Dutch Mantell did not hold back when giving his thoughts on WWE NXT rookie Mason Rook.
Speaking on Storytime, Mantell reacted to Rook while discussing the recent online argument involving Jim Cornette, Paul Walter Hauser, Mason Rook, and Nick Bockwinkel.
Mantell was asked what stood out to him about Rook as a performer.
He’s awfully slow. He’s awfully out of shape. He’s a big fat bastage.
Mantell said a wrestler’s presentation is not always based only on individual ability.
But then, but a lot of times these things, I’m not defending him, but it’s not in the talent of the wrestler. It’s in the story they’re telling around the wrestler.
And Cornette, I think, just saw the guy, hated him immediately, I guess, and ripped into him.
If you take that piece by piece, what he said was true. Because today’s generation, they won’t give a cat’s eye about Nick Bockwinkel and what he did.
Mantell said that does not mean Rook would necessarily leave viewers with a strong impression of wrestling.
They’re going to catch on. And if Mason Rook is their last thing they ever see about wrestling, they’ll have a bad opinion of it. And even seeing Nick Bockwinkel in a recap, it won’t improve their thoughts on wrestling.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Storytime, with a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.
