How Good Were The Dudley Boyz Actually?
Presence/Look/Presentation
This is where the Dudley Boyz were very good.
A wrestler is lucky if they conceive of one look that is instantly identifiable as “theirs”. The Dudleyz boast an iconic home and away kit, and while they did not create either of their signature attires, they are almost synonymous with both.
Superstar Billy Graham wore tie dye gear, but in a bleak sign of how wrestling ages, he’s primarily known, through WWE revisionism, as that guy from the 1970s who influenced Hulk Hogan. He is probably not the first wrestler you think about when you think about that design - even though he’s a former WWE Champion, and the man whom everybody stole their promo game from, even if they have no idea. Wrestling wasn’t invented in 1984, but for how it is curated and discussed, it might as well have been.
Nor did the Dudley Boyz first wear camouflage - wrestling’s wildly uneven history with military-themed characters predates their debut - but the black and white variant was a unique spin on it. The thick nerd glasses, a hangover from their early days as wacky hillbillies, was hardly some difference-maker of a choice - but it was memorable, toyetic, something they could throw on their faces on the convention circuit forever.
Both Bubba and D-Von were equipped with great physiques for their specific characters. Bubba was a nasty asshole who looked like he was out of shape, but wasn’t. In ECW especially, he was a gross, detestable slob who could kick your ass and laugh about it. To the extent that it was truly effective, his promo game wouldn’t have worked if he was in excellent cosmetic shape. It worked because the fans were meant to receive him as a hypocrite. Who did he think he was, calling the women ugly?
D-Von was more solid and muscular, which complemented the act beautifully. For the style they worked - which didn’t resemble a deliberate style at all - the Dudleys looked the business. They were big enough to scan as a hoss-sized threat, but dynamic enough to perform very well in complex, pacy stunt matches.
7.5/10