D-Von Dudley Says “Prominent WWE Figure” Was Racist
D-Von Dudley has discussed his experience of racism in the wrestling business.
Much like society as a whole, the wrestling business has been plagued with the scourge of racism over the years and things may have improved but there is still work to do.
Speaking on Good Karma Wrestling, D-Von Dudley discussed the discrimination he faced as an African-American star in the wrestling business and said one “prominent figure in WWE” openly disliked him because of his race:
“I do understand that we have come a long way since I broke into the business in ’91. I remember coming into certain locker rooms, and there were certain people that didn’t care if it got out how they were treating you.
“There was a prominent figure in WWE, he was office, who basically told me he didn’t like me because I was black. Two occasions told me. Bubba was there on one of them, and he was there on the second one, along with Paul Heyman, Tommy Dreamer, and Spike [Spike Dudley].
“To this day, I have no respect, nor do I like this individual. I’m not going to go put him on blast, but I don’t care for him, so I stay away from him. I just know we have come a long way. I’m not going to sit here and cry over something that might have happened ten years ago. I move on and make the best of it. Look at my career. I have nothing to be sad about or have any remorse about.
“Bubba and I have become the greatest tag team of our era. It’s very disrespectful to say you’re the greatest tag team of all time in my book when you have tag teams like the Rock N Roll Express, the Midnight Express, Tully & Arn [Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson], Steve Williams and Terry Gordy, the British Bulldogs, the Hart Foundation, the Road Warriors, so many tag teams before us. I don’t think we’re greater than them, but I do think, during the Attitude Era and our time in ECW, we are the greatest tag team of our era.”
D-Von Dudley signs deal with WWE
On the 7th of September 2023, it was confirmed that D-Von Dudley and his long-time tag team partner Bubba Ray had signed Legends deals with WWE.
The iconic tag team will be back in action under their other name Team 3D when they compete on the 1,000th edition of IMPACT Wrestling’s weekly show.