Dutch Mantell Says The AEW Explosion Is Tony Khan’s Fault

Speaking recently on his podcast Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the wrestler placed the blame for last week’s backstage eruption at AEW in the hands of company CEO Tony Khan. After longstanding reports of real tension between AEW roster talent, CM Punk’s incendiary remarks at the press conference boiled over into a physical altercation that has left the futures of most of those involved uncertain at best. You can read a highlight from Mantell’s analysis and watch the full episode below.

On the likely cause of the outbursts: “Well, Tony worked himself into a shoot here, that’s what they did. He let that locker room dissent fester and fester, and fester. THen it finally come up into this big blister, and all it needed was a little prick and it’s going to go everywhere. And that’s what happens.”

On reports that the Young Bucks ‘kicked the door down’: “As far as your executive vice presidents storming into a room beating a door down, that’s not possible. Those doors are storm doors, you can’t beat them down. They may kick the hell out of it…and I’m sure they would come in, they weren’t quiet like, ‘We need to talk to you.’ They probably came in ready to fight.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.