MANAGER SPOTLIGHT: Before EMERGE Wrestling returns with Back In The Saddle, Mortimer Blankenship III discusses his accidental entrance into professional wrestling, the overlooked responsibilities of a manager and his desire to pass more than 15 years of experience to the next generation.
Professional wrestlers are supposed to be the stars of a match. Mortimer Blankenship III believes the best managers understand that their job is to make those stars shine brighter.
The man nicknamed “The Muttonchop Millionaire” has worked as both a wrestler and manager, but his greatest value may come from what audiences never see. On show night, he wants the crowd to despise him and everyone standing beside him. During the hours spent traveling between events, his objective changes.
He becomes a teacher.
“When the show is happening, I am that top obnoxious heel. When we’re on the way to the show or outside of it, I am a teacher. That’s what I want to do.”
AN ACCIDENTAL ENTRANCE INTO WRESTLING
Blankenship grew up in Seymour, Indiana, as a devoted professional wrestling fan, but he never expected to enter the industry himself.
“I never had dreams of being in professional wrestling. I was a professional wrestling mark. I loved watching it. I knew it was a choreographed sport, but I loved it. It was something I always liked.”
His opportunity arrived through Luscious Lonnie Lee, a wrestler who worked in the same area of Cummins Engine Company where Blankenship’s late mother had been employed.
Blankenship approached Lee because he wanted to discuss wrestling. Lee knew that Blankenship had performed in theater during high school and asked whether he would be interested in portraying his lawyer and manager.
“He goes, ‘I need somebody to play my manager. Would you be interested?’ I said, ‘Absolutely.’ He goes, ‘Okay, here’s your homework: Think of a lawyer’s name.’ Without hesitation, I said, ‘Mortimer Sebastian Blankenship III, Esquire.’”
The elaborate name was eventually shortened to Mortimer Blankenship III.
Blankenship believed his appearance at a Supreme Championship Wrestling event in Madison, Indiana, would be a one-time experience. Following instructions from the veterans involved in the match, he broke a clipboard over the head of the babyface.
The decision did not receive the reaction he anticipated after he returned backstage.
“I did what the veterans in the match told me to do. At the end of the match, I broke a clipboard over the babyface’s head. I went to the back, and Matt Douglas yelled and screamed, ‘Who told you to do that?’ I said, ‘The veterans in the match, sir.’ He said, ‘You’ll never work in Madison again.’”
“I was like, ‘Okay, cool. I guess that was my cup of coffee in the big time.’ I thought I was done.”
Another call from Lee led to a second appearance and an introduction to Eric Draven. The two became friends, and Draven offered Blankenship a position when he regained control of Supreme Wrestling.
“I became his number one manager. Keep this in mind: I had not had any training at this point. Nothing. I was originally supposed to go in, do some talking, hit a guy with a clipboard and that was it.”
Supreme became Blankenship’s wrestling home. He attended training and performed every Saturday, remaining there for approximately six years before traveling regularly to other promotions.
“I don’t regret it because Supreme is still going today. Once I finally got on the road, I got to see more of the business and learn more as it went on.”
THE HEEL AND THE TEACHER
After more than 15 years in professional wrestling, Blankenship believes he has two distinct responsibilities.
As Mortimer, he wants to become the most hated manager in the building.
“As Morty, my place is to be that number one heel manager and get the crowd to absolutely hate me and, in turn, hate my wrestlers.”
Outside the performance, his greatest satisfaction comes from traveling with younger wrestlers and helping them develop their craft.
Blankenship has known veteran wrestler and trainer Rip Rogers since childhood. He also spent years learning from Rogers, Draven and other experienced members of the wrestling industry.
“What I love about it is when I get to take the younger generation of wrestlers out on the road and help them expand on their craft. Sometimes they have worked with a manager before, or this might be their first time even going out on the road.”
“The two-hour to six-hour drive, or however long it takes to get there, can almost be more beneficial to the wrestlers than the show itself because I have all these years of experience.”
Blankenship does not want younger wrestlers to believe that improving a match always requires adding more moves or subjecting their bodies to greater punishment.
“I want to teach the younger generation how to get more out of a gimmick and get more out of a wrestling match without taking bumps and taking years off their wrestling career.”
“I want to share knowledge that a lot of people don’t even think about nowadays because it’s just not brought up.”
THE MANAGER IS NOT THE STAR
Blankenship believes an effective manager must begin with one fundamental understanding.
“A manager needs to understand a few key components. They are not the star of the match. The wrestlers are.”
A manager must pay close attention to everything happening inside the ring. Blankenship’s objective is to help control the audience’s emotional response, building its excitement before helping the wrestlers take it away.
“You are there to bring the crowd up and bring them down, bring the crowd up and bring them down. You have to pay attention to the match and know what is going on in the ring in order to get out of the crowd what you want to get out of them.”
For example, when a heel has a babyface trapped in a submission hold, Blankenship may taunt the audience by claiming that no one is supporting the fan favorite. The crowd responds by becoming louder, helping the babyface begin a comeback.
When the heel suddenly stops that comeback, the audience’s optimism disappears with it.
“The crowd starts cheering, and that causes the babyface to start firing back up. Then the heel grabs them by the hair, pulls them down and cuts them off. The crowd was getting excited, and then you take it away from them.”
A manager must also remember his role in the physical structure of the match, including when to distract an opponent or use an object to create an opening.
“A manager has to remember his spots in the match. You have to remember what move happens right before it so that you know when to do it. That is very baseline being a manager. If you can pull that off, you can go to any wrestling show and be a manager.”
HELPING YOUNG WRESTLERS THROUGH A MATCH
Blankenship’s responsibilities can expand when he accompanies less-experienced wrestlers.
From ringside, he can help keep the match moving, communicate instructions and provide the performers with a way to recover if they lose track of what comes next.
“At other places out on the road, I may bring green guys or green gals with me to be in the ring. I could be calling the spots from the side of the ring, saying, ‘All right, good job. Let’s do the comeback,’ so that the match stays in line.”
“I tell everybody before the match, ‘If you get lost, bring the babyface to the ropes. I will choke them and tell them the next spot.’ If the referee comes over to me at some point, I’ll tell them the next spot too, so it can be communicated where we need to go.”
He made a distinction between those situations and his current work with EMERGE Wrestling, where he believes the performers he represents already understand exactly what is required.
“EMERGE is not this. My guys are very well-versed and know very much what they need to be doing out there.”
MORTIMER BLANKENSHIP’S HISTORY WITH EMERGE
Blankenship believes he is among the longest-tenured members of EMERGE’s current roster.
A previous incarnation of Morty’s Millionaires simultaneously controlled every men’s championship in the promotion. Blankenship now represents EMERGE World Champion Brayden Lee, Gaston LaRue and Avery Hurts.
“Morty’s Millionaires, a previous incarnation of it, had all the men’s belts at one point. My stable has been at the top already.”
Blankenship hopes to rebuild that championship collection as EMERGE approaches its 100th event in October.
“I’m hoping by the time the 100th show comes that Gaston can be a champion in EMERGE with Avery. Of course, hopefully Brayden keeps his belt. I would like to have a run as the heel champion stable again.”
The first Road To Back In The Saddle promotion spotlight explored EMERGE’s attention to storytelling and its belief that wrestling should be treated as a professional sport. Blankenship’s description of a manager’s responsibilities demonstrates how much work can occur around the wrestlers to create that story.
His philosophy also complements Paragon’s explanation of reading and winning over an audience. While the wrestlers perform inside the ring, Blankenship watches from outside it, searching for opportunities to intensify the crowd’s reaction without taking the spotlight away from the people competing.
MORTIMER BLANKENSHIP RETURNS AT BACK IN THE SADDLE
Blankenship will return to EMERGE as the promotion presents EMERGE 98: Back In The Saddle on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
The main event will see Brayden Lee defend the EMERGE World Championship against Ashton Adonis and Erik Surge in a Triple Threat Match. Lee enters the match as the leading member of Blankenship’s latest attempt to take Morty’s Millionaires back to the top of the promotion.
Back In The Saddle will be EMERGE’s first event following a two-month hiatus and the beginning of its final stretch toward EMERGE 100 in October.
EMERGE 98: BACK IN THE SADDLE EVENT INFORMATION
- Date: Saturday, August 1, 2026
- Venue: Bartholomew County Fairgrounds in Columbus, Indiana
- Doors: 18:00
- Facebook Live match: 18:45
- Bell time: 19:00
- Tickets: $10 in advance or $12 at the door
- Online Family Four-Pack: $30
- Tickets: EMERGE Wrestling ticket store
- Event details: Official Back In The Saddle event page
- Facebook: EMERGE Wrestling
- YouTube: EMERGE Pro Wrestling
“I JUST WANT TO BE REMEMBERED”
Blankenship does not need fans to remember a particular match or championship. His goal is to become part of someone’s memories of watching professional wrestling as a child.
He wants the people who hated Mortimer Blankenship III to remember how satisfying it felt when someone finally gave “The Muttonchop Millionaire” what he deserved.
“I want there to be some little kid in that audience who, when they grow up and take their kid to wrestling, sees a show and says, ‘When I was a kid, there was this big fat guy with these stupid sideburns that I absolutely could not stand. One day, he finally got what was coming to him, and it was the best feeling I had that entire day.’”
“I don’t necessarily know what I want to be remembered for specifically. I just want to be remembered. I think a lot of people in this business could say they just want to be remembered.”
This interview was conducted exclusively for WrestlingHeadlines.com. If you use any portion of the quotes above, please credit and link to WrestlingHeadlines.com for the exclusive interview.
