On a recent episode of INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley recounted two of the scariest moments of his entire career: the infamous “Mass Transit Incident” from ECW and a moment in a match with Edge where he believed he was paralyzed.
The Mass Transit Incident
When asked about a time in ECW that went “a little too far,” D-Von immediately pointed to the match involving the untrained teenage wrestler known as Mass Transit. The incident, where New Jack legitimately and brutally cut the young wrestler with a surgical scalpel, is one of the most controversial in wrestling history.
“I think the match that I had with Mass Transit, I think went a little too far,” D-Von stated. “I understand New Jack’s way of thinking at that time and why he felt how he felt, but I think he took it a little too overboard with what he did. And that’s never cool.”
D-Von expressed his regret and helplessness in the moment. “I felt bad for Mass Transit at the time, you know, but what could I do?” he said. “Because back then, you weren’t supposed to open up your mouth if you were a rookie… and at that point, I couldn’t say anything.” He acknowledged that Mass Transit had disrespected the locker room, but that the punishment did not fit the crime. “That was the one thing that I wish could have changed and could have been different in my career,” he said. “When I saw how he got cut… and the blood came out, it made my body heat up. And I remember just sitting down on the floor on the outside, just going, ‘What the hell am I doing here in ECW?'”
A Moment of Paralysis
The second scary moment D-Von recounted happened during a match against Edge, where a botched backdrop over the top rope nearly had catastrophic consequences. “I panicked in mid-air, and I held on to the rope, and it catapulted me back into the apron, and my lower back hit and my whole body went numb,” he recalled.
“I couldn’t feel my lower legs. I thought I was paralyzed permanently. I tried to get up and walk, I couldn’t get up… And I just remember going, ‘God, please get me up,'” he said. “Edge came outside and goes, ‘What’s wrong?’ I go, ‘I can’t feel my legs.’ And he goes, ‘Sh–.'” D-Von then had to instruct Edge on how to finish the match in a way that protected him and didn’t reveal the injury to the crowd. Thankfully, the feeling in his legs eventually returned.
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.
