Massive AEW star being shown on SmackDown was the right move from WWE, according to Dutch Mantell (Exclusive)

WWE is under new management, and it's evident that things operate differently now that Triple H is in charge. The Stamford-based company doesn't shy away from acknowledging AEW stars whenever needed, and Dutch Mantell believes the Chris Jericho reference on SmackDown was a good decision.

WWE is building towards Bash in Berlin, where Cody Rhodes will defend the Undisputed Championship against Kevin Owens. This week's SmackDown opened with The Grayson Waller Effect as Rhodes was the special guest ahead of his title match. Waller aired a special video package highlighting KO's contentious past of turning on his friends.

WWE made sure Owens betraying Jericho was featured in the clip, and the moment naturally got the fans talking online. Dutch Mantell was asked to share his thoughts on the latest Smack Talk episode, and he didn't mind seeing AEW's Chris Jericho get a surprising mention on WWE TV.

Mantell noted that WWE owned the footage, and to advance a storyline, they had every right to utilize everything at their disposal, even if it involved talents from rival companies. The former WWE manager stated:

"That's what I like about it, because he was in a big angle and they own, so they should use it, and I thought... it fits. And if you do it, keep doing it." [From 18:39 to 18:58]

Check out the entire episode below:

Chris Jericho has been in AEW since the promotion's early days. The 53-year-old legend continues to be a top competitor and has no plans to retire anytime soon.

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