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TNA and WWE presented female wrestlers differently in the late 2000s. Dutch Mantell, a TNA creative team member between 2003 and 2009, believes the promotion's booking of women put WWE to shame.
WWE used to refer to female in-ring competitors as "Divas" and rarely booked them in matches longer than a few minutes. TNA, by contrast, treated women's wrestling as a priority, with Awesome Kong and Gail Kim spearheading the division.
Mantell said on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk with Rick Ucchino that his booking of women increased television ratings:
"I think I embarrassed WWE with the women's division at TNA because I turned them loose and wouldn't let nobody mess with them, and they turned in some hellacious matches. When Gail Kim and Awesome Kong locked up, that did the highest rating they've ever done up to Hulk Hogan when he came in." [7:25 – 7:52]
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Watch the video above to hear Mantell's claim about Ronda Rousey ignoring him backstage.
Why Dutch Mantell knew TNA would have a better women's division than WWE
In the mid-to-late 2000s, TNA's main event scene revolved around big names such as AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, and Sting.
Although the company already had plenty of star power, Dutch Mantell thought women's wrestling could also make money with the right booking:
"It took off, it really did, because I told them [TNA creative team members] one time, and I [was] met with such pushback from starting a women's division. It was like, what do you wanna do? Keep running with AJ and somebody else for just weeks and weeks and months on end? It gets old. Just put me some girls in there that can wrestle." [8:29 – 8:51]
The rivalry between Awesome Kong and Gail Kim is widely viewed as one of the best in TNA history. The two legends were inducted into the promotion's Hall of Fame in 2021 and 2016, respectively.
What do you make of Dutch Mantell's comments? Hit the discuss button and let us know.
Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.
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