WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley recently completed his in-ring retirement tour, culminating in a match alongside Bubba Ray Dudley against The Hardys at TNA Bound For Glory. In an interview with Video Gamer, Dudley explained why, despite previous discussions with AEW, having his final match there was never a consideration due to his views on the promotion’s management.
“I just wanted to end my career the right way and it had no bearing on where I did it, just as long as it was the right way,” Dudley said. “I would not have done it for AEW just because I don’t think AEW was ever a fit for the Dudleys. For other people, probably yes, but to me, not the Dudleys. I don’t know if I would’ve felt comfortable.”
Dudley elaborated on his discomfort, pointing specifically to individuals involved in decision-making within AEW. “There’s just certain things about the organization. I love the talent. I think the talent is great. There’s no question about that, but there’s a feeling that certain people in the organization that call the shots, I’m not a big fan of them,” he stated.
He placed the responsibility for this situation on Tony Khan. “And Tony Khan lets that happen. So I don’t ever think that it would’ve ever been able to take place in AEW,” Dudley continued. “I’ve got nothing against AEW as a company. I’ve got nothing against Tony Khan. I just don’t like the way the organization is run. And that’s about it.”
Dudley mentioned that he believes some current AEW talent share his frustrations. “Again, I’ve got friends in AEW. I’ve met new people at autograph signings, like Will Ospreay who is a great guy and a lot of the talent in AEW have the same frustration that I see,” Dudley claimed. “They just wish that certain people wouldn’t be calling the shots and that Tony would take more control, but yet give it to somebody that knows what they’re doing.”
With his in-ring career officially concluded following the TNA Bound For Glory match against Matt and Jeff Hardy, the 53-year-old Dudley is now focusing his efforts on growing his presence on YouTube.
