WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley has directly addressed reports and online speculation questioning his physical ability to compete in his upcoming retirement match at TNA’s Bound for Glory. D-Von stated that he is cleared and able to wrestle, pushing back on what he called “dirt sheet goofballs” who have been spreading misinformation about his health.
The match, which will see the legendary Team 3D reunite to face their iconic rivals, The Hardy Boys, is being billed as D-Von’s final match. D-Von has battled significant health issues in recent years, including a stroke and major back surgery, which has led some to question if he is physically capable of stepping back into the ring for one last match.
“Yes, I Can Still Go”
In a new interview on the Duke Loves Rasslin podcast, D-Von put those concerns to rest. He confirmed that he regularly gets in the ring to train students at his D-Von Dudley Academy in Florida and that if he didn’t feel he could perform safely, he wouldn’t do the match. He also noted that he has complete trust in his opponents, Matt and Jeff Hardy.
“Yes. What they fail to understand, too, is I have a wrestling school…..And I get in the ring and I teach these students. I take bumps, I do everything in this ring. So before you start running your mouth, if you don’t know me, reach out to me. Ask me, I’ll tell you… If I felt that my body wasn’t going to be able to take it, then I wouldn’t. Here’s the deal. The only people I do trust is Matt and Jeff… And I say that because those are the only two that I would put my body on the line with, just because of our history and what we’ve done and how we feel about each other… If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t. And besides, I’m not going to be flying off of ladders and jumping off of tables or through tables. We’re going to have a nice we have a nice nostalgia match where we’re going to get people happy jumping out of their seats… We’re going to entertain the people and still give them what they want. We’re going to show them that we have not lost a step. And if I went in that ring at the wrestling school with those students and I couldn’t do what I was doing, then I would say, I can’t do this match. But that’s not the case.”
Thinking Smart Like Randy Orton
D-Von also revealed that he had a conversation with WWE Superstar Randy Orton, who recently returned from his own career-threatening back surgery. He said Orton gave him valuable advice about working smart and protecting his body, a lesson he plans to take into his final match.
“I’m going to protect my body, like Randy Orton told me when I had that talk with him. And I said this in an interview, ‘D-Von, you’ve got to think smart.’ And he said, he goes, ‘I know it’s kind of weird coming from me, because you kind of helped me through the ranks coming up in the business, when you were a vet and I was a rookie. But now I’m going to tell you what you used to tell me: think smart. Go in there and entertain, but go in there and do it smart.’ He said, ‘That’s what I do.’… The bottom line is, you put a story behind what you’re doing, and that’s what we should be doing… You have to think realistically, not egotistically, because it’s suicide if you even think of doing it any other way. So for those that want to know, I’m fine, I’m good. I’m not going to be one of those guys that you know regret it later. No, because I’m going to go out there and do things smart, and I’m going to go out there with two guys that I know that will take care of me and won’t do anything stupid.”
You can hear the full interview with D-Von on the Duke Loves Rasslin podcast below:
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Duke Loves Rasslin with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
