"It was almost was a no-brainer" - Dutch Mantell surprised by major booking decision on AEW Rampage (Exclusive)
Dutch Mantell recently opened up about Ruby Soho's match with Kris Statlander on AEW Rampage, saying he was surprised to see Soho emerge victorious.
The former WWE star and Statlander's Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament semifinal match headlined this Friday night's show. The bout was an impressive back-and-forth encounter, with the Las Vegas crowd clearly behind Kris Statlander, despite both performers being babyfaces.
In the end, Ruby Soho walked away with the win after rolling Statlander up, leading to the fans booing her. Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell said he liked the booking decision even though he was surprised by the match's outcome.
The former WWE manager explained that the loss gave Kris Statlander something to focus on going forward, with fans entirely in her support. Mantell added that if AEW had booked Ruby Soho to turn heel during the episode, it would have brought her a lot of "heat" from the fans:
"Actually, that's good booking because that extends Statlander, that extends Soho, that extends Baker. Even I was surprised because it was almost a no-brainer, and she [Ruby Soho] came up and won it; I didn't oppose it; I liked it. The one I didn't think would win won, and now, Statlander has something to go for. And the other girls have something else to go for. And if they had turned her a little bit heel, she would have had a ton of heat," said Dutch Mantell. (12:05 - 13:11)
Check out the full video below:
Check out the full results of this week's AEW Rampage here:
Britt Baker confronted Ruby Soho on AEW Rampage
In the closing moments of this week's show, Britt Baker, who'll face Soho in the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament finals, came out to confront her opponent. However, Ruby Soho shut The Doctor down even before she said anything, saying nobody wanted to listen to her.
After an epic battle w/ #KrisStatlander in the #OwenHart Foundation Women’s Tournament Semis, @realrubysoho advances to face Dr. @realbrittbaker THIS SUNDAY at #AEWDoN Double or Nothing LIVE on PPV! Available on AEWplus.com (@FITETV) & PPV.com (intl)! https://t.co/2vf3oA9K6O
The former WWE star asked the crowd why they booed her, further hinting toward her impending heel turn. Furthermore, Soho warned that she would avenge her loss from AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam last year and hurt Baker on Sunday at Double or Nothing 2022.
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