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Wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell recently blasted All Elite Wrestling for Keith Lee's booking from this week's edition of AEW Rampage.
The Limitless One competed against QT Marshall on the Friday night show. After defeating The Factory leader with relative ease, Lee took down Marshall's cohorts, Aaron Solow and Nick Comoroto.
Moments later, FTW Champion Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs ran into the ring and attacked the former NXT Champion. Hobbs stood tall after laying down Lee with a spinebuster as the segment closed.
Speaking on Sportskeeda's Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell expressed his frustrations over how Lee was booked.
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The wrestling legend stated that considering AEW is trying to build Keith Lee as a monster, having him lay down in the ring didn't make sense. Mantell pointed out that since Lee is nearly 400 pounds, he should rarely be booked to get beaten down by anyone in All Elite Wrestling.
"They two came [Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs], and left him laying, and I was like, wait a minute. They are trying to get Keith Lee over, he's bigger than everyone. To leave him down like that is not the way to get him over. I don't think they should ever get him down. He's 400 pounds," said Dutch Mantell. [1:11:08 - 1:11:42]
Check out the full episode of Smack Talk below:
Dutch Mantell thinks Keith Lee and Powerhouse Hobbs should have had only a face-off on AEW Rampage
Furthermore, he explained that instead of having Powerhouse Hobbs lay down Keith Lee, the performers should have just shared an intense staredown. Dutch Mantell added that Hobbs' beatdown on The Limitless One could have been reserved for next week to extend the burgeoning rivalry.
"I wouldn't have left him [Keith Lee] laying. I would have had Powerhouse Hobbs go there and just have a staredown and let the face tell the story. Now you don't have anything to come back to, you just know Hobbs wants him, sometimes that's all you need to know. You could do the beatdown next week, so you draw a week out of it," said Mantell. [1:12:20 - 1:12:45]
The issues with their rivalry notwithstanding, it's safe to say Keith Lee and Powerhouse Hobbs could put up a banger whenever they step inside the squared circle in AEW.
Do you agree with Dutch Mantell's assessment of Keith Lee's booking in AEW? Sound off in the comments section below.
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