The last few years have been challenging for legendary pro wrestler, manager, and booker “Dirty” Dutch Mantell, with him having been hospitalized on multiple occasions and nearly dying twice. Therefore, with his wife also now sick, a GoFundMe was launched by their daughter in an attempt to raise money during this difficult time in their lives.
However, despite wrestlers and fans rallying around Mantell during his time of need and smashing the fundraiser target, there was some controversy after Dave Meltzer used space in his newsletter to criticize the 74-year-old. And while many believed this was due to Meltzer and Mantell having differing opinions about AEW, Mantel has stated on his podcast that he suspects the journalist was trying to settle a score after they previously disagreed on X.com about attendance numbers.
“I’m still recovering from what he said, I would like to walk up on him. I can’t now, I’m too old now, but I would just like to walk up on Melzer and just slap the dog sh*t out of him, really, because some things deserve a good hard slapping, not a punch but a slapping … He’s been p*ssed for like five years he was printing a bunch of misinformation, and when I tried to correct him, oh he wasn’t going to do that.”
Dutch MantellMeltzer’s reputation has recently become tainted after he reported incorrect information, including declaring Afa Anoaʻi had died before his actual death. This and other incidents have seen many people in the business put him on blast, including JBL, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Billy Corgan, Thunder Rosa, Jim Cornette, Eric Bischoff, and Bruce Prichard. Still, this apparently doesn’t bother Meltzer, as, despite his detractors, it’s known hundreds, if not thousands, of wrestling fans, pay him $14.99 a month to read his opinions and follow his star rating system.
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