D-Von Dudley says a doctor told him that damage from past chair shots may have contributed to his 2019 stroke alongside high blood pressure.
Speaking on Maven Huffman’s YouTube channel, D-Von and Maven discussed the lasting effects of unprotected chair shots to the head.
“I have headaches every day, and I know there were guys who took way more head shots than I did. I can’t imagine what they feel like.
“The modern-day wrestlers are a lot smarter than we were. I’m happy the business has moved in a genuinely smarter direction.”
D-Von recalled wrestlers being instructed not to protect themselves when receiving chair shots.
“People don’t realize just how delicate the brain can be. Even though the skull protects it and it’s a hard shell, it can still cause damage.
“What we take is not fake. When they take those steel chairs and swing them, they’re swinging for dear life. We were told not to put our hands up to protect ourselves.”
D-Von estimated that he suffered more than 15 concussions during his career.
“Concussions were real. I probably can’t count how many concussions I’ve had over the years. I’ve probably had over 15 concussions.
“How I’m able to even talk correctly or think correctly is a testament to God because right now, I shouldn’t be where I am. My memory is still good. I have no issues.”
D-Von said he suffered a stroke while working as a producer in California.
“I suffered a stroke back in 2019, but that was due to high blood pressure. I was stressed out being a producer, and my blood pressure wouldn’t go down.
“I woke up, went to use the bathroom and fell face-first on the ground. I couldn’t feel my legs and basically had to army crawl to the bathroom.”
A wellness check was performed after D-Von failed to appear for a scheduled production meeting.
“They knocked on the door and asked me to come open it. I said, ‘I can’t feel my legs.’ They called an ambulance. The next thing you know, they said, ‘Mr. Hughes, you’re having a stroke.’
“When I spoke to the doctor, a lot of it was high blood pressure, but some of it was also the head shots that I took from chair shots. I think it’s a great idea that WWE has stopped that from happening.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Maven Huffman’s YouTube channel, with a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.
