July 7, 2025 • 58 mins
This week, WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley and Duke Loves Rasslin bring the fireworks with a special 4th of July weekend celebration. Get ready for an episode packed with untold stories, backstage laughs, and candid reflections on the world of professional wrestling.
Here's what you can expect:
4th of July for WWE Superstars: Ever wonder what a holiday like the 4th of July is like for a WWE Superstar? D-Von shares unique insights into how wrestlers celebrate (or don't!) during their demanding schedules.
Black BBQ Playlist: Get ready to groove! The fellas dive into the ultimate Black BBQ playlist, revealing the most popular songs that set the vibe at cookouts, especially on the 4th of July.
Rikishi's Long-Held Secret REVEALED! For the first time ever, D-Von Dudley spills the beans on the biggest secret his fellow WWE Hall of Famer, Rikishi, has been keeping hidden in plain sight for decades! You won't want to miss this shocking revelation.
WWE Night Of Champions Review: D-Von and Duke break down the incredible WWE Premium Live Event that took place in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, offering their expert analysis and hot takes.
Talla Tonga's Journey & D-Von's Pride: D-Von details his early impressions of Talla Tonga when D-Von and Bubba Ray Dudley trained him. Hear about D-Von's immense pride in Talla Tonga and many of his other former students who are now making waves in WWE and throughout the wrestling world.
#DevonAndTheDuke #DvonDudley #DukeLovesRasslin #WWEPodcast #WrestlingPodcast #4thOfJuly #WWEHallOfFamer #RikishiSecret #NightOfChampions #TangaLoa #WrestlingStories #BlackBBQPlaylist #ProWrestling
** Shop better hydration today. Visit LiquidIV.Com & use the promo code DukeLovesRasslin to save on your next order! **
**All views expressed are that of those expressing them. Pull Up Your Skinny Jeans if you don't like it! **
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:03):
Feeling and the tunes bring the heat.
Wrestling tails knock you off your seat.
TuneIn. Now don't you be late.
Wrestling punk has never felt this Great tails, ladders,
chairs, they tell it all. From the highest highs to the
lowest fall. Great lower tails from the ring.
(00:27):
Every chain, every cheer they'llbring, bring the heat.
Wrestling tails knock you off your seat.
TuneIn. Now don't you be late.
Wrestling podcast never felt this crazy.
(00:48):
Brothers and sisters, welcome back.
Welcome back and happy Independence Day.
Happy 4th of July. It is the Devon and the Duke
Podcast, a limited edition series hosted by your main man.
Duke loves wrestling and of course the man himself, five
(01:09):
time Hall of Famer. He is a YouTube star.
He is the man in high demand outthere at all the signings and
conventions, what have you, The one, the only Mr. Devon Dudley.
What's going on there, bro? Hey.
How you doing? How's everything going?
Listen. And this, this heat that we've
been receiving in Boston, I'm going to tell you right now,
(01:31):
man, I don't like it. We hit officially, it said that
we hit 103° last week. But that was at Logan Airport,
which is by the water. I'm inland.
We hit 113° inland. So I'm just telling you right
now, Devon, I don't know how youdo it down in Florida, brother,
(01:51):
but you, you need to take this, this hot weather away.
No, y'all need it, man, because winter killed y'all.
That's why I left up north. I couldn't take that, couldn't
take that weather during that time.
What's, what's, what's the moviewas it?
It was Beverly Hills Cop Eddie Murphy is sitting there acting
like he's drunk because the guysare trying to rob the the strip
(02:13):
club. And he goes, Phillip, Phillip,
what's all this gun and everything?
Philip, you changed man. You changed.
I told you to sit down. Get back for me, man.
So. So I'm going to tell you, Mr.
Mr. New York, you changed Yvonne.
You changed, you know, Listen. I was AI was a kid in elementary
(02:36):
school and said if I haven't gotrich and had some money, I was
moving to the warmest climate there would be without having to
be that far, without that havingto be so far away from home in
New York. And you know, I don't want my
people in New York to think that, you know, I don't love
them. I do.
I love New York, but I couldn't I couldn't go back and live.
(02:59):
I really couldn't have. I'm so used to the slow pace.
I'm so used to the people that, you know, basically a warm and
genuine and don't get mad at every little thing.
And I hate to say that, but us New Yorkers, we are like that.
Whether we want to admit it or not, we are.
And sometimes it can take a toll.
(03:21):
You know, we, you know, when I first started wrestling, started
to travel, I wasn't high strung,but I was kind of like, you
know, things got to be done. You know, it's got to be done.
Now it's, you know, it's this and that, blah, blah.
That's the way New Yorkers are. We've always been like that.
Yeah, that's the truth. You walk with purpose.
(03:42):
So wait a second. You mean to tell me all these
years you don't live down there in Florida?
No one's flipping you off and and and yelling obscenities at
you randomly. Not as much as they were in New
York. I had this.
I had this Asian lady, little Asian lady driving and I didn't
(04:04):
even do anything. I didn't move and nothing.
In other words, I wasn't in her lane or anything, but she felt
the need because I wasn't going fast enough to get close to me,
put up the middle finger and still going and then turn into a
parking lot and I was turning into that direction.
I was like, now what would have happened if I had turned into
that parking lot and got out thecar?
(04:25):
She'd been calling 911 and everything.
But you act all big and bad in your car, which we all know.
But then when sometimes you stepout and the whole accountable,
you don't want to do it then. Listen, as you're saying that,
I'm thinking about that, that little video online where where
a guy runs up on a guy and says give me all your money.
(04:46):
And and the older guy says he starts holding his chest.
He's like, wait, call the police, call the police, but not
for me, for you. And then he pulls out a gun.
It's like, listen, you better leave that little Asian lady
alone, man. She might slice and dice your
ass. You mess around.
Now, Oh yeah, I've seen that. Yeah.
Well, like, I like it. I like it when this black
(05:09):
comedian, he starts talking in this Latino voice and he goes,
you know, Poppy don't play, you know, he don't play.
He don't care. You know, like Poppy, you know,
God, you try to hold up Poppy inthe street.
God goes, give me all your money.
He goes, I can't do that man. And it's like, you know, I I
give you a dollar or two, but I can't give you all my money.
I'm sorry, Poppy. He.
(05:29):
Said no, no. No, no, Poppy can't do that.
He said he he was chasing him down the street, told he said
I'd give you $1.00. That's it.
That's. It, that's it.
I can't do it no more Poppy. He's like Poppy, I'm going to
shoot you nose, alright? You got to do what you got to
do, but I'm not giving you my money.
I think that Duesday was Rasheed.
(05:49):
Rest in peace, Rasheed. He.
He. Passed away.
He passed away years ago. Yeah yeah, oh man.
But that clip still got that oneand the Jamaican 1.
He he does a good Jamaican accent too.
Yeah. That dude's funny as hell, man.
You know, I love it. I love it when you and I start
talking about this stuff becausethat that's good stuff.
That's good stuff there. You know, listen, man, I'm going
(06:12):
to congratulate you. You know, we were talking about
River City Wrestling Con and, and all of the great young folks
who come from the Devon Dudley tree been trained by you and how
well they did at the convention,what have you.
And then here I am watching Night of Champions and realize,
damn, we talk about all these Samoans who had taken over the
(06:36):
WWE and you don't train damn near all of them.
All of the Samoans except for Solace, Accord, he's not mine.
I think he's Rikishis and Bookerand Jacob.
But everybody else, even a new kid that came out, they're all
and I'm not going to take the credit for myself.
Myself and Bubba, we trained allof those guys.
(06:57):
So so the newest addition of thenew bloodline is Tala Tonga, who
was formerly known as Hikaleo out there in New Japan Pro
Wrestling. So Tala Tonga, who's a big dude?
How tall is that dude? Would you say he's?
About 6768. Wow, wow, and he got a big head
(07:20):
of hair too, huh? Oh yeah, just like his father.
Just like his father. Yep, Yep, Yep.
That's it. Listen, I would not want to play
with that dude. I looked at his hand.
He took his big hand that looks like a catcher's Mitt and put it
around Jacob's throat and pickedhim up and choke slammed him on
the table. I said damn, hey, Jacob ain't no
(07:42):
small dude. No, but you know, and he's one
of the nicest guys. You'll mean very gentle, very
soft spoken. And I'll be honest with you,
when you know, he gave me the school, I was like, if this kid
doesn't change and become the monster that he is, he's not
going to make it. Because he was just so soft
spoken. He was just so gentle.
(08:04):
I didn't see that. I didn't see a heel thing in his
body, heel bone in his body. And he he was, he's just a nice
kid. He really is down to earth.
You know, you can't help but love him when you meet him.
He's really, he's that type of guy.
Well, I've been doing some research on them.
I know a great friend of the show and someone you actually
(08:25):
appeared on her podcast before Marie Shadows.
She she's very familiar because she covers New Japan.
She knows all that stuff out there.
So she's always been singing thepraises of Hikuleleo, the man
now known as Talatonga, and saying how if he just got a shot
on at the big time, he would crush it.
(08:46):
So, you know, shout out to Marielooks like he's going to get his
shot here because Talatanga definitely made an impression at
Night of champions. So but but again, man,
congratulations to you. This is really cool.
You and Bubba have trained so many people who have gone on to
make a living for themselves. Many of them have been in the
(09:07):
WWETNAAW what what have you here.
It's pretty cool, man. It's pretty cool to know that
and to see the fruits of your labor continue to grow like
that. But from your perspective, how
do you feel about it? I'm just, you know, again, it's
it's shocking in a sense to me too, because I never thought in
(09:30):
a million years I'd have these many guys coming out of school
and representing Team 3D and DDA.
It's a great feeling. Listen, we got guys in AW, we
have guys in WWE now. Well, we've always had them in
WWE. We have guys in NXT, men and
women, and you know, we have guys in what's the TNAI mean?
(09:57):
They're all over. We're producing them.
You know, it's just a testament to what me and Bubba have done
all these years. You know, we, we, you know,
Bubba and himself, he strives onno mistakes, you know, and I
know people say, well, you can'tdo that because, you know, no
mistakes is like, you know, everybody makes mistakes.
(10:19):
You have to be able to, you know, make mistakes and bounce
back from it and this and that, you know, Oh no, that's not
fair. You can't teach that bullshit.
You can't look at what we've did.
Look at what we taught, you know, and you can mess up.
Keep doing it over and over and over again.
I love it. Until you get it right.
I love it. That's the way.
(10:40):
That's the only way. Repetition.
That's the only way there, you know, and and I got to call this
out. You know, one of your your top
students of all time, Ref Jess, she, she's been, I don't know
what's going on. She's been doing a push up.
She's been doing a pull ups. She got some muscles on muscles,
man. Is is she gearing up to kick
(11:01):
your ass or something? What's what's going on with her
man? No, not me.
No. Jess has always wanted to
wrestle her. She never really wanted to ref,
but she saw the opportunity to get into the company and said,
OK, that's what's going to happen and that's what I'm going
to accept. And she's killing her.
(11:22):
But Jess has always been trainedlike that.
If you see before and after pictures of Jess, you would be
like, wow, it was amazing how she transformed her body while
she was at our school and everything.
And then she continues to do it.She takes the knowledge of what
she learned from us. And Apache Dan Carr, the creator
(11:44):
of the American Graduators, who is our strength and conditioning
coach, has been with us since 2007.
She basically, you know, takes that on the road with her.
So she has always than someone that has still trained as if
she's wrestling WrestleMania because that's her ultimate
(12:04):
dream. Yes, she's in there.
She's doing what she's doing, but she's always wanted to
wrestle. And, you know, there are times
when she's asked Hunter, you know, do you think there will
ever be a time where I can go inand ring and do something?
And, you know, Hunter said. You know, you never know, Let's
just see how things turn out. But she's, she's going to, you
know, do the referee's role for now until if that opportunity
(12:28):
ever does come up. So, you know, my hat goes off to
her. She's still doing what she's
doing. I love it, I love it and I have
seen the before pictures and we see her now.
It's a totally different person.I was in Baltimore at an indie
show. I was currently with the.
(12:49):
I was currently with TNA at the time.
I walked in there and I met her.She was valeting and I basically
she introduced herself to me, you know, this and that.
And I was like, all right. And I remember her telling me
(13:09):
she wanted to really take her rear to the next level and she
and she was asking about our school.
So I said, OK, I said, well, listen, let's talk after the
show and we can most likely maybe, you know, do you live out
here? And she goes, yes, I said, well,
you have to move to Florida. And she was willing to do that.
(13:32):
She said, I don't care. She's like, I just want to take
my, my ability next level. I said, OK, we talked.
We we went and had after the show we went and had dinner at.
Not that it matters, but it's going to kill me if I don't
remember. What Jimmy not?
Applebee's. No, no, not that it was a, it
(13:53):
was a not a mom and pops. Chili's.
I'm sorry. Chili's.
Yeah, it was Chili's restaurant.I went and eaten Chili's and she
was telling me, you know what she was going through where she
was training the time. I said well, come on down to me.
And she came down and wish I think she was with me for like
5-6 years. And next you know she got the
phone call and the rest is history.
(14:16):
That is awesome. That is awesome.
Shout out to ref Jess. I know we, we've shown her some
love before, but I'm going to keep doing it, man, 'cause she's
dedicated to the craft. She can, she continues to.
First of all, she's going to be in the Hall of Fame as a
referee. There's no question about that.
So let's, let's let's call that out.
But it's clear to me that she's getting herself an extra shape
(14:40):
to at least wrestle a match. And damn, you know what I mean.
She she looks great, man, she looks great.
So I hope it happens. I think it would be, especially
if it's on a big show. That would be amazing.
You know, that would be amazing.I it's it's a it's a reminder to
everybody out there. When I look at people like Jess
(15:00):
and Daphne, who she went by ref Aja first, she wrestled as Aja
Pereira on the on the independent scene.
So she's the first black female ref in WWE history.
When I look at those ladies, andlike you said, they didn't
necessarily want to be referees,they're wrestlers.
(15:22):
But the opportunity was presented and they jumped on it
and they've been in some monumental moments in wrestling
history as referees. So they still got to the big
show, just in a different way, you know what I mean?
And, and, and they're probably both going to be in the Hall of
(15:43):
Fame as a result of that. There's more than one way to
skin a cat when the when the door is closed, coming through
the window, going through the back door, whatever you got to
do, if you really want it, you will not be denied if you're
willing to sacrifice and, and asRic Flair would say, pay the
price of a wrestling lifetime. And certainly those two ladies
(16:03):
are a prime example. They've done that.
They literally had to hang up their boots and put on the
referee gear. But damn it, they're in the big
show, You know, can't beat that.Can't beat that with a stick.
Anyways, night of champions out there in Saudi Arabia, the
(16:24):
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, always beautiful.
The crowd was on fire. They never stopped and what have
you, which was so awesome to see.
You had Cody Rhodes, he is the king of the ring.
He defeated Randy Orton. And then you had Jade Cargill
surprising me by defeating Oscar.
(16:47):
And you know, classy move by Jade.
In the end, she, she tweeted outthanking Oscar, said it was a
dream match for her and that shecould not have had a match like
that with anyone but Oscar, which I'm going to tell you
right now. I, I, I second that.
Oscar's a Hall of Famer in her own right, and she made Jade
look like 1,000,000 bucks in that ring, which was really
(17:10):
cool. Good piece of business there.
What do you? That's what it's all about.
That's what it's all about. But.
That's what it's all about. On the King and the Queen of the
Ring though. Well, you know, going back to
Jane, you know, Jade got a lot of slack because she was saying
she can't wrestle, she's horrible.
She was, she need to go back to the school and this and that.
(17:32):
Well, she proved herself a king of the ring.
Not only that, but hanging out without hanging on with Oscar,
you know, and that's huge. You know, Oscar can only do so
much in terms of if a person really doesn't know how to do it
or can really, you know, hold their own.
And she held her own and it was enough that Oscar guided her and
helped her through everything. So my hat goes off to Jade.
(17:52):
I'm, I'm really happy about that.
I'd love to see people who proveother people wrong.
And she's doing that. So my hat goes off to you, Jade,
you ever hear this? My hat goes off to you because
again, you're proving those doubters that they only, their
opinion doesn't exist and it doesn't matter and you go ahead
and do your thing and keep doingit.
(18:13):
Keep your head up. That's the most important thing.
Don't let this negativity get you.
And I know and I and I know it'snot because if it was, we would
be seeing a different game. We'd be seeing a different
person. In that way.
You could tell that she's not listening to these haters and
she's going up there and doing what she's got to do.
You have to, you know, everybody's got an opinion.
But again, how you Give your opinion is one way.
(18:36):
But when you want to be rude about it, then F you, man.
As far as Cody and Randy, you know, Yeah.
You know, I, you know, I like the idea we might see a Cena and
and Cody, you know, too, which is good.
(18:56):
And Randy doing the honors. You know, Randy doesn't have to
win anything anymore. Randy has done it all.
He's definitely going to be a Hall of Famer.
He's definitely going to go downas one of the greatest of all
time in WWE. It's amazing the thing that
Randy has accomplished and stillaccomplishing, even if it means
helping a guy like Cody Rhodes, who is over by the way, and his
(19:18):
own right, but getting them evento that next level even more,
you know, helping Cody to get towhere he needs to be.
So my hat goes off to Randy. Excellent, excellent deal with
the WWE and that and that piece of business.
Yeah, I mean, they're, they're on fire.
There's there's no question about it.
They're on fire. And you know, I, I know some
(19:41):
folks out there, they, they tookissue with WWE going over to
Saudi Arabia, especially with the conflicts with Iran and
Israel and the United States being in the middle of all that.
And what have you, let me tell you something, $50 million.
That's how much they profit off of that one event, $50 million.
(20:05):
That's what gets to the, to the put in the bank account.
And I'm not saying that you got to put, you know, profit over
over lives or what have you, butDonald Trump is in the Hall of
Fame. Donald Trump is one of the main
reasons why the WWE still existstoday, and he's the president of
the United States. And regardless of your politics,
(20:25):
I can't imagine that the WWE didn't coordinate with the
president and obviously with theKingdom of Saudi Arabia to make
sure that that situation was as safe as as humanly possible in
terms of getting all the folks over and getting them out
(20:45):
safely, which is exactly what happened.
So, you know, $50 million is a lot of money and that pays.
First of all, you can cover RAW for the whole year with $50
million. In terms of putting on RAW for
the whole year, that's about howmuch it cost, about $1,000,000
per episode. So one show can pay for all you.
(21:11):
It would take an act of God for you not to deliver on on doing
that show. So kudos to WWE, kudos to
everyone involved keeping them safe.
It was a great event. I'm happy for the for the fans
over there, the Kingdom of SaudiArabia, they were on fire.
So, you know, why don't they deserve a, a, a big show and A
(21:32):
and A and a high quality show, especially when that kind of
money is being paid for the Royal Rumble next year is going
to be in Saudi Arabia. I don't know if you knew that
deal. I'm sorry, say that part again.
Please, the Royal Rumble. So not, not the greatest Royal
Rumble or any kind of fancy name.
No, the Royal Rumble 1 of the big four pay per views of the
(21:53):
year. A lot of people will say other
than WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble is, you know, the number
2 pay-per-view or PLE of the year.
It's going to be in Saudi Arabiain 2026.
Well, I will not be there unlessthen he asks me to go.
So yeah, that will not happen for me.
(22:15):
You know, because usually you dofat well, usually you do fan
fest and all that. I don't see how anybody can go
over there and and put on a Comic Con or anything like that.
I I don't see it happening. Hey.
Stranger things have happened inlife, man.
You never know. You never know, you know.
But that should be exciting. That should be exciting and we
(22:37):
know that from a visual standpoint, it's probably going
to be the the most visually appealing Royal Rumble ever
because they spare no expense with these Saudi Arabia shows,
man, that's they look fantastic.Anyway, 4th of July, you know,
it's the holidays, folks get together, they have their BBQ,
(22:59):
see people you haven't seen in awhile, you know, maybe you'll
watch some sports, whatever. But it's a, it's a time for
people to get together and celebrate their independence,
independence of the of the nation, independence as as free
people in this nation, right? You being a pro wrestler,
(23:21):
someone who has been all over the world and has been on the
road and performed basically every holiday, right?
You this every holiday, at leastone time in your career, you've
had to wrestle, right? Yes, absolutely. 4th of July,
I've done that. Haven't done it in a while but
yes I had to do that. So so let me.
(23:43):
What's that even? Even when I didn't wrestle, when
I was just a producer. That's right, you were still
there, you still had to be thereand you still worked.
So. So here's an interesting one for
you when it comes to 4th of Julyin particular, because you know,
it's a big BBQ holiday, right? Outdoors, fire up the grill,
(24:05):
yadda yadda yadda. What is it like for AWWE
Superstar on the 4th of July, especially if you have to
perform that day. So how do you get your fix?
How do you how do you get your your gathering?
How do you get your your barbecue and all that good
stuff? Is it anything like what it is
(24:26):
at home? Walk me through that bro.
Well. To me, I mean, it's another
holiday just to eat. That's all the 4th of July is.
No macaroni and not macaroni andcheese, potato salad, you know,
macaroni salad, hot dogs, hamburgers.
I mean, that's just the way it is.
I don't look at the 4th of July being a major holiday other than
(24:50):
celebrating the birthday of the United States.
But when you think about it and,and really understand what I'm
trying to say, people only look at the 4th of July as a day of
having off and a day of drinkingand eating.
So, you know, for me to go to work on those days, I'm OK with
(25:11):
that because it allows me to tryto still keep my diet.
So, you know, I, I basically don't mind not being home on the
4th of July. If I have to work, I, I just go
out there and I just, I just work.
I just do it. But I've always been like that.
(25:34):
So in in in terms of after the match or what have you, do you
do you guys as wrestlers, do youget together and do a BBQ as a
company cater BBQ or you just hit the road, get to the next
town and you go sit down somewhere.
Well, if you're at a live event,then you know if, if I if
(25:58):
there's a live event, no, there's no catering.
There's no nothing like that. You find a restaurant, you go
and eat. That's really it.
Wow. Wow.
Yeah, that's really it. I figured that you would have
some big BBQ store or something like that, so you guys never
really did that. No, we really didn't.
(26:22):
No, I mean catering if it's if it falls on a Monday or whenever
Smackdown is on a Tuesday. Back in the day with me was a
Friday because it was live basically.
They would make it at catering, but other than that it was
nothing really special. Special.
They try to make it, you know, make it seem like, you know,
(26:42):
you're working. At that point for WWE, you're
just working. It really doesn't matter.
That's deep. So let me let me close it a
different way for you. Throughout the history of your
career, what was the the most, what was the most holiday
(27:03):
gathering that you experienced with wrestlers?
So meaning you, you got togetherin fellowships.
Obviously you eat, you drink, you laugh and all that stuff.
But in terms of a gathering where you're all together
hanging out, no different than you would do with your own
family, what have you. Can you think of a time where it
(27:26):
kind of felt like that? Tell me about that time.
When it felt like what? It felt like you were at a
holiday event with your family. Well, again, sometimes WWE would
make it interesting, you know, 4th of July.
But I think leading up to things, I think holidays like
(27:47):
Thanksgiving is where I felt that because they would go all
out on Thanksgiving catering, you know, on the last day, you
know, before we'd have the vacation for, for Thanksgiving
or even Christmas. Christmas was special too, you
know, so they really made you feel like you were celebrating
(28:09):
the holidays before the holidayscame, a couple of days prior to
the November Thanksgiving or December Christmas.
Wow. So, so really it's, it's later
in the years when you get that, that family feels.
(28:29):
So 4th of July is just another day basically.
I would say it is and I don't think anybody would disagree
with me that has been in the WWEand has experienced it.
Got it, got it. Was there any holiday in
particular that you actually look forward to performing?
(28:52):
Was was there one where the crowd was a certain way or
because of where you were or what have you?
It's like, yeah, yeah, I want tobe out in the ring in this day.
I'm probably going to say you said being in the ring on that
day, so I would say maybe the 1st.
(29:18):
OK, New Year's. January 1st, New Years.
Yeah, because there were times we were in the ring in New
Year's and you know, you know, it's the new Day, you know, New
Year and all and all of that. I think it only happened once or
twice. I think that happened.
That didn't happen too many times.
(29:41):
So, so New Year's is the day that, you know, at all the
different holidays or special days of the year, that was a
good time to to perform. That's wild.
I mean, and I look at it and I'ma, some people may not agree
with me on that, but I look at it, it's a new beginning, new
storylines, new everything. So you're getting yourself
(30:02):
together. Not to mention you're also
getting ready for WrestleMania. You know, you're hoping to make
that, hoping to make that card, hoping to be on the Royal Rumble
to get you on the end. And of course, the paper views
leading up to WrestleMania. That's what I always felt.
The road to WrestleMania definitely starts right in the
beginning of the year. Good call, good call.
(30:25):
You know, it it. You just made me think of
something too, being the son of bishops, you know, you're a
preacher's kid, heavily in the church and all that stuff.
Still to this day that you just did a, a a, a a talk at A at a
church recently, right? Yes, I just did a talking at a
church and it was great to some kids.
(30:47):
And my second year doing it, I used to do it a lot, but WWE was
called the Get Real program and we went to inner City Schools
and talked to kids and keep going to stay off the drugs and,
you know, stay out of trouble, go to school, get your
education, things like that. And I always wanted to continue
to do that a long time. I remember coming back to WWEI
(31:10):
had asked them to restart the program.
Let me hand it. I always got the yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, we'll do that. You know, we're thinking about
that. And I never got the phone call.
So yeah, that's crazy. Yeah.
I never had the phone call. Yeah.
And I, I love doing it. I love doing it.
(31:31):
And they never wanted to relaunch it.
And it wasn't going to take that.
It wasn't going to be that hard to relaunch it.
But I guess in their eyes, they thought it of.
They thought it of being too much.
Did you ever run into situationswhere people who did not
understand pro wrestling, let's say, or, or maybe they're just
not fans, did you ever run into situations where church folks
(31:53):
would, would, would look down onyou or give you a hard time for
being a wrestler? Well, yeah, you run into it.
I didn't run into it as often. But you did run into it.
Absolutely you did. And it was, you know, and, and
even the people that act like they don't care about what we
do, they don't care, but still, you don't have to be rude about
(32:14):
it. And they and the people that
were, you know, but I, I said this to them, you know, I ain't
scared of them. And that was a lot of times that
would happen. I'd be like, OK, OK, you're an
idiot. I just walk away from you so.
So when all that stuff was goingon with the, the, the, the
(32:38):
Parents Television Council and all that, which, you know, I
identified themselves as a quote, UN quote, Christian
organization and all that. Did you, did you get any, any
flak from them during the Attitude Era?
No, I didn't. I surprisingly I didn't.
I don't think a lot of us did. I think more Vince and the
office got it more than us because I think a lot of people
(32:59):
knew that we would just, you know, work, doing our job, being
told what to do. But still, you know, some people
did think that we should have, you know, stepped up and said no
to certain things. But it was kind of like, OK, you
know, we're getting paid the money.
We're getting paid. So no, I'm not going to say no.
(33:21):
And and I'm going to do what I'msupposed to do.
We're not hurting anybody. You listen.
You be a role model to your children, watch and monitor what
they want and if you don't, that's your fault.
If you don't watch, if you don'twant them watching WWE Attitude
Era, then make sure you're thereto stop it from happening.
(33:42):
You make no, you can't police your children 24/7, but guess
what? You tend to be a part of that
live in some way, shape or form.You know, and it's not my fault
if your child goes to school andsays suck it the garage.
You should have said you should have been watching what they
were watching instead of being in the room on the phone with,
(34:03):
you know, your cousin or your best friend talking about you
know what Jennifer or you know, whatever idiot that lives near
you is doing or what or what youdon't want to talk crap about
this on that one. You should have been paying
attention to your kids. It's not my fault.
It's not my fault if you watch, if your kid watch me jump off
the top rope and for me to do the what's up and it's some
(34:26):
girls crotch and I stayed there.That's not my fault.
We warn you before you watch theshow, parental guy who
suggested, hey, we don't need that warning.
That's your fault. Man, do do you remember when
they used to have the little device that you could connect to
your television in order to block certain channels?
(34:47):
It was, it was, it was a child lock.
Now, you know, later on, TV's were equipped with a child lock
feature, or you could just pressit into control and you could do
that. But I'm pretty sure that WWE had
a lot to do with why those things existed.
Well, I'm sure, I'm pretty sure.And you know, it's sad because
(35:12):
we weren't the only ones out there doing stuff.
No, come on, man. Jerry Springer and all kind of
stuff was going on. Geraldo before that, it was all
kind of, you know, married with children.
Listen, I remember I remember when the when The Simpsons, that
animated cartoon that everyone loves now, classic cartoon.
(35:32):
Everyone knows The Simpsons. I remember when The Simpsons
first debuted on Fox and Fox 25 or or Fox was still a brand new
station for the most part. But Bart Simpson said eat my
shorts and my mother heard that and she damn near snatched me
(35:52):
up. She what are you watching?
What did he just say? What?
Eat my shorts? And they say she's a police
officer, right? She's mad.
She wanted to tear me up for even having the audacity to
watch something like that, right.
So and it binds you. After that, all the T-shirts
were coming out and that was thehip thing.
Everybody was wearing the Bart Simpson T-shirts where he's
(36:15):
saying eat my shorts and, and, and dressing up like he's some
kind of gangster or whatever. But she wanted to tear me up
because this this cartoon was talking like that and it just
makes me shake my head. I just talked to my mom about
that recently. She was laughing.
She was like, Lord, if I would have known where where TV was
(36:35):
going to go from there. Eat my shorts.
Those South so bad and he bought.
Exactly. Exactly.
You know, but but Can you imagine?
Eat my Shorts was a big deal, bro.
That was a big deal back then, you know.
Well, you also got to remember too the 40s and the 50s and the
(36:58):
60s values were still going on. Remember once on T on TV?
Lucy of all her show, I believe the Brady Bunch, they all slept
in separate beds. Even as married couples.
You could not, you could not portray that on TV as them
(37:18):
sleeping in the same beds. And I didn't realize that until
somebody pointed that out to me years ago.
And I was like, oh man, that's right.
You didn't see an episode back then.
But even though they were married, they stayed in the same
bed. So crazy man.
It's so crazy how different because I I mean I was made-up.
(37:38):
That wasn't real life man. Who the hell buying 2 beds?
You know what I mean exactly that's.
Silly, but that's what they wanted to project on television.
So again, when we get into the Attitude Era 10 years later, 15
years later and you suck it and all this stuff and then even the
stuff with the Dudley Boy, you guys are giving people the
(37:58):
middle finger and carrying on and cutting those crazy promos,
Lord. Hold on, just for the record,
Just for the record, in case anybody wants to sue me, it was
all Bubba. That's it.
More than me. That's it.
You, you were the 1. You were the 1 next to him
saying yeah. Yeah, I was like, testify.
(38:19):
There you go. Tell him brother.
Tell him bro, yeah. It's not a crime for me to agree
with somebody. Well, you were just encouraging
your brother, that's all. You were you.
Know that was it. That's it.
Just encouraging your brother, you know?
All right, before we wrap up, man, let's let's do something
even more fun here when it comesto holidays, especially
(38:43):
cookouts, you know, black folk, you know, we like to cut up and
music is always a integral part of that.
So let's make our own playlist. Yvonne, let's let's do a couple
of songs here when it comes to the the Devon and the Duke BBQ.
(39:03):
I'll, I'll start off, I'll give you 1 to start off.
That has to be on the playlist before I let go by Frankie
Beverly and Maze. That's got to be on the
playlist. That's got to be plain,
especially right when the food is about ready to be served.
I got to have that blaring out of the speakers, brother.
(39:24):
Yeah, I would say that's definitely one.
Absolutely any, any, you know, if any black party or gathering
or get together, that song is always coming on and everybody
knows the lyrics to it. Everybody knows the lyrics.
That's right, Young. Or old that's.
The same you. Know another one?
Exactly. Another one is.
(39:44):
Ain't no stopping. Ain't no stopping.
Oh yeah, Ain't no stopping us now.
Yeah, Yeah. We want to move, yes.
That's always one that that blares into my family's radio.
I love. And of course, you got to have
some, you know, Teddy Pendergrass when they start,
(40:06):
when everybody starts, you know,sitting down and eating and or
just relaxing and you know, TKO yes, loves.
TKO. That's like another love TKO.
Yes, yes, come on. Well, if you go in there, then
you know, you got to, you got togo, you got to go with.
Hold on, hold on. You got to go.
Marvin Gaye, what's going on? What's going on?
(40:27):
Got to do what's going on? What's going?
On was a huge message back in the 70s, especially with the
Vietnam War. Oh yeah.
What's coming on? And, you know, even though it
was very political, you know what's going on, still, it was a
song that was played all the time.
That whole album was politicallymotivated by the Vietnam War and
(40:52):
what was going on during that time.
Some people being drafted, but yet it was very, very
instrumental in black culture. Yeah, well said.
Well said. Of course, I'm going to hit you
with one that you're probably going to say.
You should have said this one, obviously the Electric slide.
(41:15):
Man, listen, when the Murtishi started dancing in the ring, I
said, man, that's Electric Slide.
What? What do you say to that?
What do you say to that? He's like, look man, he was
like, the white people don't know this.
They just things the dance I created.
It's true. And now that I think about it,
that's all he's doing. That's all he's doing.
(41:38):
That's all it was, Electric Slide.
How about one more? Give us one more, man.
Oh man, I'm going to have to go a little earlier than the songs.
I was saying I'm going to have to go.
Want to Luther Vandross? OK.
Never. Never too much, never too much.
(41:59):
That's it. Never too much that's.
It never too much. I love it.
Did you did you watch that documentary?
That never too much documentary.No, I didn't.
I didn't know it was out. Oh, man, yeah.
Let me let me find the channel that it's on now so you can
watch it. It is incredible.
They talk about Luther's whole career and they talk to his real
(42:22):
friends, the people who were really there, bro.
It is incredible to hear them talk about Luther.
Incredible. You know, love.
Luther. I didn't appreciate Luther until
as he got older and he stopped really performing because I
really wasn't an R&B guy. But I didn't really appreciate
his music until his later years.And then of course, when he, you
(42:44):
know, he passed away, excuse me,I really did appreciate his
music because he was gone. It was that old theory.
You don't realize what you got until it's gone.
But once Luke to left, it seemedto me like a lot of R&B singers
just drifted off. Yep, Yep, it's true.
It's true. It's never been the same.
It's never been. Listen.
(43:05):
Luther, you know, Freddie Jackson, Anita Baker, I mean,
the list goes on and on with the80s and 90s R&D singers.
Listen, today's R&D singers and I hope people don't get
offended, but you know, it's, you know, you're not, you're not
telling me a story really. It's all about breaking broken
(43:27):
hearts and you know what this one did to you and what that and
how you going to bounce back andso forth and so on.
I'm like, dude, I don't want to heal that.
I don't want to be depressed when I'm listening to R and BI
want to be happy. I want to be able to take my
girl or my significant other going to bedroom.
So let's Make Love like Eddie Murphy.
You want you want somebody to grab me back and then go fuck
(43:47):
you get on the meal or you want somebody to go just make it to
me. Either one.
I want that. I don't want to be talking.
I don't want to be all depressed.
Well, I'm listening to music andthat's what it seems to me, the
state of music you're in right now, especially R&B, it's like
you're all depressed because youknow somebody broke your heart
or you or you broke up in a relationship and you're going to
teach them and show them that they're going to regret you.
(44:09):
Come on, man. Whatever happened to real R&D?
Well, think, even when we talk about the 90s, we had a time
period where, like you said, youyou still have Freddie Jackson,
Luther Vandross and Nita Baker. They were still making hits,
doing their thing, what have you?
But you had that new school thatcame in too, right?
(44:30):
So you had H Town knocking the boots.
Please. You, you.
You had a guy. That song Let's chill.
I still listen to that song all the damn time.
You know that song Let's chill. Oh my God.
That's all Aaron Hall I miss. You.
I miss you. Yeah.
Later on which? Got my mistake I was.
About his wife who passed away, right?
(44:52):
That, that bothered me every time I heard that song, you
know, I got 7 kids and every time, you know, I would have a
kid, you know, right after that song came, I mean, of course,
the twins and my other son Matthew.
And it wasn't, they were born already.
But when that song was made where if you watch the video, it
was like every time I saw the video, I, I, I tear it up.
(45:13):
Because. You know, they showed you how
they were planning the baby, planning the room and
everything. And all of a sudden something
happened. They rushed her to the hospital
and she died on the table givingbirth.
And of course the baby survived,but the wife didn't.
And that always scared me, man, that really did every time.
My last four kids, you know, it all it, it just scared me when
(45:34):
it was time to give birth because, you know, I didn't want
to lose anybody in the process of it.
And every time it was like, I don't know what it was.
It had to be something where every time I would, you know,
the baby was about to be born, Iwould see that video.
It would like pop up on TV and Iwas like, wow, is that a sign?
Is that something for me to be, you know, getting ready to be
used to? So it would scare me.
(45:56):
Wow. Well, thank God it didn't
happen. Geez.
Yeah, thank God. That's, that's deep.
That's deep. It's it's funny because when we,
when we think about that period of music and that style of
music, obviously Teddy Riley, being the Super producer and
writer that he is, he follows upwith with Black Street, right.
(46:20):
And you think of some of the songs that they did, No Diggity
and all that stuff. Oh man.
I mean, just still, we're still getting quality R&B at that
period. I don't know what year it
happened, but it's almost like somebody flipped a switch and it
suddenly was all crap, you know?Yeah, I don't know what.
(46:42):
Happened. I don't.
I don't get it. I don't.
I don't like it. I'm not a big fan of it.
I don't want to say I don't likeit.
I'm not a big fan. Listen, you people, you guys go
out there and make your money and do what you do best.
No, but I don't have to. Like it.
Yeah, yeah. Maxwell, DeAngelo, remember that
time period where those guys were on top doing that thing and
(47:02):
it and this still, that was cool.
That was, that was cool music. Me old soul.
So you had, you had Jill Scott and Erykah Badu doing that thing
and all of that. It was still cool.
That's like early 2000s and thenby the time I'd say before we
hit 2010, something happened andwe have never turned a corner
(47:23):
since. Yeah.
So that's tough. Which is which is the funny
part. The old stuff still still is
relevant as a result because. Absolutely.
You know. Absolutely.
That's what that's. Got to love that.
Yeah, got to love it. Got to love it.
Anyway, Devon, what's the best way that everyone can keep up
(47:43):
with you, especially the YouTubeand all that good stuff there
man, Plug away. Absolutely.
Well my YouTube channel which isdoing extremely well.
I would tell you how what numbers I'm at but I can't
because my daughter loves to play with my phone and then logs
me out of everything. So I'm waiting for my producers
and stuff to get me logged back in.
(48:04):
But yeah, check out my no, not now.
I'm not saying that the YouTube is locked off of the fan, but
just me seeing all the numbers. It's called YouTube Studio.
So all of that is locked down until I get back in.
But we still making videos, still got one that just came
out. I was rating the the greatest
finishes and and the the finishes and the submissions,
(48:26):
things like that. Check it out on Devon W YouTube
channel. Please subscribe and like with
the comments and please be respectful.
If you don't like something or whatever, just be respectful.
That's all I asked. You can also catch me on
Instagram at testified Devon. I look at that as well.
The DMS, all of that. You know, I, I enjoy putting the
(48:50):
content up. I enjoy putting a lot of stuff
up on Michael Jordan. You know, when it comes to the
controversy of who's the greatest, somebody should know
if they know me, it's MJ. And I hated MJ growing up and he
would always beat the Knicks. He was preventing the Knicks
from making it to the to the championship.
So I wasn't always a Michael Jordan fan just for that simple
fact. But when you start debating on
(49:11):
who's the greatest and who's thebest when it comes to Michael
Jordan or LeBron James not denouncing at all that Michael
that LeBron James is not a greatbasketball player.
He is, but he's also, he's also not the greatest.
He's not the GOAT. You know, my, my top, my Mount
Rushmore would have to be Michael Jordan #1 Magic Johnson,
(49:38):
Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Deep. Deep.
You know, I'm a little, I'm a little offended you didn't put
Bill Russell on there. I'm a little offended by that.
11 championships. You got no love for 11
championships, Steve on. Again, this is something to
where you have to, I mean, magicbeing, you know, I know why
(50:02):
you're talking now. It just hit me while you talk
about Bill Russell. It would take somebody from
Boston to say that, but Magic Johnson being that, what was he
number 2.1 of the greatest ever to play the sport of basketball.
And of course Michael Jordan being the GOAT, you know, Kareem
(50:24):
Abdul Jabbar being the greatest,you know, in my opinion.
And a lot of people's been in the greatest centre and sports
leader sports. I mean, not sports NBA shooter
of all time. I mean it's it's Kareem.
So you got to put them all together and Kobe, my God, the
Black Mamba. I mean, you know, anybody that
(50:47):
is a sling image of Jordan has to be #2 in my book.
God rest your soul, Kobe. You know, I was glad to be able
to see you live at Madison Square Garden against the
Knicks. I was, I saw you live here in
Orlando, FL against Orlando Heatand the Orlando Magic.
I was able to see him and he wastruly a special talent.
(51:11):
Yeah, yeah, I'm still a little upset about this, about this
omission of Bill Russell and omission of Larry Bird.
You know, magic couldn't be magic without Bird.
All right, everyone, every year.All right.
I'm just going to. Say yeah, listen, man, listen.
You just upset, you know, I mean, come on.
(51:34):
You, you didn't even put a nickel on your, on your team.
Like how dare you? And you call yourself a New
Yorker. You didn't even put a nickel on
your on your Mount Rushmore. No, I mean, mine would have been
Patrick Ewing. Yeah, of course, of course.
I mean, I love Patrick. I got upset with the Knicks when
they traded Patrick Ewing to theSuperSonics in 2001.
Yep. And I refused to watch
(51:55):
basketball. I refused to cheer for the
Knicks. I had been in limbo up until
this past year. That was a hell.
I left the Knicks this. Year it was I.
I left the Knicks. I went to the Lakers when Toby
was there. When Toby retired, I really felt
lost because I didn't know who to go for then.
And then when this run started with the Knicks this past
(52:18):
basketball season, I was back tobeing a Knicks fan.
Hell of a run, you know that? Yes, it was that Karl Anthony
Towns. He's a big dude.
He runs. Very awkward.
His shot is awkward, but damn it, he gets the job done, huh?
Yes, he does. I mean, a hell of a talent and
somebody that you definitely gotto look for in the years to
(52:40):
come. And you know, let's just see
what happens with the Knicks this year.
I hope I see a championship before I die.
Guys I'm I'll be 53 this year soplease give me something.
Well, just so you know, the the,the East is wide open because
the Celtics are restructuring. They just got rid of Drew
Holiday. They got rid of Portsigas.
OK, but Remember, Remember, theycan they can restructure all
(53:03):
they want, but once they leave the East and go to the West to
fight in the final, that's what you got to win at the head in
the head championship. So they can make it to the they
can make it to the finals. They got to go through the East,
but winning it. That's the thing.
Yeah, yeah. I don't know.
I don't know how much. I don't know how much wind was
taking out of the Knicks after that.
(53:24):
I mean because it was a great run.
And, and I think America was really cheering.
Listen, the, the, the Pacers, they earned it, all right?
They fought hard. They earned it.
I'm not taking anything away from them.
They were great team. I, I was disappointed that they
lost in the Finals. Halliburton going down really
messed everything up, so to speak.
(53:45):
That kid is, is far more valuable than I think people
realized. But I can't say that people were
rooting for the Pacers over the Knicks.
They wanted the Knicks to go to the Finals, man.
Absolutely. You know, they wanted New York
to finally get it. So that's that's interesting.
That's listen now enough of the controversy, OK, Because now you
(54:06):
didn't got me all stirred up Anyway, let let's plug the
school because we were talking about all your great students
and the great job they're doing.How can folks get get in contact
to join the school? Absolutely.
So what you would want to do is install DDA Devon Dudley
Academy. You can go on the website and
look for the information as well.
(54:27):
We're at 2720 Forsyth Rd. building C Unit 318, Winter
Park, FL 32792. You can also call us at area
code 407-790-7800. Again, 4/07, 790-7800.
(54:53):
You want to take your professional wrestling career to
the next level or you just want to start your career, then give
us a call. We're going to try to make that
happen for you and make sure yoube able to testify.
And also we might have to teach you how to get the tables.
Listen, your son's trying to steal that man.
You got to trademark that. Make sure they don't steal that
from you know. As long as I get the residual
(55:14):
from it. Let me tell you something I told
the twins, I got a two page letter that starts from the top
of the house where I live to thebottom of the floor rolled out
into the driveway. Of all the money you guys owe me
from all the broken toys and allthe stuff I had to buy double
for. And now that you guys are doing
well and, and the business within the business and
(55:36):
everything, it's time to pay up,pay up.
Hey up, come on now, pay up. I love it.
I love it folks. As always, Duke loves wrestling.
On Facebook, on twitter.dukeloveswrestling@gmail.com.
Let me know what you think of the show.
Any questions for the big man, what have you?
You see how we're going down memory lane talking about music,
(55:56):
food, holidays, the whole 9 yards there.
It's it's a great time. So it's Speaking of a great
time. It is that time of the week, big
man. Take us out with the word of the
week. And some people will only love
you as much as they can use you.Their loyalty ends when the
benefits stops. Oh my brother, testify strictly
(56:17):
for the common job. Every day.
Stepping down in your unique wayends in colors.
So divine all about the perfect life.
(56:39):
Be yourself, let your spirit lie.
In this fashion you'll touch thesky strictly for the culture.
Rest so fine. Dress to impress and show your
(57:01):
shine strictly for the culture every day.
Visit www.strictlyforthaculture.ca.
(57:33):
Backstage whispers and the crowds roar from matching giants
to legends of your Divan's wisdom and Duke's keen view.
Every episode feels like it's brand new.
Diva and Duke bring the heat. Wrestling tails knock you off
your seat. TuneIn now don't you be late.
(57:57):
Wrestling podcast never felt this great.
Feeling and the tunes bring the heat.
Wrestling tails knock you off your seat.
TuneIn. Now don't you be late.
Wrestling punk has never felt this Great tails, ladders,
chairs, they tell it all. From the highest highs to the
lowest fall. Great lower tails from the ring.
(00:27):
Every chain, every cheer they'llbring, bring the heat.
Wrestling tails knock you off your seat.
TuneIn. Now don't you be late.
Wrestling podcast never felt this crazy.
(00:48):
Brothers and sisters, welcome back.
Welcome back and happy Independence Day.
Happy 4th of July. It is the Devon and the Duke
Podcast, a limited edition series hosted by your main man.
Duke loves wrestling and of course the man himself, five
(01:09):
time Hall of Famer. He is a YouTube star.
He is the man in high demand outthere at all the signings and
conventions, what have you, The one, the only Mr. Devon Dudley.
What's going on there, bro? Hey.
How you doing? How's everything going?
Listen. And this, this heat that we've
been receiving in Boston, I'm going to tell you right now,
(01:31):
man, I don't like it. We hit officially, it said that
we hit 103° last week. But that was at Logan Airport,
which is by the water. I'm inland.
We hit 113° inland. So I'm just telling you right
now, Devon, I don't know how youdo it down in Florida, brother,
(01:51):
but you, you need to take this, this hot weather away.
No, y'all need it, man, because winter killed y'all.
That's why I left up north. I couldn't take that, couldn't
take that weather during that time.
What's, what's, what's the moviewas it?
It was Beverly Hills Cop Eddie Murphy is sitting there acting
like he's drunk because the guysare trying to rob the the strip
(02:13):
club. And he goes, Phillip, Phillip,
what's all this gun and everything?
Philip, you changed man. You changed.
I told you to sit down. Get back for me, man.
So. So I'm going to tell you, Mr.
Mr. New York, you changed Yvonne.
You changed, you know, Listen. I was AI was a kid in elementary
(02:36):
school and said if I haven't gotrich and had some money, I was
moving to the warmest climate there would be without having to
be that far, without that havingto be so far away from home in
New York. And you know, I don't want my
people in New York to think that, you know, I don't love
them. I do.
I love New York, but I couldn't I couldn't go back and live.
(02:59):
I really couldn't have. I'm so used to the slow pace.
I'm so used to the people that, you know, basically a warm and
genuine and don't get mad at every little thing.
And I hate to say that, but us New Yorkers, we are like that.
Whether we want to admit it or not, we are.
And sometimes it can take a toll.
(03:21):
You know, we, you know, when I first started wrestling, started
to travel, I wasn't high strung,but I was kind of like, you
know, things got to be done. You know, it's got to be done.
Now it's, you know, it's this and that, blah, blah.
That's the way New Yorkers are. We've always been like that.
Yeah, that's the truth. You walk with purpose.
(03:42):
So wait a second. You mean to tell me all these
years you don't live down there in Florida?
No one's flipping you off and and and yelling obscenities at
you randomly. Not as much as they were in New
York. I had this.
I had this Asian lady, little Asian lady driving and I didn't
(04:04):
even do anything. I didn't move and nothing.
In other words, I wasn't in her lane or anything, but she felt
the need because I wasn't going fast enough to get close to me,
put up the middle finger and still going and then turn into a
parking lot and I was turning into that direction.
I was like, now what would have happened if I had turned into
that parking lot and got out thecar?
(04:25):
She'd been calling 911 and everything.
But you act all big and bad in your car, which we all know.
But then when sometimes you stepout and the whole accountable,
you don't want to do it then. Listen, as you're saying that,
I'm thinking about that, that little video online where where
a guy runs up on a guy and says give me all your money.
(04:46):
And and the older guy says he starts holding his chest.
He's like, wait, call the police, call the police, but not
for me, for you. And then he pulls out a gun.
It's like, listen, you better leave that little Asian lady
alone, man. She might slice and dice your
ass. You mess around.
Now, Oh yeah, I've seen that. Yeah.
Well, like, I like it. I like it when this black
(05:09):
comedian, he starts talking in this Latino voice and he goes,
you know, Poppy don't play, you know, he don't play.
He don't care. You know, like Poppy, you know,
God, you try to hold up Poppy inthe street.
God goes, give me all your money.
He goes, I can't do that man. And it's like, you know, I I
give you a dollar or two, but I can't give you all my money.
I'm sorry, Poppy. He.
(05:29):
Said no, no. No, no, Poppy can't do that.
He said he he was chasing him down the street, told he said
I'd give you $1.00. That's it.
That's. It, that's it.
I can't do it no more Poppy. He's like Poppy, I'm going to
shoot you nose, alright? You got to do what you got to
do, but I'm not giving you my money.
I think that Duesday was Rasheed.
(05:49):
Rest in peace, Rasheed. He.
He. Passed away.
He passed away years ago. Yeah yeah, oh man.
But that clip still got that oneand the Jamaican 1.
He he does a good Jamaican accent too.
Yeah. That dude's funny as hell, man.
You know, I love it. I love it when you and I start
talking about this stuff becausethat that's good stuff.
That's good stuff there. You know, listen, man, I'm going
(06:12):
to congratulate you. You know, we were talking about
River City Wrestling Con and, and all of the great young folks
who come from the Devon Dudley tree been trained by you and how
well they did at the convention,what have you.
And then here I am watching Night of Champions and realize,
damn, we talk about all these Samoans who had taken over the
(06:36):
WWE and you don't train damn near all of them.
All of the Samoans except for Solace, Accord, he's not mine.
I think he's Rikishis and Bookerand Jacob.
But everybody else, even a new kid that came out, they're all
and I'm not going to take the credit for myself.
Myself and Bubba, we trained allof those guys.
(06:57):
So so the newest addition of thenew bloodline is Tala Tonga, who
was formerly known as Hikaleo out there in New Japan Pro
Wrestling. So Tala Tonga, who's a big dude?
How tall is that dude? Would you say he's?
About 6768. Wow, wow, and he got a big head
(07:20):
of hair too, huh? Oh yeah, just like his father.
Just like his father. Yep, Yep, Yep.
That's it. Listen, I would not want to play
with that dude. I looked at his hand.
He took his big hand that looks like a catcher's Mitt and put it
around Jacob's throat and pickedhim up and choke slammed him on
the table. I said damn, hey, Jacob ain't no
(07:42):
small dude. No, but you know, and he's one
of the nicest guys. You'll mean very gentle, very
soft spoken. And I'll be honest with you,
when you know, he gave me the school, I was like, if this kid
doesn't change and become the monster that he is, he's not
going to make it. Because he was just so soft
spoken. He was just so gentle.
(08:04):
I didn't see that. I didn't see a heel thing in his
body, heel bone in his body. And he he was, he's just a nice
kid. He really is down to earth.
You know, you can't help but love him when you meet him.
He's really, he's that type of guy.
Well, I've been doing some research on them.
I know a great friend of the show and someone you actually
(08:25):
appeared on her podcast before Marie Shadows.
She she's very familiar because she covers New Japan.
She knows all that stuff out there.
So she's always been singing thepraises of Hikuleleo, the man
now known as Talatonga, and saying how if he just got a shot
on at the big time, he would crush it.
(08:46):
So, you know, shout out to Marielooks like he's going to get his
shot here because Talatanga definitely made an impression at
Night of champions. So but but again, man,
congratulations to you. This is really cool.
You and Bubba have trained so many people who have gone on to
make a living for themselves. Many of them have been in the
(09:07):
WWETNAAW what what have you here.
It's pretty cool, man. It's pretty cool to know that
and to see the fruits of your labor continue to grow like
that. But from your perspective, how
do you feel about it? I'm just, you know, again, it's
it's shocking in a sense to me too, because I never thought in
(09:30):
a million years I'd have these many guys coming out of school
and representing Team 3D and DDA.
It's a great feeling. Listen, we got guys in AW, we
have guys in WWE now. Well, we've always had them in
WWE. We have guys in NXT, men and
women, and you know, we have guys in what's the TNAI mean?
(09:57):
They're all over. We're producing them.
You know, it's just a testament to what me and Bubba have done
all these years. You know, we, we, you know,
Bubba and himself, he strives onno mistakes, you know, and I
know people say, well, you can'tdo that because, you know, no
mistakes is like, you know, everybody makes mistakes.
(10:19):
You have to be able to, you know, make mistakes and bounce
back from it and this and that, you know, Oh no, that's not
fair. You can't teach that bullshit.
You can't look at what we've did.
Look at what we taught, you know, and you can mess up.
Keep doing it over and over and over again.
I love it. Until you get it right.
I love it. That's the way.
(10:40):
That's the only way. Repetition.
That's the only way there, you know, and and I got to call this
out. You know, one of your your top
students of all time, Ref Jess, she, she's been, I don't know
what's going on. She's been doing a push up.
She's been doing a pull ups. She got some muscles on muscles,
man. Is is she gearing up to kick
(11:01):
your ass or something? What's what's going on with her
man? No, not me.
No. Jess has always wanted to
wrestle her. She never really wanted to ref,
but she saw the opportunity to get into the company and said,
OK, that's what's going to happen and that's what I'm going
to accept. And she's killing her.
(11:22):
But Jess has always been trainedlike that.
If you see before and after pictures of Jess, you would be
like, wow, it was amazing how she transformed her body while
she was at our school and everything.
And then she continues to do it.She takes the knowledge of what
she learned from us. And Apache Dan Carr, the creator
(11:44):
of the American Graduators, who is our strength and conditioning
coach, has been with us since 2007.
She basically, you know, takes that on the road with her.
So she has always than someone that has still trained as if
she's wrestling WrestleMania because that's her ultimate
(12:04):
dream. Yes, she's in there.
She's doing what she's doing, but she's always wanted to
wrestle. And, you know, there are times
when she's asked Hunter, you know, do you think there will
ever be a time where I can go inand ring and do something?
And, you know, Hunter said. You know, you never know, Let's
just see how things turn out. But she's, she's going to, you
know, do the referee's role for now until if that opportunity
(12:28):
ever does come up. So, you know, my hat goes off to
her. She's still doing what she's
doing. I love it, I love it and I have
seen the before pictures and we see her now.
It's a totally different person.I was in Baltimore at an indie
show. I was currently with the.
(12:49):
I was currently with TNA at the time.
I walked in there and I met her.She was valeting and I basically
she introduced herself to me, you know, this and that.
And I was like, all right. And I remember her telling me
(13:09):
she wanted to really take her rear to the next level and she
and she was asking about our school.
So I said, OK, I said, well, listen, let's talk after the
show and we can most likely maybe, you know, do you live out
here? And she goes, yes, I said, well,
you have to move to Florida. And she was willing to do that.
(13:32):
She said, I don't care. She's like, I just want to take
my, my ability next level. I said, OK, we talked.
We we went and had after the show we went and had dinner at.
Not that it matters, but it's going to kill me if I don't
remember. What Jimmy not?
Applebee's. No, no, not that it was a, it
(13:53):
was a not a mom and pops. Chili's.
I'm sorry. Chili's.
Yeah, it was Chili's restaurant.I went and eaten Chili's and she
was telling me, you know what she was going through where she
was training the time. I said well, come on down to me.
And she came down and wish I think she was with me for like
5-6 years. And next you know she got the
phone call and the rest is history.
(14:16):
That is awesome. That is awesome.
Shout out to ref Jess. I know we, we've shown her some
love before, but I'm going to keep doing it, man, 'cause she's
dedicated to the craft. She can, she continues to.
First of all, she's going to be in the Hall of Fame as a
referee. There's no question about that.
So let's, let's let's call that out.
But it's clear to me that she's getting herself an extra shape
(14:40):
to at least wrestle a match. And damn, you know what I mean.
She she looks great, man, she looks great.
So I hope it happens. I think it would be, especially
if it's on a big show. That would be amazing.
You know, that would be amazing.I it's it's a it's a reminder to
everybody out there. When I look at people like Jess
(15:00):
and Daphne, who she went by ref Aja first, she wrestled as Aja
Pereira on the on the independent scene.
So she's the first black female ref in WWE history.
When I look at those ladies, andlike you said, they didn't
necessarily want to be referees,they're wrestlers.
(15:22):
But the opportunity was presented and they jumped on it
and they've been in some monumental moments in wrestling
history as referees. So they still got to the big
show, just in a different way, you know what I mean?
And, and, and they're probably both going to be in the Hall of
(15:43):
Fame as a result of that. There's more than one way to
skin a cat when the when the door is closed, coming through
the window, going through the back door, whatever you got to
do, if you really want it, you will not be denied if you're
willing to sacrifice and, and asRic Flair would say, pay the
price of a wrestling lifetime. And certainly those two ladies
(16:03):
are a prime example. They've done that.
They literally had to hang up their boots and put on the
referee gear. But damn it, they're in the big
show, You know, can't beat that.Can't beat that with a stick.
Anyways, night of champions out there in Saudi Arabia, the
(16:24):
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, always beautiful.
The crowd was on fire. They never stopped and what have
you, which was so awesome to see.
You had Cody Rhodes, he is the king of the ring.
He defeated Randy Orton. And then you had Jade Cargill
surprising me by defeating Oscar.
(16:47):
And you know, classy move by Jade.
In the end, she, she tweeted outthanking Oscar, said it was a
dream match for her and that shecould not have had a match like
that with anyone but Oscar, which I'm going to tell you
right now. I, I, I second that.
Oscar's a Hall of Famer in her own right, and she made Jade
look like 1,000,000 bucks in that ring, which was really
(17:10):
cool. Good piece of business there.
What do you? That's what it's all about.
That's what it's all about. But.
That's what it's all about. On the King and the Queen of the
Ring though. Well, you know, going back to
Jane, you know, Jade got a lot of slack because she was saying
she can't wrestle, she's horrible.
She was, she need to go back to the school and this and that.
(17:32):
Well, she proved herself a king of the ring.
Not only that, but hanging out without hanging on with Oscar,
you know, and that's huge. You know, Oscar can only do so
much in terms of if a person really doesn't know how to do it
or can really, you know, hold their own.
And she held her own and it was enough that Oscar guided her and
helped her through everything. So my hat goes off to Jade.
(17:52):
I'm, I'm really happy about that.
I'd love to see people who proveother people wrong.
And she's doing that. So my hat goes off to you, Jade,
you ever hear this? My hat goes off to you because
again, you're proving those doubters that they only, their
opinion doesn't exist and it doesn't matter and you go ahead
and do your thing and keep doingit.
(18:13):
Keep your head up. That's the most important thing.
Don't let this negativity get you.
And I know and I and I know it'snot because if it was, we would
be seeing a different game. We'd be seeing a different
person. In that way.
You could tell that she's not listening to these haters and
she's going up there and doing what she's got to do.
You have to, you know, everybody's got an opinion.
But again, how you Give your opinion is one way.
(18:36):
But when you want to be rude about it, then F you, man.
As far as Cody and Randy, you know, Yeah.
You know, I, you know, I like the idea we might see a Cena and
and Cody, you know, too, which is good.
(18:56):
And Randy doing the honors. You know, Randy doesn't have to
win anything anymore. Randy has done it all.
He's definitely going to be a Hall of Famer.
He's definitely going to go downas one of the greatest of all
time in WWE. It's amazing the thing that
Randy has accomplished and stillaccomplishing, even if it means
helping a guy like Cody Rhodes, who is over by the way, and his
(19:18):
own right, but getting them evento that next level even more,
you know, helping Cody to get towhere he needs to be.
So my hat goes off to Randy. Excellent, excellent deal with
the WWE and that and that piece of business.
Yeah, I mean, they're, they're on fire.
There's there's no question about it.
They're on fire. And you know, I, I know some
(19:41):
folks out there, they, they tookissue with WWE going over to
Saudi Arabia, especially with the conflicts with Iran and
Israel and the United States being in the middle of all that.
And what have you, let me tell you something, $50 million.
That's how much they profit off of that one event, $50 million.
(20:05):
That's what gets to the, to the put in the bank account.
And I'm not saying that you got to put, you know, profit over
over lives or what have you, butDonald Trump is in the Hall of
Fame. Donald Trump is one of the main
reasons why the WWE still existstoday, and he's the president of
the United States. And regardless of your politics,
(20:25):
I can't imagine that the WWE didn't coordinate with the
president and obviously with theKingdom of Saudi Arabia to make
sure that that situation was as safe as as humanly possible in
terms of getting all the folks over and getting them out
(20:45):
safely, which is exactly what happened.
So, you know, $50 million is a lot of money and that pays.
First of all, you can cover RAW for the whole year with $50
million. In terms of putting on RAW for
the whole year, that's about howmuch it cost, about $1,000,000
per episode. So one show can pay for all you.
(21:11):
It would take an act of God for you not to deliver on on doing
that show. So kudos to WWE, kudos to
everyone involved keeping them safe.
It was a great event. I'm happy for the for the fans
over there, the Kingdom of SaudiArabia, they were on fire.
So, you know, why don't they deserve a, a, a big show and A
(21:32):
and A and a high quality show, especially when that kind of
money is being paid for the Royal Rumble next year is going
to be in Saudi Arabia. I don't know if you knew that
deal. I'm sorry, say that part again.
Please, the Royal Rumble. So not, not the greatest Royal
Rumble or any kind of fancy name.
No, the Royal Rumble 1 of the big four pay per views of the
(21:53):
year. A lot of people will say other
than WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble is, you know, the number
2 pay-per-view or PLE of the year.
It's going to be in Saudi Arabiain 2026.
Well, I will not be there unlessthen he asks me to go.
So yeah, that will not happen for me.
(22:15):
You know, because usually you dofat well, usually you do fan
fest and all that. I don't see how anybody can go
over there and and put on a Comic Con or anything like that.
I I don't see it happening. Hey.
Stranger things have happened inlife, man.
You never know. You never know, you know.
But that should be exciting. That should be exciting and we
(22:37):
know that from a visual standpoint, it's probably going
to be the the most visually appealing Royal Rumble ever
because they spare no expense with these Saudi Arabia shows,
man, that's they look fantastic.Anyway, 4th of July, you know,
it's the holidays, folks get together, they have their BBQ,
(22:59):
see people you haven't seen in awhile, you know, maybe you'll
watch some sports, whatever. But it's a, it's a time for
people to get together and celebrate their independence,
independence of the of the nation, independence as as free
people in this nation, right? You being a pro wrestler,
(23:21):
someone who has been all over the world and has been on the
road and performed basically every holiday, right?
You this every holiday, at leastone time in your career, you've
had to wrestle, right? Yes, absolutely. 4th of July,
I've done that. Haven't done it in a while but
yes I had to do that. So so let me.
(23:43):
What's that even? Even when I didn't wrestle, when
I was just a producer. That's right, you were still
there, you still had to be thereand you still worked.
So. So here's an interesting one for
you when it comes to 4th of Julyin particular, because you know,
it's a big BBQ holiday, right? Outdoors, fire up the grill,
(24:05):
yadda yadda yadda. What is it like for AWWE
Superstar on the 4th of July, especially if you have to
perform that day. So how do you get your fix?
How do you how do you get your your gathering?
How do you get your your barbecue and all that good
stuff? Is it anything like what it is
(24:26):
at home? Walk me through that bro.
Well. To me, I mean, it's another
holiday just to eat. That's all the 4th of July is.
No macaroni and not macaroni andcheese, potato salad, you know,
macaroni salad, hot dogs, hamburgers.
I mean, that's just the way it is.
I don't look at the 4th of July being a major holiday other than
(24:50):
celebrating the birthday of the United States.
But when you think about it and,and really understand what I'm
trying to say, people only look at the 4th of July as a day of
having off and a day of drinkingand eating.
So, you know, for me to go to work on those days, I'm OK with
(25:11):
that because it allows me to tryto still keep my diet.
So, you know, I, I basically don't mind not being home on the
4th of July. If I have to work, I, I just go
out there and I just, I just work.
I just do it. But I've always been like that.
(25:34):
So in in in terms of after the match or what have you, do you
do you guys as wrestlers, do youget together and do a BBQ as a
company cater BBQ or you just hit the road, get to the next
town and you go sit down somewhere.
Well, if you're at a live event,then you know if, if I if
(25:58):
there's a live event, no, there's no catering.
There's no nothing like that. You find a restaurant, you go
and eat. That's really it.
Wow. Wow.
Yeah, that's really it. I figured that you would have
some big BBQ store or something like that, so you guys never
really did that. No, we really didn't.
(26:22):
No, I mean catering if it's if it falls on a Monday or whenever
Smackdown is on a Tuesday. Back in the day with me was a
Friday because it was live basically.
They would make it at catering, but other than that it was
nothing really special. Special.
They try to make it, you know, make it seem like, you know,
(26:42):
you're working. At that point for WWE, you're
just working. It really doesn't matter.
That's deep. So let me let me close it a
different way for you. Throughout the history of your
career, what was the the most, what was the most holiday
(27:03):
gathering that you experienced with wrestlers?
So meaning you, you got togetherin fellowships.
Obviously you eat, you drink, you laugh and all that stuff.
But in terms of a gathering where you're all together
hanging out, no different than you would do with your own
family, what have you. Can you think of a time where it
(27:26):
kind of felt like that? Tell me about that time.
When it felt like what? It felt like you were at a
holiday event with your family. Well, again, sometimes WWE would
make it interesting, you know, 4th of July.
But I think leading up to things, I think holidays like
(27:47):
Thanksgiving is where I felt that because they would go all
out on Thanksgiving catering, you know, on the last day, you
know, before we'd have the vacation for, for Thanksgiving
or even Christmas. Christmas was special too, you
know, so they really made you feel like you were celebrating
(28:09):
the holidays before the holidayscame, a couple of days prior to
the November Thanksgiving or December Christmas.
Wow. So, so really it's, it's later
in the years when you get that, that family feels.
(28:29):
So 4th of July is just another day basically.
I would say it is and I don't think anybody would disagree
with me that has been in the WWEand has experienced it.
Got it, got it. Was there any holiday in
particular that you actually look forward to performing?
(28:52):
Was was there one where the crowd was a certain way or
because of where you were or what have you?
It's like, yeah, yeah, I want tobe out in the ring in this day.
I'm probably going to say you said being in the ring on that
day, so I would say maybe the 1st.
(29:18):
OK, New Year's. January 1st, New Years.
Yeah, because there were times we were in the ring in New
Year's and you know, you know, it's the new Day, you know, New
Year and all and all of that. I think it only happened once or
twice. I think that happened.
That didn't happen too many times.
(29:41):
So, so New Year's is the day that, you know, at all the
different holidays or special days of the year, that was a
good time to to perform. That's wild.
I mean, and I look at it and I'ma, some people may not agree
with me on that, but I look at it, it's a new beginning, new
storylines, new everything. So you're getting yourself
(30:02):
together. Not to mention you're also
getting ready for WrestleMania. You know, you're hoping to make
that, hoping to make that card, hoping to be on the Royal Rumble
to get you on the end. And of course, the paper views
leading up to WrestleMania. That's what I always felt.
The road to WrestleMania definitely starts right in the
beginning of the year. Good call, good call.
(30:25):
You know, it it. You just made me think of
something too, being the son of bishops, you know, you're a
preacher's kid, heavily in the church and all that stuff.
Still to this day that you just did a, a a, a a talk at A at a
church recently, right? Yes, I just did a talking at a
church and it was great to some kids.
(30:47):
And my second year doing it, I used to do it a lot, but WWE was
called the Get Real program and we went to inner City Schools
and talked to kids and keep going to stay off the drugs and,
you know, stay out of trouble, go to school, get your
education, things like that. And I always wanted to continue
to do that a long time. I remember coming back to WWEI
(31:10):
had asked them to restart the program.
Let me hand it. I always got the yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, we'll do that. You know, we're thinking about
that. And I never got the phone call.
So yeah, that's crazy. Yeah.
I never had the phone call. Yeah.
And I, I love doing it. I love doing it.
(31:31):
And they never wanted to relaunch it.
And it wasn't going to take that.
It wasn't going to be that hard to relaunch it.
But I guess in their eyes, they thought it of.
They thought it of being too much.
Did you ever run into situationswhere people who did not
understand pro wrestling, let's say, or, or maybe they're just
not fans, did you ever run into situations where church folks
(31:53):
would, would, would look down onyou or give you a hard time for
being a wrestler? Well, yeah, you run into it.
I didn't run into it as often. But you did run into it.
Absolutely you did. And it was, you know, and, and
even the people that act like they don't care about what we
do, they don't care, but still, you don't have to be rude about
(32:14):
it. And they and the people that
were, you know, but I, I said this to them, you know, I ain't
scared of them. And that was a lot of times that
would happen. I'd be like, OK, OK, you're an
idiot. I just walk away from you so.
So when all that stuff was goingon with the, the, the, the
(32:38):
Parents Television Council and all that, which, you know, I
identified themselves as a quote, UN quote, Christian
organization and all that. Did you, did you get any, any
flak from them during the Attitude Era?
No, I didn't. I surprisingly I didn't.
I don't think a lot of us did. I think more Vince and the
office got it more than us because I think a lot of people
(32:59):
knew that we would just, you know, work, doing our job, being
told what to do. But still, you know, some people
did think that we should have, you know, stepped up and said no
to certain things. But it was kind of like, OK, you
know, we're getting paid the money.
We're getting paid. So no, I'm not going to say no.
(33:21):
And and I'm going to do what I'msupposed to do.
We're not hurting anybody. You listen.
You be a role model to your children, watch and monitor what
they want and if you don't, that's your fault.
If you don't watch, if you don'twant them watching WWE Attitude
Era, then make sure you're thereto stop it from happening.
(33:42):
You make no, you can't police your children 24/7, but guess
what? You tend to be a part of that
live in some way, shape or form.You know, and it's not my fault
if your child goes to school andsays suck it the garage.
You should have said you should have been watching what they
were watching instead of being in the room on the phone with,
(34:03):
you know, your cousin or your best friend talking about you
know what Jennifer or you know, whatever idiot that lives near
you is doing or what or what youdon't want to talk crap about
this on that one. You should have been paying
attention to your kids. It's not my fault.
It's not my fault if you watch, if your kid watch me jump off
the top rope and for me to do the what's up and it's some
(34:26):
girls crotch and I stayed there.That's not my fault.
We warn you before you watch theshow, parental guy who
suggested, hey, we don't need that warning.
That's your fault. Man, do do you remember when
they used to have the little device that you could connect to
your television in order to block certain channels?
(34:47):
It was, it was, it was a child lock.
Now, you know, later on, TV's were equipped with a child lock
feature, or you could just pressit into control and you could do
that. But I'm pretty sure that WWE had
a lot to do with why those things existed.
Well, I'm sure, I'm pretty sure.And you know, it's sad because
(35:12):
we weren't the only ones out there doing stuff.
No, come on, man. Jerry Springer and all kind of
stuff was going on. Geraldo before that, it was all
kind of, you know, married with children.
Listen, I remember I remember when the when The Simpsons, that
animated cartoon that everyone loves now, classic cartoon.
(35:32):
Everyone knows The Simpsons. I remember when The Simpsons
first debuted on Fox and Fox 25 or or Fox was still a brand new
station for the most part. But Bart Simpson said eat my
shorts and my mother heard that and she damn near snatched me
(35:52):
up. She what are you watching?
What did he just say? What?
Eat my shorts? And they say she's a police
officer, right? She's mad.
She wanted to tear me up for even having the audacity to
watch something like that, right.
So and it binds you. After that, all the T-shirts
were coming out and that was thehip thing.
Everybody was wearing the Bart Simpson T-shirts where he's
(36:15):
saying eat my shorts and, and, and dressing up like he's some
kind of gangster or whatever. But she wanted to tear me up
because this this cartoon was talking like that and it just
makes me shake my head. I just talked to my mom about
that recently. She was laughing.
She was like, Lord, if I would have known where where TV was
(36:35):
going to go from there. Eat my shorts.
Those South so bad and he bought.
Exactly. Exactly.
You know, but but Can you imagine?
Eat my Shorts was a big deal, bro.
That was a big deal back then, you know.
Well, you also got to remember too the 40s and the 50s and the
(36:58):
60s values were still going on. Remember once on T on TV?
Lucy of all her show, I believe the Brady Bunch, they all slept
in separate beds. Even as married couples.
You could not, you could not portray that on TV as them
(37:18):
sleeping in the same beds. And I didn't realize that until
somebody pointed that out to me years ago.
And I was like, oh man, that's right.
You didn't see an episode back then.
But even though they were married, they stayed in the same
bed. So crazy man.
It's so crazy how different because I I mean I was made-up.
(37:38):
That wasn't real life man. Who the hell buying 2 beds?
You know what I mean exactly that's.
Silly, but that's what they wanted to project on television.
So again, when we get into the Attitude Era 10 years later, 15
years later and you suck it and all this stuff and then even the
stuff with the Dudley Boy, you guys are giving people the
(37:58):
middle finger and carrying on and cutting those crazy promos,
Lord. Hold on, just for the record,
Just for the record, in case anybody wants to sue me, it was
all Bubba. That's it.
More than me. That's it.
You, you were the 1. You were the 1 next to him
saying yeah. Yeah, I was like, testify.
(38:19):
There you go. Tell him brother.
Tell him bro, yeah. It's not a crime for me to agree
with somebody. Well, you were just encouraging
your brother, that's all. You were you.
Know that was it. That's it.
Just encouraging your brother, you know?
All right, before we wrap up, man, let's let's do something
even more fun here when it comesto holidays, especially
(38:43):
cookouts, you know, black folk, you know, we like to cut up and
music is always a integral part of that.
So let's make our own playlist. Yvonne, let's let's do a couple
of songs here when it comes to the the Devon and the Duke BBQ.
(39:03):
I'll, I'll start off, I'll give you 1 to start off.
That has to be on the playlist before I let go by Frankie
Beverly and Maze. That's got to be on the
playlist. That's got to be plain,
especially right when the food is about ready to be served.
I got to have that blaring out of the speakers, brother.
(39:24):
Yeah, I would say that's definitely one.
Absolutely any, any, you know, if any black party or gathering
or get together, that song is always coming on and everybody
knows the lyrics to it. Everybody knows the lyrics.
That's right, Young. Or old that's.
The same you. Know another one?
Exactly. Another one is.
(39:44):
Ain't no stopping. Ain't no stopping.
Oh yeah, Ain't no stopping us now.
Yeah, Yeah. We want to move, yes.
That's always one that that blares into my family's radio.
I love. And of course, you got to have
some, you know, Teddy Pendergrass when they start,
(40:06):
when everybody starts, you know,sitting down and eating and or
just relaxing and you know, TKO yes, loves.
TKO. That's like another love TKO.
Yes, yes, come on. Well, if you go in there, then
you know, you got to, you got togo, you got to go with.
Hold on, hold on. You got to go.
Marvin Gaye, what's going on? What's going on?
(40:27):
Got to do what's going on? What's going?
On was a huge message back in the 70s, especially with the
Vietnam War. Oh yeah.
What's coming on? And, you know, even though it
was very political, you know what's going on, still, it was a
song that was played all the time.
That whole album was politicallymotivated by the Vietnam War and
(40:52):
what was going on during that time.
Some people being drafted, but yet it was very, very
instrumental in black culture. Yeah, well said.
Well said. Of course, I'm going to hit you
with one that you're probably going to say.
You should have said this one, obviously the Electric slide.
(41:15):
Man, listen, when the Murtishi started dancing in the ring, I
said, man, that's Electric Slide.
What? What do you say to that?
What do you say to that? He's like, look man, he was
like, the white people don't know this.
They just things the dance I created.
It's true. And now that I think about it,
that's all he's doing. That's all he's doing.
(41:38):
That's all it was, Electric Slide.
How about one more? Give us one more, man.
Oh man, I'm going to have to go a little earlier than the songs.
I was saying I'm going to have to go.
Want to Luther Vandross? OK.
Never. Never too much, never too much.
(41:59):
That's it. Never too much that's.
It never too much. I love it.
Did you did you watch that documentary?
That never too much documentary.No, I didn't.
I didn't know it was out. Oh, man, yeah.
Let me let me find the channel that it's on now so you can
watch it. It is incredible.
They talk about Luther's whole career and they talk to his real
(42:22):
friends, the people who were really there, bro.
It is incredible to hear them talk about Luther.
Incredible. You know, love.
Luther. I didn't appreciate Luther until
as he got older and he stopped really performing because I
really wasn't an R&B guy. But I didn't really appreciate
his music until his later years.And then of course, when he, you
(42:44):
know, he passed away, excuse me,I really did appreciate his
music because he was gone. It was that old theory.
You don't realize what you got until it's gone.
But once Luke to left, it seemedto me like a lot of R&B singers
just drifted off. Yep, Yep, it's true.
It's true. It's never been the same.
It's never been. Listen.
(43:05):
Luther, you know, Freddie Jackson, Anita Baker, I mean,
the list goes on and on with the80s and 90s R&D singers.
Listen, today's R&D singers and I hope people don't get
offended, but you know, it's, you know, you're not, you're not
telling me a story really. It's all about breaking broken
(43:27):
hearts and you know what this one did to you and what that and
how you going to bounce back andso forth and so on.
I'm like, dude, I don't want to heal that.
I don't want to be depressed when I'm listening to R and BI
want to be happy. I want to be able to take my
girl or my significant other going to bedroom.
So let's Make Love like Eddie Murphy.
You want you want somebody to grab me back and then go fuck
(43:47):
you get on the meal or you want somebody to go just make it to
me. Either one.
I want that. I don't want to be talking.
I don't want to be all depressed.
Well, I'm listening to music andthat's what it seems to me, the
state of music you're in right now, especially R&B, it's like
you're all depressed because youknow somebody broke your heart
or you or you broke up in a relationship and you're going to
teach them and show them that they're going to regret you.
(44:09):
Come on, man. Whatever happened to real R&D?
Well, think, even when we talk about the 90s, we had a time
period where, like you said, youyou still have Freddie Jackson,
Luther Vandross and Nita Baker. They were still making hits,
doing their thing, what have you?
But you had that new school thatcame in too, right?
(44:30):
So you had H Town knocking the boots.
Please. You, you.
You had a guy. That song Let's chill.
I still listen to that song all the damn time.
You know that song Let's chill. Oh my God.
That's all Aaron Hall I miss. You.
I miss you. Yeah.
Later on which? Got my mistake I was.
About his wife who passed away, right?
(44:52):
That, that bothered me every time I heard that song, you
know, I got 7 kids and every time, you know, I would have a
kid, you know, right after that song came, I mean, of course,
the twins and my other son Matthew.
And it wasn't, they were born already.
But when that song was made where if you watch the video, it
was like every time I saw the video, I, I, I tear it up.
(45:13):
Because. You know, they showed you how
they were planning the baby, planning the room and
everything. And all of a sudden something
happened. They rushed her to the hospital
and she died on the table givingbirth.
And of course the baby survived,but the wife didn't.
And that always scared me, man, that really did every time.
My last four kids, you know, it all it, it just scared me when
(45:34):
it was time to give birth because, you know, I didn't want
to lose anybody in the process of it.
And every time it was like, I don't know what it was.
It had to be something where every time I would, you know,
the baby was about to be born, Iwould see that video.
It would like pop up on TV and Iwas like, wow, is that a sign?
Is that something for me to be, you know, getting ready to be
used to? So it would scare me.
(45:56):
Wow. Well, thank God it didn't
happen. Geez.
Yeah, thank God. That's, that's deep.
That's deep. It's it's funny because when we,
when we think about that period of music and that style of
music, obviously Teddy Riley, being the Super producer and
writer that he is, he follows upwith with Black Street, right.
(46:20):
And you think of some of the songs that they did, No Diggity
and all that stuff. Oh man.
I mean, just still, we're still getting quality R&B at that
period. I don't know what year it
happened, but it's almost like somebody flipped a switch and it
suddenly was all crap, you know?Yeah, I don't know what.
(46:42):
Happened. I don't.
I don't get it. I don't.
I don't like it. I'm not a big fan of it.
I don't want to say I don't likeit.
I'm not a big fan. Listen, you people, you guys go
out there and make your money and do what you do best.
No, but I don't have to. Like it.
Yeah, yeah. Maxwell, DeAngelo, remember that
time period where those guys were on top doing that thing and
(47:02):
it and this still, that was cool.
That was, that was cool music. Me old soul.
So you had, you had Jill Scott and Erykah Badu doing that thing
and all of that. It was still cool.
That's like early 2000s and thenby the time I'd say before we
hit 2010, something happened andwe have never turned a corner
(47:23):
since. Yeah.
So that's tough. Which is which is the funny
part. The old stuff still still is
relevant as a result because. Absolutely.
You know. Absolutely.
That's what that's. Got to love that.
Yeah, got to love it. Got to love it.
Anyway, Devon, what's the best way that everyone can keep up
(47:43):
with you, especially the YouTubeand all that good stuff there
man, Plug away. Absolutely.
Well my YouTube channel which isdoing extremely well.
I would tell you how what numbers I'm at but I can't
because my daughter loves to play with my phone and then logs
me out of everything. So I'm waiting for my producers
and stuff to get me logged back in.
(48:04):
But yeah, check out my no, not now.
I'm not saying that the YouTube is locked off of the fan, but
just me seeing all the numbers. It's called YouTube Studio.
So all of that is locked down until I get back in.
But we still making videos, still got one that just came
out. I was rating the the greatest
finishes and and the the finishes and the submissions,
(48:26):
things like that. Check it out on Devon W YouTube
channel. Please subscribe and like with
the comments and please be respectful.
If you don't like something or whatever, just be respectful.
That's all I asked. You can also catch me on
Instagram at testified Devon. I look at that as well.
The DMS, all of that. You know, I, I enjoy putting the
(48:50):
content up. I enjoy putting a lot of stuff
up on Michael Jordan. You know, when it comes to the
controversy of who's the greatest, somebody should know
if they know me, it's MJ. And I hated MJ growing up and he
would always beat the Knicks. He was preventing the Knicks
from making it to the to the championship.
So I wasn't always a Michael Jordan fan just for that simple
fact. But when you start debating on
(49:11):
who's the greatest and who's thebest when it comes to Michael
Jordan or LeBron James not denouncing at all that Michael
that LeBron James is not a greatbasketball player.
He is, but he's also, he's also not the greatest.
He's not the GOAT. You know, my, my top, my Mount
Rushmore would have to be Michael Jordan #1 Magic Johnson,
(49:38):
Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Deep. Deep.
You know, I'm a little, I'm a little offended you didn't put
Bill Russell on there. I'm a little offended by that.
11 championships. You got no love for 11
championships, Steve on. Again, this is something to
where you have to, I mean, magicbeing, you know, I know why
(50:02):
you're talking now. It just hit me while you talk
about Bill Russell. It would take somebody from
Boston to say that, but Magic Johnson being that, what was he
number 2.1 of the greatest ever to play the sport of basketball.
And of course Michael Jordan being the GOAT, you know, Kareem
(50:24):
Abdul Jabbar being the greatest,you know, in my opinion.
And a lot of people's been in the greatest centre and sports
leader sports. I mean, not sports NBA shooter
of all time. I mean it's it's Kareem.
So you got to put them all together and Kobe, my God, the
Black Mamba. I mean, you know, anybody that
(50:47):
is a sling image of Jordan has to be #2 in my book.
God rest your soul, Kobe. You know, I was glad to be able
to see you live at Madison Square Garden against the
Knicks. I was, I saw you live here in
Orlando, FL against Orlando Heatand the Orlando Magic.
I was able to see him and he wastruly a special talent.
(51:11):
Yeah, yeah, I'm still a little upset about this, about this
omission of Bill Russell and omission of Larry Bird.
You know, magic couldn't be magic without Bird.
All right, everyone, every year.All right.
I'm just going to. Say yeah, listen, man, listen.
You just upset, you know, I mean, come on.
(51:34):
You, you didn't even put a nickel on your, on your team.
Like how dare you? And you call yourself a New
Yorker. You didn't even put a nickel on
your on your Mount Rushmore. No, I mean, mine would have been
Patrick Ewing. Yeah, of course, of course.
I mean, I love Patrick. I got upset with the Knicks when
they traded Patrick Ewing to theSuperSonics in 2001.
Yep. And I refused to watch
(51:55):
basketball. I refused to cheer for the
Knicks. I had been in limbo up until
this past year. That was a hell.
I left the Knicks this. Year it was I.
I left the Knicks. I went to the Lakers when Toby
was there. When Toby retired, I really felt
lost because I didn't know who to go for then.
And then when this run started with the Knicks this past
(52:18):
basketball season, I was back tobeing a Knicks fan.
Hell of a run, you know that? Yes, it was that Karl Anthony
Towns. He's a big dude.
He runs. Very awkward.
His shot is awkward, but damn it, he gets the job done, huh?
Yes, he does. I mean, a hell of a talent and
somebody that you definitely gotto look for in the years to
(52:40):
come. And you know, let's just see
what happens with the Knicks this year.
I hope I see a championship before I die.
Guys I'm I'll be 53 this year soplease give me something.
Well, just so you know, the the,the East is wide open because
the Celtics are restructuring. They just got rid of Drew
Holiday. They got rid of Portsigas.
OK, but Remember, Remember, theycan they can restructure all
(53:03):
they want, but once they leave the East and go to the West to
fight in the final, that's what you got to win at the head in
the head championship. So they can make it to the they
can make it to the finals. They got to go through the East,
but winning it. That's the thing.
Yeah, yeah. I don't know.
I don't know how much. I don't know how much wind was
taking out of the Knicks after that.
(53:24):
I mean because it was a great run.
And, and I think America was really cheering.
Listen, the, the, the Pacers, they earned it, all right?
They fought hard. They earned it.
I'm not taking anything away from them.
They were great team. I, I was disappointed that they
lost in the Finals. Halliburton going down really
messed everything up, so to speak.
(53:45):
That kid is, is far more valuable than I think people
realized. But I can't say that people were
rooting for the Pacers over the Knicks.
They wanted the Knicks to go to the Finals, man.
Absolutely. You know, they wanted New York
to finally get it. So that's that's interesting.
That's listen now enough of the controversy, OK, Because now you
(54:06):
didn't got me all stirred up Anyway, let let's plug the
school because we were talking about all your great students
and the great job they're doing.How can folks get get in contact
to join the school? Absolutely.
So what you would want to do is install DDA Devon Dudley
Academy. You can go on the website and
look for the information as well.
(54:27):
We're at 2720 Forsyth Rd. building C Unit 318, Winter
Park, FL 32792. You can also call us at area
code 407-790-7800. Again, 4/07, 790-7800.
(54:53):
You want to take your professional wrestling career to
the next level or you just want to start your career, then give
us a call. We're going to try to make that
happen for you and make sure yoube able to testify.
And also we might have to teach you how to get the tables.
Listen, your son's trying to steal that man.
You got to trademark that. Make sure they don't steal that
from you know. As long as I get the residual
(55:14):
from it. Let me tell you something I told
the twins, I got a two page letter that starts from the top
of the house where I live to thebottom of the floor rolled out
into the driveway. Of all the money you guys owe me
from all the broken toys and allthe stuff I had to buy double
for. And now that you guys are doing
well and, and the business within the business and
(55:36):
everything, it's time to pay up,pay up.
Hey up, come on now, pay up. I love it.
I love it folks. As always, Duke loves wrestling.
On Facebook, on twitter.dukeloveswrestling@gmail.com.
Let me know what you think of the show.
Any questions for the big man, what have you?
You see how we're going down memory lane talking about music,
(55:56):
food, holidays, the whole 9 yards there.
It's it's a great time. So it's Speaking of a great
time. It is that time of the week, big
man. Take us out with the word of the
week. And some people will only love
you as much as they can use you.Their loyalty ends when the
benefits stops. Oh my brother, testify strictly
(56:17):
for the common job. Every day.
Stepping down in your unique wayends in colors.
So divine all about the perfect life.
(56:39):
Be yourself, let your spirit lie.
In this fashion you'll touch thesky strictly for the culture.
Rest so fine. Dress to impress and show your
(57:01):
shine strictly for the culture every day.
Visit www.strictlyforthaculture.ca.
(57:33):
Backstage whispers and the crowds roar from matching giants
to legends of your Divan's wisdom and Duke's keen view.
Every episode feels like it's brand new.
Diva and Duke bring the heat. Wrestling tails knock you off
your seat. TuneIn now don't you be late.
(57:57):
Wrestling podcast never felt this great.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!