Dudley family

For the team of Bubba Ray Dudley, Spike Dudley, and D-Von Dudley, see Dudley Boyz.

Dudley family
Stable
Members	See below
Debut	July 1, 1995
Disbanded	2002
Promotions	ECW

The Dudley Family was a large professional wrestling stable of storyline half-brothers in Extreme Championship Wrestling.

Gimmick

The main gimmick of the group was that, despite their obvious differences in physical appearances and races, they were all said to be the sons of the fictional Willy Loman-esque "Big Daddy" Dudley, who had traveled America as a salesman throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Aside from their races and sizes, the Dudleys did all have common traits, they shared a similar appearance of taped glasses, unkempt hair and all wore the same wrestling gear — tie-dye shirts and overalls. As a group they also utilized a few similar mannerisms. The real life origins of the group were based on the "Hanson Brothers" from the 1977 movie Slap Shot. (see below)

History

Extreme Championship Wrestling

The original Dudley Boys debuted in ECW on July 1, 1995 with a win over The Pitbulls. They were Dudley Dudley (the only "pure" Dudley in that both of his parents had the same last name, Dudley), Big Dick Dudley (the menacing enforcer, who Dudley Dudley claimed was the result of Big Daddy Dudley's fornication with the Holland Tunnel) and Lil' Snot Dudley (the team underdog). The original Dudley Boys were members of Raven's Nest throughout the summer of 1995. After Snot was injured by The Pitbulls at Hardcore Heaven, he was replaced by Dances with Dudley, supposedly the result of Big Daddy Dudley's visit to a Cheyenne Indian reservation in Oklahoma, where he allegedly "poked a hontas". Somewhat suspiciously, Dances With Dudley could only speak Spanish or sing "Ten Little Indians".

Dances With Dudley was followed by the stuttering, dancing, overweight hillbilly Buh-Buh Ray Dudley. The group was later expanded when the obese, slobbish Chubby Dudley and the mute, placard wielding Sign Guy Dudley (the result of Big Daddy Dudley's incarceration in an asylum) began accompanying the Dudleys to ringside. Bushwhacker Luke and Bushwhacker Butch even became honorary Dudleys for one night (hailing from the 'Little New Zealand neighborhood of Dudleyville'). At the Hardcore Heaven pay-per-view event in 1997, porn star Jenna Jameson acted as their one-time valet during their tag-title defense versus PG-13. On April 13, 1996 Dances With Dudley suffered a leg injury and was attacked by the debuting African American D-Von Dudley as he was stretchered out of the arena. D-Von began warring with all the other Dudleys, citing that the comedy act they had been putting on all this time was not the way "true Dudleys" should be conducting themselves. He eliminated Dances With Dudley, Dudley Dudley and Chubby Dudley before eventually joining forces with Bubba (who he helped overcome his stutter), Sign Guy, and Big Dick. These four Dudleys became a powerful, unified heel force in 1997, but were soon challenged by the debuting stoner^{[citation needed]} Little Spike Dudley ("LSD"), the last hold out face Dudley.

Big Dick left ECW in 1999, and Bubba and D-Von followed soon after for the World Wrestling Federation. Without the rest of the Dudleys Sign Guy changed into Lou E. Dangerously, leaving Spike as the only remaining Dudley in ECW before the promotion folded in April 2001. Spike then signed with the WWF and joined his kayfabe half-brothers.

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment

Buh-Buh Ray (renamed "Bubba Ray") and D-Von Dudley would go on to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), winning the World Tag Team Championship eight times, as well as the WWE Tag Team Championship and WCW Tag Team Championship once each. Though initially heels, they had much more success as faces, a different turn from their evil days in ECW. Spike Dudley joined his "half-brothers" in 2001 and remained with them on and off until their collective release in 2005. For a short time, Stacy Keibler acted as a valet for the Dudleys under the name of "The Duchess of Dudleyville".

Other promotions

Several more Dudleys were created outside of ECW. Big Dick Dudley formed a tag team on the independent circuit with Mark Vartanian, using the name "Psycho Sam Dudley", while Snot Dudley formed a tag team with Jeff Roth, using the name "Schmuck Dudley".

In early 2007, actor Steve Schirripa appeared alongside Bubba Ray (renamed "Brother Ray") and D-Von (renamed "Brother Devon") in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he was depicted as a distant relative of the Dudley family.

There even was a offshoot in Germany, called Skunk Punk Dudley. He worked for the independent promotion "WSWA".

Trademark of name

After the release of Bubba Ray and D-Von from WWE, they were informed by the company that they could not use any aspect of the "Dudley" name in any other promotions thanks to WWE trademarking the names before their release. This decision was controversial because Paul Heyman, the owner of ECW, had "given" the men (including Spike) the rights to the gimmick out of loyalty when ECW folded, but never actually transferred the rights in any official manner. The WWE's trademark application cited 1999 as first use, though the gimmick is years older than that.^{[citation needed]}

Alhough the former Dudleys attempted to fight WWE for ownership, they were unsuccessful before their debut in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and instead took the monikers of "Brother Ray " (Bubba Ray) and "Brother Devon" (D-Von), combining under the new name "Team 3D". As a jab back at WWE they wore shirts with middle fingers on them with the message "Trademark This!" and constantly tread a fine line of the official trademark by either having others use their common phrase "Get the tables!" or almost saying it before stopping short right before. They were originally going to adopt the last name of Deadly when they applied for it to be copyrighted but for some unknown reason to the public they have yet to use the name. When Spike was released from WWE he was forced to work under the name Matt "LSD" Hyson in various independent promotions. Upon joining his brothers in TNA he was re-christened "Brother Runt".

Yet one more person has laid claim to the intellectual property that is The Dudley Boy gimmick. Former ECW wrestler Raven has said multiple times that he is the person who came up with the original Dudley idea. Tazz has corroborated his story, but added that it was not just Raven who came up with the idea, but Raven and Tazz together.^[1]

As it stands, WWE owns the right to the gimmick but Bubba Ray and D-Von are said to be preparing to fight for their ownership in court. All the same, Paul Heyman has given up, unlike Raven and Tazz who continue to fight for it, albeit without legal action.

Members

Dudley family Dudley Dudley Big Dick Dudley Little Snot Dudley Dances With Dudley Bubba Ray Dudley Chubby Dudley Sign Guy Dudley D-Von Dudley Studley Dudley (manager) Little Spike Dudley Schmuck Dudley Psycho Sam Dudley Skunk Punk Dudley

Associated members Molly Holly - valet The Duchess of Dudleyville - valet Bushwacker Butch - one night only Bushwacker Luke - one night only Lady Dudley - one night only Ron Dudley - 1 week

Championships

• Extreme Championship Wrestling
  • ECW World Tag Team Championship (10 times) - Bubba Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley (8 times), Little Spike Dudley with Balls Mahoney (2 times)

See also

Professional wrestling portal

• Dudley Boyz

References

1. ^ History of ECW, episode 9/17/95