Dutch Mantell (Zeb Colter in WWE and Uncle Zebekiah in WWF) has shared his thoughts on D-Von Dudley’s recent revelation that WWE Hall of Famer & current AEW commentator Jim Ross once made racially insensitive remarks toward him. Mantell addressed the topic on his show after D-Von’s comments went viral.
️In his original interview, D-Von Dudley claimed that during his early WWF/E run, a higher-up told him he didn’t like him “because of the color of his skin.” D-Von later confirmed that person was Jim Ross, stating:
“I dealt with that certain higher-up that told me to my face they didn’t like me because of the color of my skin. They work for other organizations now. I was disappointed in that man when he said those things, but I’ve forgiven him.”
D-Von added that others were present during the incident – naming Bubba Ray Dudley, Paul Heyman, Spike Dudley, and Tommy Dreamer as witnesses. Bubba has publicly backed D-Von’s account, saying he remembers the situation, though the other names have yet to comment.
Mantell said he doesn’t doubt D-Von’s sincerity but made it clear that his own experiences with Jim Ross never reflected that kind of behavior.
“I’ve been around Jim Ross a lot, and I’ve never heard him say anything racial in a derogatory manner. I never found him to be the least bit racist,” Mantell said. “Now, he could be… I don’t know… but I’ve personally never heard or seen that from him.”
Mantell stressed that he’s not calling D-Von dishonest, but he’s unsure what exactly was said and wants to hear more from others who were there.
“With all those people present, have they commented on it? I’d like to know if the others remember it too,” he added.
Dutch also floated the possibility that Ross’s comments were misinterpreted, suggesting JR may have been referring to the wrestling system at the time – not expressing personal prejudice.
“Could Jim Ross have been saying, ‘You’re not going to be considered a main-event star because you’re black,’ meaning that’s just how the business works, and not that he personally believed it?” Mantell asked. “Without the full context, it’s hard to say.”
He made it clear, however, that if Ross did say something inappropriate, it would have been wrong regardless of intention.
While defending Ross, Mantell openly admitted that racism was once prevalent in the wrestling industry, especially in certain regions decades ago. He recalled his own experiences in the South while working for promoter Bill Watts in Mid-South Wrestling – and how racial undertones in storylines could affect audiences.
“I used to go to the ring with a bullwhip,” Mantell said. “That was a throwback to slavery imagery, and when I went out in a mostly Black crowd, it went silent. They wanted to see that old white boy get his a$$ handed to him.”
He credited Watts for separating personal bias from business, noting that many of his top stars were Black wrestlers like Junkyard Dog and Ernie Ladd.
“Bill Watts might’ve had his own views, but he booked Black talent as his biggest stars,” Mantell explained.
Mantell reiterated that while racism in wrestling’s past is undeniable, he personally never saw that from Jim Ross.
“If he was racist, I think something would have slipped out at some point,” Mantell said. “But I never heard anything like that from him.”
