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What’s the story?
In an interview with Busted Open Radio, D-Von Dudley spoke to longtime Tag Team partner Bubba Ray Dudley and Dave LaGreca; opening up on a myriad of topics.
D-Von opined that The Dudley Boyz have for long been underappreciated despite their laundry list of accomplishments. Besides, D-Von also spoke about getting along with younger talent, and The Dudleys’ upcoming WWE Hall of Fame induction.
In case you didn’t know…
The Dudley Boyz, primarily comprising Bubba Ray Dudley (Bully Ray), D-Von Dudley and Spike Dudley, rose to prominence in ECW in the mid-to-late 1990s, following which they featured prominently as one of the top Tag Teams in the WWE from 1999 to 2005.
The Dudleys then competed in Impact Wrestling as well as on the indie professional wrestling circuit in the years that followed, with a brief WWE return lasting from 2015 to 2016. It was recently revealed that The Dudley Boyz are set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame’s 2018 Class.
The heart of the matter
D-Von opened up on The Dudleys being underappreciated; stating—
"A lot of things we accomplished over the years seems like it wasn't recognized whether it was the promoters or the fans. I just felt like a lot of things we have done went unnoticed. Sometimes I feel like we weren't treated the way we should have been treated…Call it cockiness or whatever, but we were the greatest tag team of our time, (and) I think going into the (WWE) hall of fame will definitely prove that we were one of the greats and we should be in the same league as some of the wrestlers who came before us like the LOD."
Additionally, D-Von explained that they had a great experience during their last run as active performers in the WWE (2015-16) as the younger talent showed them considerable respect; with The New Day showing them a ton of admiration, and Xavier Woods in particular, coming up to them and citing them as his inspiration to become a pro-wrestler.
Furthermore, D-Von elucidated that in The Team 3D Academy of Professional Wrestling, the most important thing taught to the younger performers is respect for one and all in the business. D-Von alluded that the biggest reason behind most of the younger pro-wrestling talent in the industry today not having respect for the past generations or anyone for that matter is the fact that most of them have been trained by people who never really made it in the business.
D-Von also recalled how transitioning from ECW to the WWE seemed like a daunting task, but after their legendary match with The Hardy Boyz at the 2000 Royal Rumble, the WWE really knew that they had something special with The Dudleys.
D-Von continued that being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame means a lot to him, especially given the fact that he’s been through several ups and downs in his life—growing up in the projects—and being accorded such a high honor by the WWE gives him the opportunity to further solidify the fact that he’s a role model and a responsible father for his children.
What’s next?
The 2018 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony takes place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on 6 April. The Class will be headlined by Goldberg and also features The Dudley Boyz among others.
Author’s take
The Dudleys were indeed a tad underappreciated during their run in both the WWE and Impact Wrestling. Nevertheless, it’s awesome to see this legendary Tag Team finally get credit for their work in 2018. Sportskeeda congratulates The Dudley Boyz on their upcoming WWE Hall of Fame induction.
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