Dutch Mantell slams AEW for Wardlow vs. Orange Cassidy match

Dutch Mantell has slammed AEW for booking Wardlow against Orange Cassidy in the 2nd week of Fyter Fest.

Last week's Dynamite saw Wardlow put his TNT title on the line against Orange Cassidy. It was Mr. Mayhem's first title defense and he came out retaining his gold. The two doled out some entertaining moments but amped up the offense gradually throughout the match.

While the bout was well-received by fans, former WWE manager Dutch Mantell had a different opinion. Speaking on the Wrestling Shoot Interviews podcast, the veteran stated that it was wrong for Wardlow to take offense from Cassidy:

"They (AEW) did make a mistake not too long ago. That Wardlow, that guy that they're pushing. They put him out there with Cassidy. And here's this big strong guy that's supposed to be indestructible, and Orange was beating the crap out of him. To me, it did a lot more damage to Wardlow than it tried to help Cassidy. (...) It's like putting Road Warrior in there and he's selling for Spike Dudley. It didn't make sense," said Mantell. (00:06 - 00:50)

The 72-year-old further analyzed the character aspect of the contest and how fans perceived it:

"If you're going to have a strong character, he's gotta be strong, especially in that situation. Since he wasn't, it's like you leave your fans saying, I mean a strong fan, saying what the eff is going on here? Even if they noticed, even kids noticed. They give that look, like 'what the heck? What happened to Wardlow?'" he added. (01:52 - 02:17)

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After the match, Wardlow and the audience showed appreciation for Orange Cassidy for yet another memorable performance.

Tommy Dreamer praises Orange Cassidy for his recent performances

Orange Cassidy has earned a reputation for changing gears in the blink of an eye. This has been a golden year for Cassidy, given the terrific performances he has been churning out.

Speaking on the Busted Open podcast, hardcore legend Tommy Dreamer recently lauded the AEW star for impressive outings against Will Ospreay and Ethan Page:

"I'm the biggest Orange Cassidy fan because he showed he could do what everyone said he couldn't do and that was wrestle. Literally had an amazing match with one of the greatest current wrestlers, Will Ospreay, and got over. And last night did it even more and Ethan Page was a great opponent for him," said Dreamer.

(You can read more here)

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Cassidy continues to impress the pro wrestling world by making waves on a global scale. It can be safely assumed that his defeat against Wardlow won't hurt his momentum. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for the 'Freshly Squeezed' star.