On the Duke Loves Rasslin podcast, D-Von Dudley once again addressed the long-discussed controversy involving Jim Ross, firmly rejecting Ross’ claim that he never made racist remarks toward him and standing by his own account of what occurred during a WWE event years ago.
The incident in question took place during the opening of a WWE restaurant, with D-Von making it clear that he did not misremember or exaggerate the situation. He stated that he was asked directly whether he had ever experienced racism while working in WWE and answered honestly. “A question was asked and I answered it. It’s as simple as that,” D-Von said, stressing that he had no agenda when recounting the story and did not go out of his way to bring it up publicly.
According to D-Von, the comment made by Ross happened in a moment where alcohol was involved, but he maintained that intoxication does not excuse the remark. He recalled that the situation escalated to the point where his tag team partner had to physically intervene. “Bubba had to grab me after seeing my fist out of the corner of his eye because he knew I was going to swing,” D-Von said.
D-Von emphasized that Bubba Ray Dudley was not only present but directly witnessed what happened, which is why he takes particular issue with suggestions that the story is exaggerated or fabricated. “It wasn’t a Black person accusing him,” D-Von explained. “It was Bubba. And say what you want about Bubba – he’s not going to lie,” he said.
He also expressed clear disappointment with how JR responded after the story became public. Rather than denying it outright, D-Von said he would have respected a response that acknowledged the possibility of wrongdoing. “Instead of saying, ‘Hey, sorry, if I did say that,’ or ‘I don’t recall,’ that’s not what I got,” D-Von said, suggesting that a straightforward apology would have gone a long way toward resolving the issue privately.
Throughout the discussion, D-Von repeatedly stressed that he never intended for the situation to become a public controversy. He explained that he initially refused to name Ross when the topic first came up on other platforms and only alluded to the individual involved. “I didn’t even want to say the name. I was going to keep it quiet,” he said, explaining that he felt pushed into clarifying details only after being questioned multiple times and pressed by others to be specific.
D-Von made it clear that his comments were not driven by bitterness or a desire for controversy, nor were they meant to attack WWE or rewrite history. Instead, he framed his response as a matter of honesty and accountability. “Am I lying? No, I’m not lying,” he said. “A question was asked, and I answered it,” reiterating that he stood by his words and the facts as he remembers them.
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