Dutch Mantel's WWE Gimmick Was One Of The Most Daring In Company History
Although WWE took a family-friendly route during the late 2000s and early 2010s, sometimes a controversial angle would garner attention from the wrestling world. Especially with WWE's weekly programming being TV-PG, any angle with a slight edge usually garners interest, even from non-wrestling fans. Furthermore, when Dutch Mantel returned to WWE in 2013 to manage the newly-repackaged Jack Swagger, from his first night back on Raw, he struck fire with a controversial gimmick that got people talking outside of the wrestling world. Taking the name Zeb Colter, he became an on-screen manager of Jack Swagger for many years, as the two adapted anti-immigrant personas as their characters moving forward, loosely based on the real-life Tea Party movement.
Related: 10 Things Wrestling Fans Should Know About Dirty Dutch Mantel
Dutch Mantel's Many Years Of Wrestling Experience
Before transitioning into the manager position, Dutch Mantel had been wrestling in the industry for almost two decades, going back to the 1970s. Someone like him who's wrestled and been a mouthpiece for other wrestlers for many years, there's a reason why Dutch Mantel has a reputation as one of the most intelligent figures in the business.
Another interesting aspect regarding Dutch Mantel's career is that even though he's had two runs in WWE, he's wrestled and managed for many organizations throughout his career, especially during the territory days. Because of this, Dutch Mantel is an old-school wrestling figure that could easily give his insight on what makes a wrestling show more enticing. And considering the many years of booking experience under his belt, one could argue that Dutch Mantel's still a valuable figure in today's evolving wrestling industry.
Related: 10 Things Wrestling Fans Should Know About Dirty Dutch Mantel
Returning To WWE As Zeb Colter
After almost two decades since his first stint with WWE during the mid-1990s, Dutch Mantel returned to the company in early 2013. And on a February 2013 episode of Monday Night Raw, he made his first appearance on WWE programming since returning to the company, establishing a heel gimmick by aligning himself with Jack Swagger.
Not long before, Jack Swagger took a many-month hiatus from wrestling until returning in early 2013, getting pushed as the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship against reigning champion Alberto Del Rio. With Dutch Mantel on the side, it allowed Jack Swagger to have an effective mouthpiece while appearing as a dominant force in the ring. As Jack Swagger was in the process of getting repackaged, Dutch Mantel became the most integral part of his change of character.
Going by Zeb Colter as his gimmick name, Dutch Mantel instantly became a controversial figure when he first appeared on Monday Night Raw, cutting a post-match promo where he blasted immigrants in America. And considering Alberto Del Rio was born and raised in Mexico, it's no surprise that the feud between him and Jack Swagger would be more than just about the World Heavyweight Championship.
Why Zeb Colter's Gimmick Was So Controversial
Holding extreme anti-immigration views, because Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger's new gimmick parodied the American Tea Party movement in 2013, it attracted controversy from outside the wrestling world. More specifically, popular conservative commentator Glenn Beck criticized WWE for using Zeb Colter to paint the Tea Party in a negative light while also taking a shot at professional wrestling in the process.
In response, WWE defended their creative booking of Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger for utilizing real-life current events to be topical in their storylines rather than promoting a specific political viewpoint. And because of the mainstream publicity that WWE received, Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger actually broke character on a WWE Exclusive video regarding the situation with Glenn Beck, wanting to invite him to Monday Night Raw. Glenn Beck ended up declining the offer to come to Monday Night Raw.
In such a short time, Dutch Mantel got people talking to where it looked as if both he and Jack Swagger would be going places. As the famous Eric Bischoff quote goes, "controversy creates cash," Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger's controversial gimmick could've provided edgy television for WWE in the long run.
The Downfall Of Zeb Colter And Jack Swagger
Unfortunately for Dutch Mantel, as Jack Swagger lost the World Heavyweight Championship match against Alberto Del Rio at Wrestlemania 29 and his push began to diminish, the "Zeb Colter" character lost some of its value. It may have had to do with Jack Swagger getting into real-life legal trouble before heading into Wrestlemania 29. And although he continued to manage Jack Swagger until 2014 and even later enlisted Cesaro to form the Real Americans, there was a missed opportunity for Dutch Mantel to go even further as a prominent figure on WWE TV.
