"Never before in the history of pro wrestling has anything like this happened"- Veteran recalls getting hired to WWE by Triple H
Former WWE manager Dutch Mantell recently detailed getting recruited by Triple H for his second stint with the company.
Mantell, under the name of Zeb Colter, returned to the Stamford-based after 17 years as the manager of Jack Swagger. He also competed in a few matches during his time with the company before getting released in 2016.
Speaking on the Tru Heel Heat Wrestling podcast, Mantell revealed that Hunter was the man behind his return to the promotion. The former WWE manager also stated an anecdote about his hiring:
"He [Triple H] was the one that hired me. You know SummerSlam is in Nashville, that's exactly where I got hired. I got called on Thursday to be at RAW on Monday. I showed up at RAW on Monday at about 3:30. I met Triple H at 4:30, I did an audition tape, it told me what to say to Vince at 5:30, I was hired at 6:30 and I went live on TV that night at 7:30, Central time. That's crazy, huh? That's the way it is."
He further detailed his journey back to the promotion:
"Crazy. This business never ceases to amaze me. I mean, this story about Vince, never before in the history of pro wrestling has anything like this happened." (From 56:42 to 57:56)
Triple H is now the head of WWE's creative department
The Game has come a long way in WWE since the aforementioned event. He recently became the head of the company's creative department following the retirement of Vince McMahon.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes and messages. Spent the day with the team looking for the future of @WWE!
Excited for this week of #WWETryouts … the future is bright! @WWERecruit https://t.co/2DsIHTgpzH
Hunter has plenty of experience under his belt as he was NXT's founder and executive producer since the brand's inception in 2010. However, last year's health scare forced him to scale back his backstage duties. He also formally announced his retirement from pro wrestling at WrestleMania 38.
However, he was recently reinstated as the EVP of Talent Relations, in addition to leading the creative services. It will be interesting to see how the product potentially progresses under The Game's administration.
If you use any quotes from the article, please credit the Tru Heel Heat Wrestling podcast with H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for transcription.