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What's the story?
Former WWE Superstar Bubba Ray Dudley recently appeared on Chris Jericho's podcast, and talked in depth on why the Bully Ray character wasn't used on WWE TV.
Ray stated that WWE's Be-A-Star program didn't allow them to use a character with the word 'Bully' in it.
In case you didn't know...
Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley, dubbed as "The Dudley Boyz", were one of the most dominant tag team duos in WWE history, becoming 8-time World Tag Team Champions during their run with the company. The duo did a stint with TNA after their WWE departure, where Bubba invented the Bully Ray character, that became an instant hit with the audience.
The heart of the matter
Upon their return to WWE in 2015, The Dudley Boyz reformed the notorious tag team. While speaking with Jericho on why the Bully Ray character was never used on WWE television, the Hall of Famer stated that WWE didn't want a PR issue that could've stemmed from the use of his name.
Ray said that Vince McMahon told him that although it was a great idea, they wouldn't be able to do much with it, before the press and media would slaughter them. Running a Be-A-Star program and having a wrestler named 'Bully' just wouldn't have worked.
I told him about Bully Ray, and me and Vince McMahon had three really good and serious conversations about Bully Ray and he was totally into it. He said that nobody loves the bully character more than me. He said that is who I am, but he said that I cannot call you Bully Ray. I can't use the name "Bully" and have the Be-A-Star program.
What's next?
Bubba is currently signed with Ring of Honor and is using the Bully Ray gimmick. If Vince McMahon is to be believed, we might see Bubba Ray as a backstage producer in WWE somewhere down the line.
Do you like the Bully Ray character? Sound off!
