WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley recently revealed that he and his partner, Bubba Ray, personally gave The Usos their blessing to use their legendary 3D finishing move. Speaking on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, D-Von explained that he was a producer for one of their matches when the conversation happened and that he was honored by the request, seeing it as a sign of respect and a way to keep their legacy alive.
“I was producing one of their matches, and they had asked me about it,” D-Von recalled. “And I was like, ‘Well, you want to do it tonight?’ They were like, ‘No, not tonight, but we want to know if we can go forward doing it.'”
Paying Homage and Giving Respect
D-Von’s response was immediate and enthusiastic, as he saw no reason for the move to be retired just because he and Bubba Ray were no longer active as a team. “I was like, ‘Hell, me and Bubba don’t do it no more. You know, I’m retired, so why not do it?’” he said. He further explained that he sees it as a sign of respect and a way to keep the Dudley Boyz’ legacy alive for a new generation of fans.
“You’re paying homage to us… and you’re keeping us relevant. Because, you know, people are going to say, ‘That’s the Dudleys,’” he explained. “So for those that might have forgotten about us, will now remember us. So we don’t get upset, you know, like some people do.” He contrasted his attitude with other wrestlers who might get upset over someone using their moves, saying, “They’re paying homage. They’re giving you respect. So I don’t get angry or mad at that. Neither does Bubba. We actually like it that they do that.”
A Protected Finisher
The 3D is widely regarded as one of the most protected and devastating finishing moves in the history of professional wrestling, with only a handful of wrestlers ever having kicked out of it in over two decades. D-Von credited Taz and Perry Saturn with instilling the importance of protecting the move in them from the very beginning of their ECW run.
“Taz and Perry Saturn had instilled that in us… when me and Bubba came up with the idea of doing 3D there, they had said… ‘No one should kick out of this. This is going to be a special move that people will remember way after you guys are gone.’ And they were right,” D-Von said. He confirmed that to his knowledge, the move has only been kicked out of three times in its entire history, a testament to its protected status.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
