Dutch Mantell, who last worked for WWE under the ring name Zeb Colter, became the latest person from the wrestling business to criticize the company’s booking of RETRIBUTION on Monday Night Raw . In a social media post, the veteran manager said that he feels there are certain aspects of the faction’s ongoing storyline that don’t exactly add up.
The post was shared on Saturday night, as Mantell replied to a tweet from RETRIBUTION member T-BAR (formerly Dominik Dijakovic on NXT), who wrote earlier this week that WWE offered his group contracts because it was “financially cheaper” than paying for the security guards they “kept injuring.” He added that despite their official status as members of the Raw roster, they haven’t wavered on their goal, which is to “destroy” the sports-entertainment giant.
According to Mantell, it makes “zero sense” in a storyline perspective for WWE to sign a group of people who have promised the company’s downfall. He concluded his reply by opining that the promotion’s writers might need to keep that concern in mind when booking the stable. You can view his tweet here .
Mantell is just one of multiple people outside of WWE who has been critical of how RETRIBUTION has been booked, especially in the aftermath of this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw , where the faction’s core members got new masks, outfits, and ring names. CM Punk also shared his thoughts on the matter this week, commenting that stable member Slapjack’s mask made him look like someone who had spent too much time with the paper plates in catering.
Punk’s tweet, however, quickly caught the attention of T-BAR, who, in his reply, called the former WWE Champion a coward and referenced his “failure” to lead The New Nexus to greatness in the early 2010s.
In addition, the masked wrestler also took aim at AEW star Chris Jericho, who also expressed bewilderment at his explanation of why he and his stablemates were given contracts. As documented by Wrestling Inc ., T-BAR responded by echoing his puzzled “Huh?” reply and sharing a screenshot of multiple articles that referred to this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally — where Jericho’s band Fozzy had notably performed — as a “superspreading” COVID-19 event or a “hotbed” for the disease.
Despite the criticism from Mantell, Punk, Jericho, and other sources, it appears that WWE still has big plans for RETRIBUTION going forward. As previously reported by The Inquisitr , the faction is rumored to be in consideration to compete in the main event of this year’s Survivor Series .
