WWE veteran claims Ronda Rousey ignored him backstage (Exclusive)
Ronda Rousey has been critical of WWE since leaving the company in 2023. Dutch Mantell, formerly known as Zeb Colter in WWE, recently recalled how The Baddest Woman on the Planet allegedly ignored him backstage.
Mantell performed as an on-screen personality between 2013 and 2016. Rousey did not join WWE as a full-time wrestler until 2018. However, she occasionally went backstage as a special guest during the veteran's time with the company.
On Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk with Rick Ucchino, Mantell claimed Rousey did not want to interact with him behind the scenes:
"The whole time I was in WWE and she was there, she never said hello to me. Never did. I mean, she would look at me. She wouldn't even nod her head. That's it. I said, 'Well, I don't guess she likes me.'" [1:48 – 2:03]
Watch the video above to hear Mantell's reaction to Rousey saying professional wrestling is not a sport.
Dutch Mantell questions Ronda Rousey's drawing power
Within a year of her WWE debut, Ronda Rousey headlined WrestleMania 35 alongside Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. In doing so, they became the first women to compete in the last match of the night at WWE's biggest show of the year.
Five years on from Rousey's WrestleMania main event appearance, Mantell does not think the MMA legend is still the star attraction she once was:
"They [WWE] give Ronda this big contract because she was an MMA star. Okay, if Ronda Rousey was the only one on a wrestling card that you knew, would you go see it? If you knew nobody else [was a big star on that card]." [3:51 – 4:17]
Rousey fired major shots at former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon in her new book. She also recently questioned why she was not allowed extra time to rehearse matches like United States Champion Logan Paul.
What do you make of Ronda Rousey's WWE criticisms? Hit the discuss button and let us know.
Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.
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