In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Zeb Colter/”Dirty” Dutch Mantel discussed why being paired with Alberto del Rio when Del Rio returned to the WWE did not work at the time.
WWE failed to take into account that it didn’t make a lot of sense. Remember, I hated Alberto Del Rio, and he hated me. So, all of a sudden, I disappeared and came back. But it’s not necessarily the first step in wrestling that is the most important, because it’s the second step that identifies and clarifies the first one.
That’s what we didn’t do. There was no chemistry, but there was also no logical explanation as to why I would be with Alberto. I said to the guys in the back, ‘I’m not getting the story,’ but people kept saying, ‘Just wait.’ I’ve walked on enough wrestling floors, and I know if a crowd isn’t getting a certain vibe. The chemistry wasn’t there with me and Alberto.”
The interview is available in full at this link.