In a recent interview with ESPN.com, former ECW Original and multiple time world tag team champion Bully Ray Dudley spoke on some noteworthy topics, on his career in professional wrestling. Here are some highlights.
Bully Ray comments on a new opportunity to work in Ring of Honor, after leaving the WWE in 2016.
"Ring of Honor reached out to me I think the day after I left WWE, they were actually interested in bringing in both me and D-Von into Ring of Honor, which would've been insane. D-Von had made a life decision where he wanted to devote a little more time to his family and physically in the ring wanted to slow it down just a little bit. I still have gas in the tank. I think Ring of Honor was the perfect place for me to continue as Bully Ray."
Bully Ray spoke on leaving the WWE in 2016, mainly due to the company's unwillingness to work with his "Bully" character.
"We were one day away from becoming Bully Ray in WWE, one of the problems with having Bully Ray in the WWE was the word bully. How could they have a guy named Bully when they had the 'Be a STAR' program? It was a little too risky for them."
"I mean [the WWE] have other characters there that do bully-ish type things, but the whole basis of Bully Ray is he is the quintessential bully," his entire character is built around bullying people. Built around making people do things against their will. And with the business they have going on now -- the Be a STAR program and more PG-rated stuff, bullying being such a sensitive subject around an entire world -- it just wasn't gonna work out."
Bully Ray commented that he'd like to help mold Ring of Honor's current roster, much like Terry Funk did for ECW 20 years ago.
"ECW needed something in 1995 to help them get more notoriety, and Terry Funk was that guy, he was that veteran wrestler who was able to help with the credibility of the product and that's what I hope I could do with Ring of Honor. No matter what they have me doing -- if they want me wrestling in six mans with the Briscoes, if they want me working with the world heavyweight champion or they want me working the opening match -- it doesn't matter to me. As long as I can lend the name credibility of Bully Ray, or Bubba Ray, or the Dudley Boyz, or Team 3D, whatever it is to help get that company more exposure."
Follow us on Twitter @PW_Slam, to get the latest news in the world of professional wrestling, like us on Facebook, subscribe to our Official YouTube Channel and follow us on Instagram. To submit wrestling news email prowrestlingslam2012@gmail.com and be sure to check out our Official Pro Wrestling Tees Store to pick up some Pro Wrestling Slam! Merchandise, also be sure to listen to the Pro Wrestling Slam! Podcast on Anchor.fm.