D-Von Dudley Recalls Who Wanted To Split Dudley Boyz In WWE

D-Von Dudley has revealed who decided to split up the Dudley Boyz when WWE had their first draft in 2002.

After WrestleMania 18 in 2002, WWE held the first draft to create a competition amongst themselves. Since WWE bought WCW one year earlier, they had a huge roster and decided the best method to utilize their talent was to have a draft with some wrestlers going to Raw while others went to Smackdown.

During the initial WWE draft in March 2002, Ric Flair chose Bubba Ray Dudley to be on Raw while Vince McMahon drafted D-Von Dudley to Smackdown. At that point, The Dudley Boyz had good runs in WWE for about three years working both as heels and faces, but for some reason, WWE decided to split them up.

The Dudleys ended up splitting up for about eight months in 2002 before the company decided to reunite them at Survivor Series 2002 in New York City, which the fans loved.

In an interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, D-Von Dudley explained that it was a Vince McMahon decision to split the “brothers” up, which would lead to the Reverend D-Von character on Smackdown.

“It was Vince’s [idea]. Vince had this idea of us going our separate ways. Also, there were talks about Vince having a hard on, no pun intended, maybe I shouldn’t use that phrase what I’m about to say. But he had it, he had it in for the Catholic Church. Because remember, at that time, we had people picketing, protesting us. And this and that and being hypocritical, especially people from the church. But meanwhile, this was at the time when the church was having controversy within his own home, with the priests, with little boys and things like that.”

“So there was always an issue when people are being hypocritical, especially back in during that time, you know, we’re doing what we’re doing, but yet they’re doing what they’re doing and getting away with it for so many years. But meanwhile, you want to chastise what we do in the ring. So it was, and then plus, you know, Benny Hinn, you know, some of the TV evangelists. Who’s the other one? Jim Baker, and the other one, [Chris – Billy Graham, maybe?] No, Billy Graham, there was no controversy with him.”

“But no, who was the other one? God, I can see him now because I guess he had an affair with his secretary. He’s on the, he’s actually doing TV evangelists now. But anyway, he was basically making a dig at them. That’s what he was doing, and he used me to do it. And I just remember going home and asking my parents, I was like, listen, they want me to do this. You know, I would like to do it, but I would like to get your blessing.”

“My mother was a little against it. But my father was like, when you’re done doing that, in the ring, you come to where it really belongs in the pulpit. That’s what you really do, it spread the word. I was like, ‘You got it, sir.’ And it took off from there. You know, a lot of people. And Bubba makes fun of me. You know, when he says, oh, you know, we don’t talk about that Reverend D-Von, you know, because it didn’t get over. I’m like, bulls**t it didn’t. I’m like, Look, let me see who the people that I beat Randy Orton, John Cena, Val Venis. Mark Henry, and the biggest one Triple H, you know.

“And I always said this, if Triple H didn’t believe that the Reverend D-Von gimmick was getting over the way it did. Then he would have never in a million years, especially at that time, laid down for me. He would have never let that happen and Hunter had a lot of power and a lot of say. So back then I’m not gonna say even more than he does now.”

“But he had a lot of say back then he had just married Stephanie you know him and Vince are so freakin tight, they’re not butting heads or anything like that. They’re, they’re full blown. They’re here they go. If he had a disagreement at all, he would have said, ‘No, I don’t think so, I’ll beat D-Von, I’m not going to let D-Von go over on me.’”

During their WWE careers, the D-Von Dudley and “brother” Bubba were 10-time Tag Team Champions and were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018.

If you use any quotes from this article please credit original source and then h/t with a link back to TJRWrestling for the transcription.