D-Von Dudley Reflects On How Wrestling Biz Has Changed, Shares Thoughts On WWE Unreal

From the beginning of his career in 1991 to his in-ring retirement at TNA Bound for Glory 2025, D-Von Dudley has had a front-row seat to the many ups and downs of the pro wrestling business. During an interview with VideoGamer, Dudley reflected on one of the biggest ways that the industry has changed over the last 30-plus years.

"I feel, and so many other wrestlers feel this way, there's a lack of respect from some of the younger talent," Dudley said. "That's fine. It's just because they weren't taught the proper ways when coming into the business."

As an example, Dudley stated that he always makes sure to approach veterans older than himself in the locker room and let them know how much of an impact they had on his childhood and career. He doesn't feel that same respect from most of the younger talent in the locker room, however.

In addition to that, Dudley believes the industry has lost many of its greatest minds. While he credited Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Michael Hayes for their current work in WWE, the former ECW star doesn't believe there are many great producers left.

In the early 1990s, when Dudley was first getting started, wrestlers treated the fiction of the business as if it was wholly true whenever they were in the public eye. This adherence to maintaining the illusion is referred to as kayfabe, and Dudley blamed the advent of the internet as the leading cause for that boundary eroding.

Though the heyday of kayfabe might be past the point of saving, Dudley isn't a fan of shows like "WWE Unreal" that expose the industry even further. For that reason, he didn't watch the series, even though he gets why WWE would produce it in today's day and age.

"I'm still that old school guy," Dudley stated. "I don't want people to know. I've got family members who called me after the match this past Sunday. 'Hey, are you okay? Were you hurt?' I'm like, 'F**k.' Jeff took care of me and he was great, but I'm not letting anybody know that."

Along with his in-ring career, Dudley worked as a producer in WWE from 2016 to 2023. Following a series of health issues, Dudley made his return to the ring in 2023 and wrestled a handful of matches before retiring alongside longtime tag partner Bubba Ray Dudley (AKA Bully Ray) at Bound for Glory.