WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley recently opened up about racism he experienced during his pro wrestling career, where he seemed to be pointing a finger at Jim Ross, without revealing anyone’s name.
Dudley had more to say on the topic during a new interview with Video Gamer, where he suggests the KKK found its way into executive positions in pro wrestling. D-Von goes in again on that unnamed WWE higher-up he has no respect for, who works in a different company now.
“…it was hidden really. I’ve said this
before and I’ll say it again. The Klan wore sheets on their heads. The Ku Klux Klan wore sheets over their heads. And I felt that a lot of those Klan members made their way into wrestling, traded in their sheets for suits.
It was definitely a behind the scenes thing. I’ve dealt with it with certainly higher ups like MVP said. I dealt with that certain higher up that told me to my face, they don’t like me because of the colour of my skin. And they work for other organizations now, and this person knows who he is. I have no respect for that person. I don’t really care for him. Now that he’s not in the position that he once was, I just really don’t care for him.”
Moving on, Dudley was asked if he ever had contact with AEW about working there. D-Von confirmed that his agent did contact AEW when he was looking for work as a producer behind the scenes. However, President Tony Khan kept trying to get him to agree to wrestle again, which led to some frustrating meetings.
“I told him I don’t wanna wrestle anymore. And he wasn’t taking no for an answer. He couldn’t get that through his head. He was like stringing me along and even though I kept telling him I don’t wanna wrestle, I was literally when we had those meetings really fresh off a back surgery. I really couldn’t do it like that back then. It takes time for your body to heal and to be able to do what you got to do after back surgery.
So I basically kept emphasizing that I wanted to be a producer. I did not wanna wrestle. I wanted to work behind the scenes and he kept asking me if I wanted to wrestle and get back in the ring. And I’m like, ‘dude, you’re not getting what I’m saying. I don’t want to wrestle. I just wanna be a producer. I wanna help my sons out. I wanna help get them where they are.’ Like what Billy Gun was doing for his sons, you know? I’ve done everything in my career. I don’t need that. He just wasn’t taking no for an answer. I’ve had three meetings with him and all three were a bust!”
What’s your reaction to Dudley’s thoughts on the KKK in wrestling, the former WWE higher-up he has no respect for, and his failed meetings with Tony Khan? Let me know in the comments below, Cagesiders.
