"I don't wanna say that" – Former WWE manager recalls backstage conversation with Triple H after being told to say a controversial line (Exclusive)
In a recent interview, former WWE manager Dutch Mantell revealed he was told to talk about and say "affirmative action" on a WWE show. Mantell wasn't happy about it and tried to argue otherwise but was told by Triple H to say it and gauge the crowd's reaction.
In the mid-2010s, Dutch Mantell played the role of a politically controversial figure by the name of Zeb Colter. Colter took multiple stars under his wing and helped them garner heel heat by taking to the mic and riling up the crowd.
On the latest edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell sat down to review the latest episodes of WWE SmackDown and AEW Rampage. While discussing Mustafa Ali's new plotline, Mantell recalled an interesting story:
"Zeb Colter was supposed to be the right-wing radical, but the way I was doing my interviews, it made sense, and a lot of people were agreeing with me. They wanted me to go out one time and I was talking to Titus and Darren Young. [WWE management] wanted me to say what I got against them is 'affirmative action' and I went 'Guys, I don't wanna say that.'"
Mantell elaborated:
"They said 'Oh yeah, that's what they want you to say.' I asked 'Why?' I said 'I guarantee you, when I go out there and I say that, now I'm racializing – I'm just making Zeb Colter a straight out racist.' They said 'Well, do this,' and I then went to Triple H and said 'Hey man, you're gonna kill this character,' and he did say this: 'Okay, say it. If they don't respond then take it out.'
Mantell continued:
"I said 'Get ready to take it out because they're not gonna respond to this'. Nobody wants to hear it. I don't care who you are. They don't want to hear it. I went out there, and I said that; you could here not a pin drop. It got eerily quite. I know what they're saying, you could read their mind. They're saying 'Oh God don't take it this way, Please don't lean into it.'"
You can check out Mantell's thoughts on Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman, and more in the video below:
What did Dutch Mantell say to WWE personnel when he went backstage?
Mantell continued that once he went backstage after cutting the promo, he told Triple H that he knew this wasn't going to work. The line was then taken out of future promos, but Mantell had to say it that one time because the instructions came right from 'the top'.
WWE SmackDown & AEW Rampage (10/29/21) Review | Smack Talk w/Dutch Mantell twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
Mantell's last run in WWE ended in 2016, and he never worked for WWE again. What do you make of this story? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
If you use any quotes from this article, please h/t Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the YouTube video.