D-Von Dudley Looks To Put Issues With WWE HOFer Behind Him

Following accusations of racism he spoke about last year, D-Von Dudley explained that he was still willing to forgive fellow WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross, despite what he described as the legendary commentator choosing to take shots at him rather than apologizing. Dudley initially chose not to name Ross and only alluded to the AEW commentator, but confirmed it was Ross to make racist comments to him when both men worked for WWE during another interview. During an episode of "Duke LovesRasslin," Dudley further explained the fall-out, including Ross's response to his comments.

"When I heard JR's response to it, instead of saying, 'Hey, sorry. I didn't say that. I don't recall...' and things like that," Dudley said. "Okay, because a part of me feels like he may not recall, because he was very intoxicated that night at the WWE opening of the restaurant when he said it. I just remember, Bubba [Ray Dudley], we were driving and leaving the restaurant he was like, 'D-Von, he was drunk' and this and that, 'but it still doesn't give him the right to say what he said.' If it would have been two Black people that had said, 'JR said that,' it would have been, 'Oh. They're pulling the race card.'"

Dudley first said that he experienced racism by someone in WWE, who was not Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, Michael Hayes, or others, during the opening of WWF New York in 1999. Dudley said on the most recent podcast that he was going to give Ross the benefit of the doubt that he might not remember the restaurant incident, but said his tag team partner, Bubba Ray Dudley, now known as Bully Ray, is not a liar. Bully Ray backed up his partner when he first spoke about the incident last year.

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D-Von Dudley Addresses Jim Ross

Former WWE star Maven interviewed the Dudley Boyz ahead of their final match on his YouTube channel, where the team spoke about D-Von's experiences with racism. Bully Ray backed up his tag team partner throughout the interview, and encouraged him to name Ross. Dudley further addressed Ross on Duke LovesRasslin following the commentator's comments that maybe Dudley's post-WWE life wasn't going as well as his tag team partner's, and he was just upset.

"You want to make that crack, I'm not going to be sitting up here making cracks at you, okay?" Dudley said. "You can say whatever you say, and I even said I forgave you. I was like, 'As much as I held it in for as long as I have, I forgave you.'"

Dudley said he would be willing to sit down and talk it out, but described a backstage incident alongside other ECW originals, including Paul Heyman, where Ross refused to acknowledge him.

"Paul realized that and said, 'What, you don't want to say nothing to D-Von? Why, because he's Black?'" Dudley explained. "'You're damn right because he's Black. You're damn right I don't like him.' And we were all shocked and I don't think Paul expected that to come out of his mouth... He wasn't drunk then, so what's the excuse? I was going to take the high road and leave it alone, but now that you want to come out and not only did you deny it, but now that you want to take cracks at me. I'm still not mad at you, JR. I'm still not mad and I'm still not going to insult you."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Duke LovesRasslin" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

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Read the original article on Wrestling Inc.