"No wrestling knowledge" - Details on what Vince McMahon wants from WWE writers
Wrestling legend Dutch Mantell recently disclosed that Vince McMahon prefers to hire writers who have no WWE knowledge.
Earlier this year, WWE’s hiring process made headlines when Kenice Mobley joined the company as a writer for RAW. The comedian, who has since left her job, admitted she did not know whether Bobby Lashley’s surname was "Lashley" or "Ashley."
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s SP3 on Tru Heel Heat, Mantell explained that Vince McMahon does not want writers who grew up as WWE fans.
“This is why I always disagreed with how WWE have their writers, because Vince doesn’t want them to have any wrestling knowledge beforehand. He wants to train them, which I kind of understand that, but who you got training them?” Mantell said.
In the video above, Mantell told several stories about his legendary wrestling career. He also spoke about the current state of Vince McMahon’s WWE programming.
Dutch Mantell’s experience working for Vince McMahon’s WWE
FLASHBACK: Ah the good old days. April 1st, 2013 Monday Night Raw Washington, DC Verizon Center saw me almost break a metal crutch over the back of Señor Alberto Del Rio heading into WM29 in NJ. Alberto never said anything but this had to hurt. I kept waiting for the receipt. https://t.co/aATIAFTkDi
Dutch Mantell performed as Uncle Zebekiah in WWE between 1994 and 1996 before returning in 2013 for a three-year run as the Zeb Colter character.
Reflecting on his WWE spell between 2013 and 2016, Mantell recalled a conversation he once had with a member of Vince McMahon’s creative team.
“I remember this time this guy was writing an interview for me, and I read it. I said, ‘Brother, no disrespect, this is the s***s.’ He went, ‘What’s wrong with it?’ I said, ‘Well, everything, really. Let me ask you, what did you work before?’ He said, ‘Well, the Utica Times Gazette Daily Journal… something.’ And I went, ‘Brother, being a columnist or whatever you were for the Utica Daily News Journal does not qualify a wrestling writer,’” Mantell said.
Mantell added that he could not pitch ideas to WWE writers because he did not trust their knowledge of the wrestling business.
Please credit Tru Heel Heat and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.