Dutch Mantell
Real name: Wayne Keown
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 235 lbs.
Date of birth: November 29, 1949
From: Oil Trough, Texas
Pro debut: 1973
Trained by:
Finishing move: Tennessee Chainsaw
Biography
– Keown was in the US Army before beginning his wrestling career and was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal
– Keown began his career wrestling under his real name in and around Georgia. He would also briefly wrestle as Chris Gallagher, before settling on Dutch Mantell
– On January 3, 1977, Mantell & David Schultz defeated Danny Little Bear & Chief Thundercloud to win the NWA Mid-America Southern Tag Team Titles
– On March 25, 1978, Mantell defeated Randy Savage to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title. He would be a 5-time champion by the end of the year
– Mantell and Frankie Laine defeated Jose Rivera and Chief Thunder Cloud on February 12, 1979 for the NWA North American Tag Team titles in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The team won a total of three NWA North American Tag Team titles.
– On July 21, 1979, Mantell defeated Carlos Colon to win the WWC North American Title
– On August 4, 1980, Mantell & Austin Idol defeated Jerry Jarrett & Tojo Yamamoto to win the CWA Tag Team Titles
– On October 11, 1980, Mantell and Danny Condrey defeated Carlos Colon and Jose Rivera in Bayamon to win the NWA North American Tag Team titles.
– On February 28, 1981, Mantell defeated Koko Ware to win the CWA Television Title
– On March 9, Mantell & Idol defeated Bill Dundee & Tommy Rich to retain the CWA Tag Team Titles
– On April 25, Mantell defeated Vinnie Romeo to retain the CWA Television Title
– On September 26, Mantell defeated Steve Keirn in a No-DQ Match to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title
– On October 26, Mantell defeated The Dream Machine in a No-DQ Match to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title
– In November 1981, Mantell defended the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title against The Super Destroyer, Gypsy Joe & The Dream Machine
– On December 21, Mantell defeated Stan Lane to retain the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title
– In January 1982, Mantell defended the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title against Koko Ware, Stan Lane, Sweet Brown Sugar and Bobby Eaton
– Between February and March 1982, Mantell would trade the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title with Jerry Jarrett a number of times
– On May 17, Mantell defeated The Dream Machine to regain the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title. He would lose and regain the title 3 more times by year’s end
– On July 18, 1983, Mantell defeated Frankie Lane to regain the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title, but would lose it to Buddy Landel a month later
– On September 19, Mantell & Koko Ware defeated The Grapplers (1 & 2) to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Titles
– On September 17, 1984, Mantell defeated Eddie Gilbert to win the CWA International Title
– On July 3, 1985, Mantell defeated The Snowman to win the Mid-South Television Title, but would lose it to Butch Reed within the month
– On June 16, 1986, Mantell defeated Rip Rogers to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title
– On April 10, 1987, Mantell defeated Adrian Street to win the NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Title
– On July 31, Mantell defeated Doug Furnas to retain the NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Title
– On October 30, 1987, Mantell defeated Wendell Cooley in Knoxville, TN to win the CWF Heavyweight title.
– From early 1989, Mantell became exclusive to the USWA promotion
– In early 1990, Mantell began competing for WCW
– In September 1991, Mantell left WCW and began competing for USWA and Smoky Mountain
– On June 22, 1994, Mantell defeated Ray Gonzalez to win the WWC Universal Title
– From 1995-1996, Mantell appeared in the World Wrestling Federation as “Uncle Zebekiah”. He was the manager of The Blu Brothers and, later, Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw.
– Mantel defeated Jerry Lawler in Memphis, TN on August 8, 1997 to capture the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title
– On November 25, 2000, Mantell lost a Retirement Match to Victor Jovica in Puerto Rico. He would take 3 full years off, but would eventually return to the ring
– In 2003, Mantell joined TNA, and worked as an agent and booker. He would be credited with creating the TNA Knockouts division
– In July 2009, Mantell left TNA due to creative differences and joined Puerto Rico’s IWA promotion in a creative role
– On the February 11, 2013 edition of Raw, Mantel (as Zeb Colter) became the manager of Jack Swagger.
– In December 2014, Colter was written off TV following an attack by Rusev.
– Colter returned to TV at Hell In A Cell ’15, unveiling Alberto Del Rio as his latest client
– On May 6, 2016, Mantell was released by WWE
– In January 2017, Mantell returned to Impact Wrestling as a creative consultant and would be promoted to lead the creative team in February
– Mantell left Impact Wrestling following the arrival of Don Callis and Scott D’Amore as EVPs
– On October 3, 2021, Mantell was voted into the GERWECK.NET Hall of Fame
– Mantel now co-hosts a weekly podcast talking about past and present wrestling
