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Legendary wrestling booker and manager Dutch Mantell recently offered his opinion on the immediate aftermath of CM Punk's WWE return.
Punk made his first WWE appearance in almost 10 years at Survivor Series: WarGames on Saturday in his hometown of Chicago. As the event went off the air, fans captured Seth Rollins reacting furiously to his former opponent's unexpected on-stage cameo.
Social media users were torn over whether or not The Visionary's response was real or part of a potential storyline. On Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the 73-year-old gave his verdict:
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"I think that's a work [storyline]," Mantell said. "Why would he get so upset? Really? If it's a shoot [real], he knows he's gonna make money, so it's gotta be a work. But it was a good portrayal of what he's feeling at that moment. It doesn't matter whether it's a work or a shoot or anything, it still serves the same purpose." [1:46 – 2:16]
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Shortly before his WWE walkout, CM Punk feuded with Rollins on WWE television between November 2013 and January 2014. The Best in the World even defeated Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns in a three-on-one handicap match at TLC 2013.
Why Dutch Mantell thinks CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins is a storyline
In recent years, CM Punk and Seth Rollins have taken shots at each other in various media interviews.
The wrestling business sometimes blurs the lines between fiction and reality. For that reason, Dutch Mantell believes Rollins' reaction must have been planned:
"He's a wrestler, and it's a fan-cam because the company cams didn't get this, did they? (…) I think those scenes there are works because nobody else was acting that way, and I'm thinking why would he act that way anyway? You see what I mean? Anyway, we will see. It doesn't hurt anything. I don't think it really helps anything either." [2:23 – 3:31]
Two nights after his return, Punk appeared on the November 27 episode of RAW. He claimed to be a changed person and referred to WWE as "home."
Do you think Seth Rollins' reaction was real or part of a storyline? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
