"We're not going to renew you guys" - Wrestling veteran questions popular WWE tag team's future
WWE revived the tag team division under Triple H's creative leadership when The Game finally split both titles and introduced new brand-specific championships. Meanwhile, wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell addressed Pretty Deadly's future in the company.
Last year, Pretty Deadly moved to the main roster and joined Friday Night SmackDown. Apart from a feud with The Brawling Brutes and a title match against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, Elton Prince and Kit Wilson have done nothing impactful on the blue brand.
Speaking on Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the veteran addressed Pretty Deadly's run on WWE's main roster. Mantell believes that the management hasn't given the audience any reason to get behind the team, and it could all change for them with a proper feud and match.
"I think their time in the WWE as productive time, I don't think we'll see that anytime soon. Unless somebody just has a tremendous idea about them. I don't know what to do with them. I wouldn't know what to do with them, but I would put them with a team that I think that could match them in size (...) I think you actually take the tag team division back a step when you put them in the ring," Mantell said. [From 01:55 to 02:27]
Mantell believes that, at this rate, their contracts won't be renewed by the company.
"I think they sometimes give them matches too long. I don't know you could still do something with them and get interest on them short term, but I don't know what they could do with them on long term (...) Yeah, they've got a three year deal. I think the three years will be up and I think well we're not going to renew you guys," Mantell said. [From 02:48 to 03:22]
Check out the video below:
Pretty Deadly are three-time Tag Team Champions in WWE
In 2021, Pretty Deadly rose to the top of the division when they captured the NXT UK Tag Team Championships, ending Gallus' legendary reign on the developmental brand in the United Kingdom.
The two eventually moved to the United States and captured the NXT Tag Team Championships in their first match for the brand. After Stand & Deliver in 2022, Pretty Deadly ruled the division.
Before the end of the year, they captured the titles for the second time and lost them to The New Day in a feud. The team has yet to capture tag team gold on WWE's main roster.
While using any quotes from the article, please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and provide an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.