WWE Veteran Present Backstage For Big Show; Triple H Talked To Him For “About 20 Minutes”

Triple H made time for a wrestling legend at a recent WWE event.

The WWE Backlash PLE took place in Tampa on May 9th, and many people in the wrestling industry live in Florida, which has long been a pro wrestling hotbed.

There were some guests at Backlash who were shown on camera, like former wrestlers Dan Spivey and Steve Keirn.

Dutch Mantell is a legendary wrestling manager and former wrestler who worked for WWE on multiple occasions. The 76-year-old Mantell revealed on his Story Time with Dutch Mantell show that he was at Backlash, too.

“I went to the WWE pay-per-view Backlash here in Tampa. I was invited down by someone higher up in the company, which surprised me that they had my number.

But I was invited and I went down there and I saw everybody I’ve known before because I’ve been gone for a pretty good while, so you’d suspect a lot of guys wouldn’t know me, and the new guys might have known me but I don’t know them.

Everybody was very, very friendly. Everybody. Backlash had a great crowd, I don’t know if it sold out but it looked pretty full to me, and a good show. I enjoyed my time revisiting with the guys I’d known before in WWE.

Bobby Roode, he came up, and most of the referee crew came up to me and said hello. Nick Aldis, I’ve known him a long time, I was in India with him. Meeting people you haven’t seen in a long time, the introduction now is totally different than what it used to be. It used to be just a handshake, but now it was a big embrace, a big hug.”

In addition to all of those people, Dutch also mentioned seeing WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, at Backlash. In fact, Dutch found out that Triple H called for him multiple times and they had a great conversation together.

“I met Triple H, and Triple H he was so busy and he knew I was gonna be there, so he called at least three times for me to come back and meet him but I didn’t get it, so on the fourth time they said ‘he’s asked for you four times’.

So I went up to the back, and when he came out he gave me a big hug and asked how I was doing, I talked to him for about 20 minutes. Very nice meeting, and I’ve always liked him, I almost knew him from the time he broke in. He’s always been very good to me and very friendly.” (H/t Wrestletalk)

Triple H Advised Cody Rhodes On How To Deal With Haters

As the WWE boss, Triple H is under a lot of pressure, but he also knows what it’s like being a top star. When he recently spoke to WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on his podcast, Triple H gave advice to the WWE Champion.

“And I know we touched on it briefly, but the position that you’re in was not easy. And people will tell you s*** your whole career—‘nepo baby,’ or whatever. F*** them.

You earned this, and then some. You are one of the most diligent guys in the locker room—wanting it to be right, with no stone unturned. You think about it nonstop. You’re so engaged in that, and it’s never really just about you—it’s about the company and the product as a whole, which makes you a dream to work with.

I don’t want to sound like I’m talking down to you, but I’m proud of you for gambling on yourself, taking that step that 99.9% of people wouldn’t do to get to where you are—and doing it in a way that every single step of the way you did it the right way, in a way that would make anybody, especially your dad, proud.”

Triple H also confirmed that at WWE Clash in Italy, Cody Rhodes will defend the WWE Championship against Gunther in the first-ever WWE PLE in Italy.

Also Read: WWE Legend Defends Triple H Amid Backstage Heat Rumors