Dutch Mantell

Dutch Mantell, also known as "Dirty Dutch," boasts a professional wrestling career exceeding 40 years. Debuting in 1972, he wrestled primarily in various regional and independent promotions, establishing himself in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA). He found success not only as a competitor but also as a manager, instrumental in the early careers of future superstars like Sting and The Ultimate Warrior. Mantell later transitioned to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), now known as WWE, exploring different characters and contributing to the industry in diverse ways.

Early Life

Wayne Maurice Keown aka Dutch Mantel was born in Walhalla, South Carolina on 29th November, 1949. He graduated from Walhalla high School. Dutch went to Clemson University for one year and was drafted into training for military service in ft. Jackson. He worked in the 25th Infantry Division. Mantel was awarded with the Vietnam Service Medal for his service in the war.

Professional Wrestling Career

Different Promotions (1972-1990)

Dutch wrestled under the name Wayne Conan. Later, he changed it to Dutch Mantel and was also nicknamed as Dirty. He is mostly known for his time in National Alliance Wrestling. Mantel played a huge role to the uprising stars such as Sting, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker, Kane and The Ultimate Warrior. He also worked for Jerry Jarret’s Memphis promotion as a booker. During this time, he created various tag teams such as Kansas Jayhawks. In 1982, Dutch and Jerry Lawler competed in the good guys vs. good guys series. Fans were divided during this series. Mantell managed to defeat Jerry.

NWA World Championship Wrestling

In 1990, Dutch worked as a commentator on WCW and in the following year, he created a stable called Desperados which consisted on Dutch Mantell, Black Bart and Deadeye Dick. The stable was quickly dissolved until the end of the year.

Smoky Mountain Wrestling

When Jim Cornette opened his promotion named Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Dutch joined the company as a commentator alongside Bob Caudle. He would also host a weekly show called “Down and Dirty with Dutch” where he would interview the Smoky Mountain Wrestling. He then left the promotion in 1994.

World Wrestling Federation

In 1995, Dutch made his debut as Uncle Zebekiah. He managed stars like Blu Brothers and Justin Bradshaw. He was released from the promotion in December 1996.

International Wrestling Association

After leaving WWE, Mantel joined Puerto Rican World Wrestling Council as a wrestler and booker. He then joined the International Wrestling Association as a creative consultant. He left the promotion in September 2003.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

In 2003, Mantel joined TNA and was a writer, producer and agent for the promotion. He was a full time creative member. He bought Awesome Kong for promotion in 2007. In 2009, mantel left the company due to creative differences and joined the IWA promotion. He also joined the Showtime All-Star Wrestling promotion for a brief period of time.

Return to WWE

In 2013, Dutch Mantell returned to WWE under the persona of Zeb Colter, a manager aligned with wrestler Jack Swagger. This character was highly controversial, portraying a caricature of the Tea Party movement with strong anti-immigrant views. This portrayal drew criticism from Fox News and other right-wing figures, who felt it unfairly demonized the movement.

WWE, however, defended the storyline as a way to create relevant and engaging content, emphasizing it did not reflect their political stance. They even attempted to justify it by claiming it was designed to generate audience reaction towards the characters involved. Ultimately, the storyline proved unsuccessful, with both Colter and Swagger losing matches and the character facing significant public backlash.

After Jack Swagger's injury, Colter shifted his focus to Antonio Cesaro, eventually forming the tag team "The Real Americans" with Swagger. Despite initial hype, they saw limited success, ultimately leading to Cesaro leaving Colter for Paul Heyman as his manager. Colter, disgruntled, entered a feud with Heyman. Meanwhile, Swagger and Colter turned into fan favorites ("face") but faced further challenges, including attacks from Rusev that sidelined Colter for extended periods due to injury. This effectively ended his involvement with both Swagger and The Real Americans.

Returning from injury in a controversial way, Colter partnered with Alberto Del Rio in a storyline criticized for its insensitivity, forming a short-lived alliance dubbed "MexAmerica." They faced backlash, particularly from Colter's former client Swagger. The storyline ultimately fizzled out with Del Rio dropping Colter and WWE releasing Colter shortly after. This marked his final appearance in the company under the Zeb Colter character.

Return to Impact Wrestling

Mantel joined Impact Wrestling in January 2017 as a creative consultant for the promotion. In the next month, he was promoted to head of the creative team. He left the promotion in December after Don Callis and Scott D’ Amore took over as Executive Vice Presidents.

Dutch Mantel's Championships and Accomplishments

Dutch Mantell Personal Life

In August 2012, Dutch Mantell, also known as "Dirty Dutch," suffered a devastating personal tragedy. His 16-year-old granddaughter, Amelia, was tragically killed in a car accident. The driver of the other vehicle, who was under the influence of drugs and fleeing police, also died in the crash. This event deeply affected Mantell and his family.

In the aftermath of this loss, Mantell's family became determined to prevent similar tragedies. They actively campaigned for stricter regulations on parolees whose crimes were related to drugs or alcohol. Their efforts culminated in "Amelia's Law," signed into law in Tennessee in 2014. This pioneering legislation mandated that such parolees wear a transdermal monitoring device that would test their blood every 30 minutes, aiming to deter similar incidents in the future.

Dutch Mantell Net Worth

As per various sources, Dutch Mantell is estimated to be worth around $17 Million in 2024.