Introducing: Zeb Colter, A Real American Patriot

The WWE, then WWF, always had a way of taking somebody who had established themselves as a star in other regions of the pro wrestling world, and changing them into their vision of what their persona should be, or to fit a costume that they had already thought up. I had no problem with it though, I actually looked forward to it. I was always interested and curious as to what new identity a performer would take once he signed on with Stamford. It was real-life comic stuff. I dug it. I even would explore those possibilities myself by taking guys in other promotions and trying to imagine how they would be seen in the WWF, and tried to give them outlandish gimmicks in my own little fantasy realm of pro wrestling that I played out in my living room or backyard, that fit my perception of what the WWF was.

Dutch Mantel, was no different. Mantel came to the WWE(F) back in the mid to late 90's. When he got to the Fed, he was transformed from being what he had always been, a human personification of Yosemite Sam with a bull-whip and plenty of back hair, into something that fit Vince's idea of what Dutch should be: a mouthpiece for guys who weren't ready to open their own mouths, and an amped up version of 'Dirty' Dutch Mantel, named Uncle Zebekiah. Still, with hat and poncho though. Those seem to be the one's that work the best: a small tweak to what is already there. Well, and the one's that make really cool toys.

How most of us remember Dutch Mantel, pre Zeb

Uncle Zeb wasn't that much of a stretch away from just being Dutch Mantel. Same vocabulary, mannerisms, and conveyed the same attitude and beliefs that were already familiar to us as Dutch Mantel. All that was different, was he was given a Titan identity. (Dutch was also part of the dynasty that was the 'Desperados' in the early days of the freshly acquired Turner WCW from the Crocketts, who never found Stan Hansen. More on continuity in a bit...)

Dutch left the land of the titans, and returned to his Tennessee stomping grounds and to his original identity. Mantel has a great mind for the business, and aside form holding many titles and taking part in many intense angles in the ring, he has been a play by play man for NWA/WCW, Smoky Mountain, USWA, and AWE to name just a few, as well as a booker or creative consultant  for various outfits, including TNA. Most recently, he had been involved in Tennessee-based start-up promotion Crossfire Entertainment.

However, when the WWE had a problem trying to figure out a way to get a certain superstar over, they decided to re-hatch an old character, with a twist.

Jack Swagger has it all. A good look, an impressive NCAA wrestling background, and he has all the other tools and intangibles needed to be a star. Heck they even gave him a title run with both the US Title and World Heavyweight Championship.

There was one tiny problem, though. Well, a big one actually. He can't talk. He has a horrible lisp. They tried to pair the All-American American up with managers, make him part of tag-teams and groups. Nothing worked. It just wasn't the right mix. It looked as if Swagger was going to be one of those misses.

Enter Dutch Mantel. If you have read anything Dutch has written on social media, or even watched any shoot interviews he has done, you kind of get the feeling, that he is at least moderately conservative in his political views. That is why, when the WWE decided to pair Dutch up with the All-American American, which was more to shove America down the audiences throat with that moniker than to instill Hacksaw Duggan type pride, it was a move of pure genius.

Uncle Zeb has come back to the WWE. However, this time, he's not just an uncle. He's a very angry, Tea Party supporting American, and he now let us know what his last name is: Colter.

You know, like Ann Coulter. FOX News ultra-conservative bitch and pretty much an un-apologetic racist.

It's a great naming choice, and one that instantly resonates and totally puts a new spin on an established character. Not even really connecting it to Dutch's previous work as Dutch, but to Uncle Zeb. He managed Rednecks and Mountain Men in the WWF years back. Justin Hawk Bradshaw (JBL) and Jakob and Eli Blu (The Harris Twins), and who is it that most people connect to the Tea Party? Those same rednecks and mountain man-types. Guns and Jesus.

And, then if you step outside of  Zeb Colter, and look back into Dutch Mantel, it all still makes sense. It really seems like the two persona's are one and the same.

It makes sense. Uncle Zeb from out in the Ozarks is not hard to imagine as all these years later sharing the same views of Fox News and accepting everything it says as truth. In his home, you can picture him having deer heads mounted on the wall, four-wheelers in his out building, and at least one Bill O'Reilly book on his coffee table.

And then, pairing Jack Swagger, an over the top American type with him... awesome.

Now, Zeb rants about what Real American Patriots need to do, what it really means to be an American. He is about protecting his rights, his borders, and Jack Swagger is going to be his muscle. It is absolutely brilliant. It's like the instant heat machine the Soviet Union used to supply the wrestling business. It's a parody, and not even an over the top one at that, of something that is very real in society today, and not one single person doesn't automatically connect with in some way, good or bad.

It's not going to be long before this is new  template for  hated heels.

And Jack Swagger's career is going to benefit greatly due to this. Everyday, the current events of our country will give this gimmick fuel and material. This should be the push Swagger has needed to get over the hump of  just being another mid-card superstar.

Political views made public are the best way to get an emotional reaction out of folks, and spew disguised hate. Just look at your Facebook news feed sometime.

A US title run and a WHC run couldn't do it. Political turmoil and right-leaning rhetoric will.
(Matter of fact, they are already giving it the chance to succeed, as of tonight at Elimination Chamber, Swagger won the WHC #1 contender chamber match.)

I'm already in love with the whole thing, and I have only seen it once. I've been wanting some sort of angle like this for some time. It's about as close to my visions of a politically and fear mongering 'Border Patrol' angle aimed at foreigners  most notably Del Rio and his WHC, as I am going to get...However, he did win the #1 contender's match, and ADR did defend tonight and retain the title.... hmmmmm...

Even more so, I love the continuity in all of it. I love how they have resurrected an old character, freshened him up a bit, but it all still ties in. Continuity is something that pro wrestling has lost sight of in recent years.(To be fair, it has often been hit or miss for quite sometime. I'm still waiting to see those photos that Baby Doll and Larry Zbyszko had of Dusty.)

Looks like McMahon knew how to use Wayne Keown correctly this whole time.  Uncle Zeb turns out, was the perfect fit. It just needed time to develop. And a full name.

And dear Lord, hopefully this is a sign that managers are going to be re-introduced to main-stream pro wrestling again... I'll lose my sh!t if Cornette comes back. On the same token though, hopefully this is not a sign that Patriots from all over are going to be employed again, causing a resurgence of WCW's Special Forces... Firebreaker Chip and Todd Champion need to stay wherever they are.

On a side note, whether you call him Dutch, Wayne, Uncle Zeb, or just Zeb, it is good to see 'Dirty' Dutch back on a national stage, and even better to see that he is doing good, considering the tragedy that his family had recently gone through. There were some who called him 'Papaw'.