On his podcast, Dutch Mantell (Uncle Zebekiah in WWF and Zeb Colter in WWE) weighed in on the speculation surrounding Jesse Ventura’s limited role during WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, suggesting that concerns over Ventura’s unscripted commentary – particularly remarks about John Cena – may have played a role in keeping him off the main show.
Mantell noted that Ventura’s absence from the primary broadcast raised eyebrows, especially given the effort and expense involved in bringing him in. “It seems a bit funny for them to get Jesse Ventura all the way down, who’s, you know, they spend a lot of money on bringing him in just to do the pre-show and then ignore him completely on the main show,” Mantell said, questioning why WWE would do so unless something changed internally.
According to Mantell, the controversy likely stemmed from comments Ventura made about Cena during the pre-show, where he said:
“Remember this: if he won the championship 17 times, that means he lost it 17 times. And who would want to brag about that?!”
Mantell laughed off the remark, emphasizing that it wasn’t some shocking new insult. “That’s an old, old wrestling play,” he said, recalling how similar lines have been used for decades to undercut exaggerated title statistics.
Dutch suggested that while the comment was harmless within wrestling circles, WWE may have been worried about Ventura going off-script again if given a live commentary role. “I’m wondering if somebody heard that and thought, ‘We cannot let him commentate on a match,’ because he says something stupid every single time, it seems, or something nonsensical,” Mantell said, acknowledging the perception that Ventura can be unpredictable on the mic.
He also pointed out that Ventura was never known for strictly following company direction, even during his prime: “Jesse was Jesse, and he would go out and say what he wanted to say.”
While Mantell defended the humor behind Ventura’s Cena comment, he also questioned Ventura’s fit in today’s WWE environment, where tight control and storyline continuity are prioritized. “He doesn’t keep up with the storylines whatsoever,” Mantell said, implying that this disconnect makes Ventura a risky choice for modern broadcasts.
Ultimately, Mantell concluded that Ventura’s era as a featured commentator may simply be over: “I think his days of commentating, as good as he was, I think is behind him now.”
Also Read: Jesse Ventura Comments On Hulk Hogan’s WrestleMania 3 Salary
