away, I realized that, instead of building walls, we should be building bridges. Instead of hating on people, I should be loving people.’ That was the build-up, but then we’d find out that, while I was away, I was really having a s— fit about every son of a b—- who f—– me over, and Alberto was one of them. So my plan was to convince Alberto to let Jack join us, and then we’d do the big turn at the end, and that would have helped everybody.”
Unfortunately, WWE didn’t see it that way and wanted Del Rio to be a heel. They worked together for a short stretch and wound up going their separate ways. Neither man is with WWE anymore, so we know how that turned out.
