The Dudley Boyz are wrestling legends, they are the most decorated tag team in the history of sports entertainment with 23 title reigns in their 18 year career. They have dominated every major promotion in the US and even extended their reach to Japan where they added the IWGP tag titles their already impressive haul.
I was aware of the Dudley Boyz as early as January 1998, they were well known for their outrageous antics and crazy brawling style in ECW, upon first glance you knew they were destined for greatness. In late 1999 they made the jump to the WWF where the world would be able to see their act, as most they were a success once the small issues of the Dudley gimmick were ironed out. It was in the WWF where they achieved the most mainstream attention for putting opponents threw tables, most notably women.
It was also while in the WWF that the Dudley Boyz, along with Edge & Christian and the Hardy Boyz revolutionised the tag team division in the WWF. Combined their collection of table and ladder matches reignited a stagnant part of the roster and they also received plaudits for introducing us to the now infamous multi tag tam TLC match which stole the show at Summerslam 2000 and Wrestlemania 17. Bubba Ray and D-Von had quite the run in the WWF, that was until the brand split in the Spring of 2002.
The Dudley gimmick had become mediocre by 2002 and although the split was welcomed it didn’t benefit either brother and like most tag teams they reunited a short time later. Through out the rest of their WWF/E career they went from faces to heels and back again, they made their final appearance for the company at the original One Night Stand ECW PPV in June 2005, shortly after they were released from their contracts.
The Dudleys next destination would be TNA where they debut in October 2005 under the name ‘Team 3D’ due to intellectual property reasons after WWE purchased ECW in 2001. Apart from the name change the brothers Dudley were still very much the same, Brother Ray & Brother Devon hadn’t really moved with the times and after the nostalgia faded away it was the same old Dudley Boyz putting people through tables. Their time as a team in TNA wasn’t all bad as they contested some hard-hitting well received matches and once more added to their list of title reigns.
Team 3D’s biggest achievement came in TNA after they split as a team, during the summer months of 2012 Brother Ray decided to turn against Devon at their supposed ‘retirement ceremony’, they feuded over a course of matches and PPV’s before the inevitable blow off. During this period they established themselves as singles characters and then followed their separate paths. It was as singles stars that they would both achieve success in TNA with the newly christened ‘Bully Ray’ becoming a well established and well received by fans and critics main event star. Devon was revealed as ‘Sergeant at Arms’ for the Aces & Eights at Bound For Glory in October, but it was Bully Ray who was set on course for arguably the greatest run of his career in a slowly plotted heel storyline which culminated at Lockdown in March 2013.
In late 2012 Bully Ray decided he wanted something different and in doing so he became one of the best TNA projects ever, always a great talker and very efficient in the ring when the time came, he had the tools to succeed but it was his appearance within the wrestling industry at least that held him back. However Ray changed that by dramatically dropping weight and really getting into ring shape for what would be a demanding run as a top guy, he received many plaudits for the dedication it took and for the dramatic change not only in appearance but also character. As is always the way in wrestling Bully Ray reverted to a OTT version of himself to win over the fans and critics and it worked.
Like most teams Mark LoMonaco (Brother Ray) was the star and it showed by what he achieved as a singles star, the dedication and time given to develop his character was truly a wonderful success story even in modern-day wrestling. The slow burning heel turn was handled beautifully before the big payoff and massive respect should be given to Bully Ray for it. Devon although as important within the Team Dudley never had the xfactor to get above mid-card level but as a character he knew his place and it doing so Team Dudley/3D succeeded, as they say “it takes two to Tango.
The Bully Ray character and Aces & Eights storyline was a success in TNA, well until it got overcrowded and the gimmick bombed like most stuff in TNA, however due to Bully’s progressive work it was deemed only natural that Dixie would hold onto a prized asset such as him. Just before the Dudleys were released from their contracts they reunited against the now heel owner Dixie Carter and were the first tag team entered into the TNA hall of fame in October 2014. The following day at the Bound for Glory PPV Team 3D made their final appearance for TNA as their contracts expired.
Fast forward to January 2015, the month in which the Road to Wrestlemania truly begins for the WWE and the kick off point is the annual Royal Rumble event. It was at this event that Buh Buh Ray Dudley would resurface decked out in the usual Dudey attire and take part in the Rumble match itself, it was a great feel good moment and the Ray looked in good shape, however it wouldn’t last long. He was eliminated by Bray Wyatt shortly after and just like the nostalgia went, although the talk of a Dudley Boyz reunion seemed to be on the cards, as both were available and WWE seemed the natural choice to for them to sign for.
No matter the internet chatter and industry rumours and that Bully Ray returned to TNA for a brief stint the WWE fans had to wait eight months for a Dudley reunion, but in came the night after Summerslam at the now infamous Raw show. The Brothers Dudley returned to a great ovation and they made their intentions quite clear as they headed straight to the ring to confront the New Day. This collision ended as the Dudleys put Xavier Woods through a table, right there the next tag team title feud was set up and they will no doubt tangle at Night of Champions in a few weeks.
There is no denying the impact the Dudley Boyz have had on the wrestling industry, their exploits are well known to every grapple fan and their 23 titles reigns are well documented. From ECW, WWE, TNA, AJPW, NJPW, Hustle Ray & Devon have been everywhere and done it all, however their return to WWE although welcomed seems like a distraction to the poor state of the tag team division within McMahonland. WWE have a wealth of talent in their ranks and that point has been proved with this week’s first round matches of the ‘Dusty Rhodes Tag Tournament’, but what do WWE go and do? They paper over the cracks and hope no one will notice, WWE would rather buy in a nostalgia act than build an act and book it properly. The Ascension for example were a standout team in NXT but their promotion to the main roster was wasted by inept booking.
So far so good with the return of the Dudleys, their segments and matches have been very good and they are getting the desired reaction most would accept. Their match against the New Day which should be booked for NOC should also prove very exciting and should offer up at least a few more PPV showdowns. My only worry is that the Dudleys Boyz have been seen before many times and although it’s 2015 their act really hasn’t changed since 2000, they are doing the same old same old and compared against a trio like the New Day who adapt every week I truly wonder how long the Dudleys can survive for in this version of WWE?
@Ciaran_1986
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