WWE’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony aired tonight on the WWE Network. Jerry “The King” Lawler hosted the event and was greeted with “Jerry” chants from the crowd in attendance. The Dudley Boyz were the first Superstars to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during the ceremony.
Edge and Christian inducted Bubba Ray and D-von Dudley. Christian stated that 5 years ago that he watched Edge get inducted into the Hall of Fame and that he knew that this day would come for him. Edge interrupted and said that Christian was trying to induct himself into the Hall of Fame. Edge joked that Christian wasn’t going in the Hall of Fame, you are inducting again. The crowd chanted “you deserve it!” at Christian.
Christian said that wasn’t what he was trying to say and brought up the Dudley Boyz. Edge poked fun at internet fans for flipping out that Paul Heyman wasn’t inducting the Dudleyz and told them to relax because mom’s macaroni and cheese is still waiting for them upstairs.
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Edge stated there was two reason that they are inducting the Dudleyz:
- We don’t owe them any money
- We owe them a lot of receipts
Christian joked that they were the only two in the locker room that actually liked Bubba. Edge brought up ECW and Christian stated that ECW was the place that gave birth to the Dudley Boyz. Edge added that the Dudley Boyz would incite riots in ECW and helped build the company.
Edge brought up trying to build up WWE with Matt & Jeff Hardy and the The Hardys were shown in the crowd. Edge and Christian noted that the first test for the Dudley Boyz was the APA and they beat their asses. Ron Simmons was shown in the crowd and he grabbed a microphone and shouted “damn!”.
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Edge added that there is no E&C or Hardys without the Dudley Boyz. Edge joked that there were five fearless wrestlers and then Devon. Christian noted that they created TLC and that match would later become a PPV. Christian stated that they all decided that they weren’t getting paid enough for the TLC match and addressed it with Jim Ross. Jim Ross replied with “you felt like your pay was a little soft?”. Edge did his best Bubba impression and said that Bubba Ray responded with “J.R., I feel like I just got kicked in the nuts”. Edge admitted that they did get a bump in pay following that meeting.
Edge noted that the Dudley Boyz have won more Tag Team Championships than any other team in the history of this industry. Christian and Edge put on some Dudley Boyz glasses and Edge instructed Christian to get the Dudleys.
Bubba and D-von shared a hug with Edge and Christian and put on the glasses they were wearing. D-von stated that it was an honor and a privilege, but Bubba quickly interrupted and told D-von that he just says “testify!” and that was all he has to do. D-von responded that he was office now and Bubba cracked up. D-von noted that he may have gotten the tables for 20 years, but now he tells Bubba when to speak, talk and when to move. D-von told Bubba to get his ass in line because he is going first and is about to testify.
Bubba once again interrupted and said that he sometimes gets a text from the boys that reads “D-von is my producer LOL”. D-von stated that they are just glad that Bubba is not their producer. Bubba immediately responded that if he was their match might get over and started laughing. D-von claimed that he was the one that got them over when they were in the ring.
D-von brought up Hulk Hogan and said that he mesmerized him as child and made him want to become a professional wrestler. D-von added that he tried to look like Hogan, hell he had the tan. D-von admitted that he even tried to get his hair to look like Hogan’s growing, but realized later on in life they pretty much have the same hairdo. D-von brought up Roddy Piper, Macho Man, Steamboat and Andre the Giant and added that he knew at that point that he wanted to be the guy he saw on TV. D-von noted that he didn’t have a dad growing up and said that he told his sons that were in the crowd that one day they will be able look up at him being honored and say “that is my father”.
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D-von said that he could talk about his momma for about 30 minutes, not as long as MR. T, but he could go on and on. He stated that they made it through moving out of Brooklyn and moving on up like the Jeffersons and they never looked back. D-von added that he was honored and privileged to say that he loves his mother and his mom blew him a kiss in the crowd. D-von added that his sons were the reasons why he took the ass kickings that he took during his career. D-von continued that his sons are wrestling themselves and they are going to follow in the footsteps of their father and their uncle.
D-von thanked Bubba and stated that he couldn’t have done it with anyone else besides him. He added that he wasn’t just his brother in the wrestling business, but he was his brother in life and then shook his hand. D-von then said “Bubba, now you can talk” and Bubba made his way to the microphone.
Bubba said that he didn’t know if he could follow him for once. Bubba noted how important family was to them. Bubba stated that he wished his mom and dad could be here today because they would have loved it. Bubba said that he did the closest thing he possibly could and took out their in memoriam cards. He said that he was in the front row when Jimmy Snuka jumped off the steel cage in Madison Square Garden and said that he and D-von were die hard WWE/WWF fans. D-von claimed that Bubba cant say the “F word” and Bubba responded “sorry sir, that will never happen again sir”.
Bubba added that he went to go see WrestleMania 3 and as he was walking out of the arena with his dad and his uncle, his dad asked him how he liked the show. Bubba responded “that is going to be me one day”. Bubba said that his uncle was here tonight and he told him to shut up and get in the car. Bubba flaunted his HOF ring and Bubba’s uncle was shown in the crowd laughing.
Bubba stated that tonight was vindication for them for all the hard work they have done. Bubba added that they are the most proud of being the first original ECW act to be inducted into the WWE HOF. Bubba pointed out Tommy Dreamer in the crowd and he got a great reaction. Bubba thanked the entire ECW roster and every man and woman that stepped in the ring with them. He thanked Paul Heyman for listening to them when they asked to be put together as a team. They thanked Spike as well and said that he was the toughest 150 lb man in the ECW locker room. D-von thanked him for everything that he put his body though to help make the Dudley Boyz.
Bubba thanked every team that wrestled with them because they needed them to help get over. Bubba added that the Sex Pistols “My Way” song sums up their career because they did things their way. D-von then thanked Tommy Dreamer and said that he remembers him being there when he had his tryout in ECW. D-von added that Dreamer helped him along the way so much and thanked him from the bottom of his heart. Devon added that their are so many wrestlers here tonight that he did that for and said that he loved him from the bottom of his heart. Bubba thanked Dreamer once again and then brought up the future misses Dudley, Velvet Sky. Bubba thanked her for being here tonight and his partner in life.
Bubba said that the first time he ever met Vince was at an airport in NYC. He saw Vince and Linda right behind him and said hello to them. Bubba didn’t know if Vince remembered him and Vince did and stated that he was looking forward to working with them. D-von brought up Simmons and Bradshaw and APA was shown in the crowd. D-von brought up introducing himself to Ron and Simmons kept saying his name wrong and always called him that. D-von added that APA gave them the stamp of approval to the locker room. D-von brought up the Reverend gimmick and Bubba told him to not bring that up and to wrap it up.
Bubba thanked Mae Young and claimed that she got the Dudley Boyz over more than anyone else. Bubba said that he will never forget the first night they slammed her and hit the What’s Up?” headbutt. Mae grabbed Bubba after they were done and said “hey hot shot, if you are going to slam me, you slam me like one of the boys” Bubba then called Mae Young the toughest man he has ever met in his life.
Edge, Christian, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy then joined the Dudley Boyz on the stage. Bubba noted that they have not been in the same place at the same time since TLC II. He added that it was the 6 of them that created their history together. Bubba noted that sometimes the wrestling business can be bitter and selfish, and said that they wouldn’t be standing here today without everybody that was on the stage right now. The Hardys, Edge & Christian and The Dudley Boyz then posed on the stage.
D-Von was about to continue to speak when the Dudley Boyz theme hit. A “producer” came out from the back and told them to wrap it up. Bubba and D-Von started arguing with the producer and then Bubba grabbed him. Bubba told D-Von to get the tables and the crowd chanted along. D-Von set up a table and the Dudleys Powerbomed him through the table as the crowd erupted. D-Von then said “oh my brother testify!” and the Dudley Boyz posed on the stage.