WWE Legend Reveals Life-Threatening Hospitalization
Dutch Mantell said he had a 50/50 chance to live.
A WWE legend is opening up about a serious health scare he had in December due to having sepsis and E. coli. During an episode of Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the former WWE spoke about his recent health issues that led to him being given a 50/50 chance of living.
"I was sitting at home… and I couldn't stay awake, and I kept like, just nodding off, just going out… [My daughter] said, 'Are you OK?' And she said I kept giving her gibberish answers which made no sense," Dutch Mantell said, per WrestleZone. "And she was looking at me funny and this continued for like an hour or two.
"Finally she said there's something wrong. And she called 911 and they came and picked me up. And I don't even remember that… there's bits and pieces of this whole 26-day affair that I have no recollection of. Nothing. I found out later, not only did I have sepsis, but I had E. coli too on top of that… I must have had E. coli first. And it caused the sepsis."
Mantell continued: "I was given [antibiotics] every three hours. And this is what I don't remember; I was given a blood transfusion. I said, 'Uh, what?' And I do not remember that… They said they gave me a blood transfusion. So it had to be serious. And they did give me, I think I remember, they said I had a 50/50 chance [of surviving], I think… And I didn't much like those odds, but there's nothing I could do about them."
Mantell had two stints in WWE. From 1995 to 1996, Mantell was known as Uncle Zebekiah and was the manager of The Blu Brothers and Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw. He returned to WWE in 2013 and was the manager of Jack Swagger for three years.