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WWE fans remember Dutch Mantell as Zeb Colter, but he was hospitalized back in December after suffering some serious medical issues and lately, he has been dealing with even more health-related problems. During this time, eminent pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer had some unwarranted criticism towards Mantell and now Mantell has finally responded to the same.
Over the past year, Dutch Mantell and his wife, Cathy, have been dealing with serious health problems. Dutch has had sepsis twice, which is very dangerous. Their daughter, Amanda, is helping take care of them as they try to recover, but they have a lot of medical bills and are struggling to pay them.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported on Dutch Mantell’s GoFundMe campaign, mentioning how Tony Khan made a large donation, with Chris Jericho also contributing a good amount. However, things took an unexpected turn.
Dutch Mantell has a podcast where he’s discussed AEW in the past. Meltzer used this moment to highlight those past comments, which many felt was an inappropriate choice given the situation.
“They had raised $64,200 with most of the top donors being anonymous and the largest known donors were Tony Khan at 1$5,000 and Chris Jericho at $1,500. With Khan, many have pointed out that Mantel as a podcaster was brutal to Khan, even being critical of him when the promotion was at its popularity peak, and recently criticized him for the contract terms Swerve Strickland got in his recent deal.”
“It is something when a former wrestler gets mad at a promoter who clearly can afford it for what he pays the top talent. And he was doing it after he knew the new deal was put together that was going to make the company exceedingly profitable. Wrestlers using the old school “he doesn’t draw money,” and not understanding that this isn’t a mom-and-pop week-to-week business based on live event numbers but one that in a worst-case scenario year would generate $250 million next year. And that most of that revenue is guaranteed ahead of time“
While speaking on his Story Time with Dutch Mantell podcast, Dutch Mantell addressed Dave Meltzer’s distasteful comments, stating that it really upset him. Mantell explained that while he’s been critical of Tony Khan, that’s just part of his job as a wrestling commentator. He believes it’s fair to ask for more storytelling in wrestling instead of just putting together matches for the sake of it.
What bothered Mantell most was that Meltzer’s comment involved his family, which felt like a step too far. He mentioned that both he and his wife recently went through serious health issues, so the remark hit hard. Mantell also pointed out that Meltzer has a history of harsh criticism over the years. Although he admitted he’s not able to confront Meltzer directly, he said he would if he could, because sometimes certain remarks deserve a strong response.
“Well, I try not to give anything Dave Meltzer writes any believability or credence, but that really kind of pissed me off. I think this actually speaks more to Tony Khan’s humanity than it does about me. Yes, I’ve been critical of him, but isn’t that my job—to come on here and talk about the business? I’ve said he needs more story and doesn’t just need to put matches together for 15 minutes with no apparent reason beyond having a ‘good match.’ I’ve seen acrobatics, gymnastics, and the greatest moves in the world; everyone has if you watch enough wrestling on TV. But I want to see a story. So, I’m doing my job, yet Meltzer says I blasted Tony, and that tells me more about him than it does about me.
Think about it: how many people has Meltzer knocked when they were at their lowest points? And sure, you can knock me, Dave, but you’re knocking my family now, and that’s crossing the line in almost any business. I almost died; my wife almost died. But you had to use that just to make a point that you don’t like me? So yes, I’ve said not-so-flattering things about Tony Khan, but Meltzer, you’ve done a lot worse because you’ve had this platform a lot longer than I have. I was just doing my job, and you pissed me off. I’m still recovering from what he said, and honestly, if I could, I’d walk up to him and just slap the dog s*** out of him. Not a punch, but a slap, because some things deserve a good, hard slapping. I’ve read Meltzer’s stuff, and I could criticize that too.”
Dutch Mantell has every right to say what he had to say about Dave Meltzer as many fans feel Meltzer’s remarks were simply in bad taste and negative in nature, especially when Mantell almost lost his life.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
Do you agree with what Dutch Mantell had to say about Dave Meltzer? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
November 12, 2024 2:29 pm
