The following was sent to us from Action Network’s interview with D-Von Dudley:
WWE Legend D-Von Dudley: Vince McMahon was ‘Darth Vader’ – everyone feared him
Vince Mcmahon was like Darth Vader to me – I was petrified of him
Vince was a very powerful man for so many years, and when you meet Vince, he has a certain aura about him, and everybody says that. It’s something that I really haven’t seen in a lot of people. It’s kind of like the President of the United States. I heard that; I never met him. But former President Barack Obama basically had that type of presence. I heard when he walked into a room, how he would fill it, and the charisma would just come out. I think Vince McMahon had a Darth Vader type of aura about him where people feared him, as opposed to a charismatic personality. It was as soon as he walked into that room, it was like Darth Vader. When I first met him I was petrified. I was 23, 24. So I was petrified when I first met him. This man I’d looked at on TV all my life, and everything he has accomplished and done. And now I’m working for the man. It was a very powerful thing for me.
Netflix didn’t expose Vince McMahon – the whole of Pro-wrestling knew about his antics
It wasn’t something that we already knew. What was so different about all the other documentaries that were done on WWE or Vince McMahon? I had seen it all, plus I was there, and I witnessed 90% of it.
I think everybody was looking for that documentary to expose what was going on at that time, which was a lawsuit with the girl, and everything like that, which is why Vince left WWE in the first place. I think everybody was looking for that to be into the documentary, but it really wasn’t about that. They mentioned it, but you never went into detail about it. So I think everybody was looking forward to that. But all the other stuff, I already knew that. Half of America knew that well; half of the world that follows pro wrestling knew all that stuff about Vince.
There were allegations about the beatings from the stepfather that I had just found out prior to the documentary. But they went into more detail that I didn’t know, and the alleged sexual abuse from the mom. When I heard that I was shocked because I know how Vince was with his mother. He loved his mother. Anytime that we were in Texas, he would show up late to the meetings because he was with his mom. He loved his mother dearly. So when the documentary said that I was kind of shocked and surprised about it. That was the only thing I was shocked about. Other than that everything else I knew.
Everyone feared Vince McMahon – A great businessman who took it too far
I can’t put it any other way. He was Darth Vader. He really was. He was a very shrewd businessman. He knew what he wanted, and he demanded it. Even if he thought he was wrong. Even if he had an inkling that he was wrong, he still wanted what he wanted when he wanted it. And that was just the way Vince was and still is, I bet. I also said a lot of times that he had a lot of loyal people to him, but they feared him. My thing was, I didn’t think that he had to be so tough on people. Especially some of the people that work for him as producers and things like that. Sometimes he would say things, and it would just blow your mind.
You know how he was sometimes with certain people. I just always felt if you have that loyalty in them, you don’t have to put your thumb on them and keep them held down. They’re gonna be loyal to you until you see otherwise. Then start putting the hammer down. But I just thought there were a lot of times that he didn’t have to put his thumb on people the way he did. But I understand why he did it, because I know the man’s been screwed over many times. So, sometimes you just gotta let your guard down just a tad to show your appreciation to those that are loyal to you. So I think that’s one of the things that I felt that he could have changed a little bit.
As far as being business-wise, probably one of the best I’ve ever seen.
Vince McMahon would need the best people to help him with his ‘’new’’ wrestling company
It could be something. Vince has to have the right people behind him. He doesn’t have a Pat Patterson anymore. He doesn’t have a Michael Hayes. He doesn’t have a Triple H. He doesn’t have a Kevin Dunn. Kevin Dunn would probably come back and work for him. But he would need all those tools that got him where he is today in that new company.
The scrutiny and isolation Vince Mcmahon has suffered as a result of the lawsuit is punishment enough
No, I don’t. It was in the courts, and whatever happened happened. If they deemed that there was nothing to bring him up on, then nothing. I mean, the scrutiny that went along with all of this stuff that’s going on, that’s punishment right then and there. The man was isolated for months, wasn’t seen, had his business taken away from him, so that might be something that might be a version of a punishment that we don’t understand or get. But when I heard that it was dropped, the young lady who accused him – I didn’t hear her say anything. I didn’t hear her get mad, or bitter, or anything like that. So no, I guess there wasn’t enough proof to charge him with what they felt that he should have been charged for, and it was dropped.
Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and Vince McMahon allowed me to enjoy wrestling
There was no big influence behind the scenes. Like I said, my thing was Hulk Hogan.
That’s who I liked. That’s who I admired. There was nobody else that was in that category. Vince McMahon was another, working with him, dealing with him. The whole aura about Vince, I was intrigued by, and enjoyed just being a part of the company during all that time. The Undertaker, things like that. Guys that I grew up in this business watching. I enjoyed it when I finally met them.
