Dutch Mantell, who had two separate stints with WWE, lately shared his ideas on Jake Hager’s sudden retirement from skilled wrestling. Mantell first appeared in WWE within the mid-Nineteen Nineties as Uncle Zebekiah earlier than returning in 2013 for a three-year run as Zeb Colter.
Hager, often known as Jack Swagger throughout his WWE profession from 2006 to 2017, captured the World Heavyweight, United States, and ECW Championships. After leaving WWE, he went on to wrestle for AEW, the place he remained till 2024.
On his Story Time with Dutch Mantell podcast, Mantell mirrored on Hager’s departure from the ring. He criticized AEW’s dealing with of the previous champion and famous that Hager had been disillusioned with wrestling lengthy earlier than his exit.
“I feel he was getting sick of the enterprise even after I was with him, after which he went to AEW, they usually did completely zip with him,” Mantell stated. “They did nothing with him. I suppose he made fairly good cash. How lengthy was he there? Three years? He made cash, which is the aim if you happen to’re gonna have a wrestling place someplace. Become profitable with it. I don’t know, however I feel he was getting bored with it after I was with him in WWE.”
Mantell and Hager notably labored collectively in 2013 and 2014, with Zeb Colter managing Swagger as a part of The Actual People alongside Cesaro.
Dutch Mantell on Jake Hager’s first impression of him
When Mantell returned to WWE in 2013, almost 20 years had handed since his final run. In line with him, Hager had no thought who he was on the time.
“I want him quite a lot of luck. I actually, actually appreciated that man. He didn’t even know me after they put us collectively. He thought, ‘Who within the hell are they placing me with?’ as a result of he’s not a wrestling fan. I don’t assume he ever actually, aside from novice wrestling, which he was very, excellent at, and he was large too, he did very nicely with that, however he by no means appeared over at me like, ‘Who within the hell are you once more?’”
In the identical episode, Mantell additionally shared his perspective on Drew McIntyre’s current blunt remarks about fellow WWE superstars.