Straight Outta Dudleyville – The Legacy Of The Dudley Boyz DVD Review: 20 Interesting Observations
18. Breaking In
Let's start with Bubba, his story is extraordinary.
He refused to mention the name of the guy that trained him due to the fact his guy took advantage of him.
Like Tommy Dreamer, Tazz and D-Von before him, Bubba was all set to go to the infamous Johnny Rodz's school in New York. However, he was approached by a man who claimed to be a former WWE enhancement guy (jobber), who had his own ring, and when he had enough money to open up his own promotion, he'd make Bubba his first World Heavyweight Champion. Oh, and this unnamed man also claimed to have a TV deal in place with HBO, no less...
The young Bubba was sold, so the guy took his tuition money and used it to open up his own school.
The first time the pair stepped into the ring, the new teacher asked Bubba "so, what do you wanna learn first?" Imagine a teacher saying that, they should teach you everything in a logical and structured manner.
Nevertheless, an enthusiastic Bubba wanted to learn how to hit a dropkick so started off with that. He also worked for a "very large" car dealership while 'training.'
"Wrestling trained me, the wrestling business trained me," Bubba says. He certainly learnt on the job.
It's clear to see that D-Von is the more technically sound wrestler of the two Dudley Boyz, and with good reason to. He spent 5-and-a-half years under the tutelage of Rodz in an old school "Rocky III" styled gym with no air condition and no excuses.
D-Von was forced to work three jobs on top of his training during this period, so he could support his twin sons and wife in their New York studio apartment.