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Former WWE manager Dutch Mantell recently recalled how he first met Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson when the latter was just three years old.
The Great One is a part of pro wrestling royalty, with many of his family members, also known as the Anoa'i family, having achieved success in the business.
His father, Rocky Johnson, was a trailblazer in his own right, becoming the first-ever black champion in WWE history when he won the Tag Team Titles in 1983 with Tony Atlas.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's SmackTalk on WrestleBinge, Dutch Mantell went down memory lane, recalling his first-ever meeting with The Rock. The WWE legend revealed that he bumped into the Hollywood megastar and his father, Rocky Johnson, at a motel in Tenessee when the former was just three years old.
"You know, I first met Rock when he was three years old. It was a National Tennesse sting at a pay-by-the-week motel. Him and Rocky, his dad, were right down the hall from me, and I saw him at the little playground. So that's how far I go with The Rock," said Dutch Mantell.
Furthermore, Mantell stated that though he rarely buys WWE's premium live events, he will make an exception for Royal Rumble 2023.
Dutch Mantell explained that he's interested in seeing Johnson show up at the January 28th show and win the Men's Rumble if the promotion wants him to.
"But I would actually take this pay-per-view just to see what they would do. I don't take pay-per-views usually. I just listen to people talking about it but if The Rock wants to do it and the WWE wants him to do it, I don't think there's any problem with it," added Dutch Mantell. (2:58 - 3:40)
Check out the full video below:
Dutch Mantell thinks The Rock winning Royal Rumble could bring new fans to WWE
In the same video, Mantell also mentioned how The Rock potentially winning the Men's Rumble match could result in new fans tuning in to watch WWE.
Dutch Mantell feels since Dwayne Johnson is arguably the biggest Hollywood star today, his presence would generate mainstream attention for the promotion.
"This is a good thing about it. Right now, they got the fans talking. Now would be a great match-up. And I think they can negotiate this down. I think that's the best choice they can make with The Rock because he's the hottest movie star in the business, and look where that puts WWE's name. It's gonna put it everywhere. I don't know where this idea came from, but if it came from inside, it'll be a record pay-per-view buy," said Dutch Mantell. (1:50 - 2:29)
One could only imagine the reaction that The Great One could receive if he shows as a surprise entrant in the Men's Royal Rumble match. On top of that, if he wins the bout and sets up a dream clash with Roman Reigns, the interactions between the two would be pulsating.
Do you see The Brahma Bull challenging The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 39? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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