73-year-old WWE legend completely sold on Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik for WrestleMania 39 (Exclusive)
The Mysterio Family saga witnessed one of its most significant moments this week on SmackDown as Dominik and Rey Mysterio was involved in a heated segment. While reviewing the episode on Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell explained why he was eagerly looking forward to the father-son showdown.
Rey Mysterio faced Karrion Kross in a singles competition on the latest episode of SmackDown, and Dutch Mantell felt that the match was alright despite the clash of styles. The former manager noted that more than the match, fans were keen to know about the relationship between the Master of 619 and Dominik, and they certainly weren't left disappointed.
After Rey's match, Dom came out to the ring and repeatedly mocked his father. The 25-year-old tried his best to provoke Rey Mysterio, but the veteran somehow refrained from assaulting the Judgment Day member.
During the latest episode of Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell said that he loved the post-match segment and believed WWE had done a great job of making Rey Mysterio's eventual slap on Dominik even more special.
Rey snapping at Dom should ideally get a massive pop, and Mantell was waiting to watch the moment unfold.
"They went actually longer when he said, 'You want to hit me?' And the crowd was saying, 'Hit him, hit him!' But he didn't hit him. Now they've still got that thing. And when he hits him and it's finally going to bring the roof in because he has constrained himself or contained himself up to this point of not just slapping his kid. I thought it was a really, really good segment." [28:00 - 29:00]
Dutch Mantell was quite intrigued by the match-up as he knew how good Rey Mysterio was at putting matches together. The 73-year-old also brought up WWE's vast team of producers and agents, who will undoubtedly help make Rey vs. Dom a compelling clash.
The patient build-up is clearly leading to a WrestleMania match between the Mysterios and Mantell was hoping to see how they wrestle against each other in front of a live crowd for the first time.
"I'm really interested in how they would book that match because Mysterio, he knows how to work it. And you've got a lot of agents back there, people who put these matches together. I want to see that match. And I want to see the fans' reaction to it." [29:01 - 30:00]
Dutch Mantell recalls what Jerry Jarrett told him while talking about Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik
Professional wrestling storylines with a sense of realism rarely fail to get over with the WWE Universe.
The kayfabe issues between Rey Mysterio and Dominik have drawn the audience's attention due to their relationship outside the ring.
Dutch Mantell is also a proponent of having believable feuds that are more personal, as they easily get the fans invested in the long run.
Famed wrestling promoter Jerry Jarrett, who recently passed away at age 80, also looked to book stories that were intimate in nature and had actual heat. Mantell quoted Jarrett while continuing to explain his viewpoint:
"I think if you make it personal, like my old buddy Jerry Jarrett, rest in peace, used to say, if you make it personal, they will buy it because they will believe it, I've said this a hundred times. They will believe it until you give them a reason to disbelieve it, and people can put themselves in that situation, 'What would I do?'" [30:01 - 31:00]
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