WWE & Impact Wrestling Hall of Famers The Dudley Boyz have signed new WWE Legends contracts.
Bubba Ray Dudley (aka Bully Ray, Brother Ray) and D-Von Dudley (aka Brother Devon, Reverend D-Von) recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to promote their in-ring return and reunion as the Impact 1000 tapings this weekend, and revealed that they both recently signed WWE Legends contracts.
No other details were provided on the WWE deals, but the most decorated tag team in history is looking forward to returning to the ring on Saturday at the Impact 1000 taping, which will air on Thursday, September 14. Impact has not named their opponents as of this writing. Bubba and D-Von have worked for all the top companies in their near-30-year career, but it was noted that their Impact run stands as their most complete body of work.
“We spent more time in Impact than in ECW or WWE,” Bubba said. “It’s going to be fun to get back for one night. We never thought this would happen with Devon’s health, but he says he feels great. So we’re going out there on Saturday, and we’re going to give our fanbase what they know, love, and expect from Team 3D.”
While D-Von officially retired shortly after their last match together in December 2016, Bubba has continued to wrestle and is currently a top heel in Impact. It looked like there was a slim chance of D-Von having any kind of in-ring future after he suffered a stroke in 2019, while working as a WWE Producer. However, he recovered from the stroke and underwent back surgery, and ended up leaving WWE in January of this year, after working that role since September 2016. D-Von then back into the ring and kept improving, and now he’s having his first match in 7 years.
“It’s no secret I had the stroke in 2019, which was stress-related,” D-Von said. “Working behind-the-scenes for WWE at the time as a backstage producer was very stressful. A year later, when I had back surgery, I thought I was done. But I had a great trainer, and I kept getting stronger. Then I thought, ‘Let me get in the ring and try it again.’ At first, I was a little off. But then I started doing it on a regular basis. I thought, ‘What if I do something with Bubba? Or something with my sons, who wrestle on the independent scene?’ The more I did it, the better I moved. At my wrestling school, I started getting into the ring with my students. Then I got the call from Bubba about doing the thousandth episode of Impact! He asked if I could get into ring shape, and I said, ‘Hell yeah.’ I’ve been working so hard to prove I haven’t lost a step. I’m ready for another 3D.”
A shared highlight of their run in Impact was the Aces & Eights storyline, which included a singles push for both of the tag team veterans.
“Eric Bischoff saw something that no one else really had, which is what led to working as singles wrestlers in Aces & Eights,” Bubba said. “It’s a body of work I’m extremely proud of.”
D-Von declared that Team 3D’s Impact run was better than their time in WWE.
“We had a better run in TNA than we did in WWE,” D-Von said. “But that’s our story–we’ve always been able to create something special. Look back, and you’ll remember that the Dudley gimmick was not meant to be serious. It was masterminded by Raven, and Taz put his two cents into it, but it was meant to be a joke. At first, we were just happy to be part of it. But Paul Heyman believed in us, and we decided to take the tag team to the next level.”
D-Von added, “Now we get to go back out there, the two of us, and return to Impact. Can you believe that? This Saturday is going to be incredible. The fans have no idea how inspirational they are to me. During my rough days, they were always there for me. I’m grateful for God, who brought me here, and I am grateful to the fans for lifting me up.”
Saturday’s Impact 1000 return will be Team 3D’s first standard tag team match together since defeating Neville (aka PAC) and Sami Zayn on the SummerSlam 2016 pre-show. This will be their first Impact match together since defeating Tommy Dreamer and Abyss (aka Chris Park) in a Hardcore Match at Bound For Glory 2014. Their last match together came just a few months after the SummerSlam 2016 appearance as they worked House of Glory’s HOG VI show on December 17, 2016, in a Fatal 4 Way that saw Santana and Ortiz win the HOG Tag Team Titles by defeating The Dudleyz, Private Party and former champions The Hardys. Team 3D will also appear at the Impact 1000 Fan Celebration, which will be held Saturday from 11am – 3pm at the same venue. Admission to the fan event is free with a ticket to the Saturday taping.
The Dudleyz are recognized as 23-time or 24-time tag team champions, depending on which promotions are included. They were inducted into the Impact Hall of Fame in 2014, and then inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018.
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