Wrestling legend Dutch Mantell recently pointed out how WWE's attempts to legalize bets on its matches could be counter-productive.
Though the concept of betting is not alien to professional wrestling, the fact that it's a pre-determined sport complicates things. Hiding match results from the performers until a few before the shows could put them in a difficult position to craft a compelling bout. This also puts writers in a tough spot as they would have to quickly come up with ideas as per the booking decision by the higher-ups.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell made it clear that betting won't work in WWE. He went as far as to say it was one of the stupidest ideas he had ever heard. Mantell believes that if the promotion gets the clearance to legalize betting, it could create several long-term problems.
"It's not gonna work, it's not gonna work, period. It's one of the most stupidest ideas I have heard. I mean we are taking a pre-scripted outcome and holding it sacred from the ones that are actually doing it until an hour before the match. Then the writers say, 'Oh we're gonna write them; he's going over.' It creates ten times more problems than what they have by just leaving it alone," said Dutch Mantell. [2:56 - 3:30]
Check out the full video below:
Latest update on WWE's talks with regulatory bodies
The latest update on WWE wanting to legalize betting on some of its most high-profile matches isn't what the promotion would have liked to hear.
As per a report by CNBC, the Colorado Division of Gaming is not considering allowing betting on WWE matches. It noted that Colorado prohibits betting on any events with pre-determined or predicted outcomes.
It remains to be seen how things will pan out for the company and whether it can secure authorization to make betting on its matches legal anytime soon.
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