D-Von-lution: the deconstruction and reconstruction of D-Von Dudley - wrestler's new image doesn't fly with fans

Wrestling Digest, April, 2003 by Steve Anderson

WHEN WWE SPLIT INTO two promotions in April 2002, some greeted it as a necessary move in a monopolistic age, while others ballyhooed it as a watering down of a once great promotion. WWE wrestlers were now exclusive to one TV show--"Raw" or "Smackdown"--thus limiting their weekly appearances, but offering a chance for more stars to shine with twice as much room at the top of the card.

One of the bolder moves was to split up two longtime tag teams, the Acolytes and the Dudley Boyz. The career effects on the Acolytes--Faarooq and Bradshaw--have been negligible, since neither man competed in post-Acolyte singles competition for a lengthy time due to injuries. At presstime, both men were M.I.A. from their respective shows.

But the Dudley Boyz split was surprising. In an era where few teams stay together and those who do compete in tandems are largely mongrel pairings, the Dudleys were both a throwback and an anomaly.

While they didn't necessarily look alike, the Dudleys shared similar styles. Still, WWE--a company that sometimes has a propensity to think that splitting up a team will double the fans' pleasure rather than halving it--saw value in Bubba Ray and D-Von as singles wrestlers.

Bubba Ray went to "Raw" in the federation draft. His character was largely unchanged. His ring entrance music was the same, as was his look and style. He challenged for and held the hardcore title and seemed to be moving up the ranks with WWE teasing a feud with "Raw" champion Triple H.

Meanwhile, on "Smackdown," D-Von started testifying--literally.

D-Von Dudley of Dudleyville became the Reverend D-Von. Whether his church was located in Dudleyville will never be known, but D-Von had changed. Instead of the trademark camouflage, the man of God was now sporting a white collar and black suit. He effectively turned heel, lecturing the "Smackdown" crowds on their unholy ways and how he would deliver them from evil. Batista (fresh from his developmental stint in Ohio Valley Wrestling) even got into the act, joining D-Von in an understudy/bodyguard role.

It was a blast from the past of sorts, the type of gimmick that wrestling fans saw in the mid-'90s. Back then, wrestlers were usually not just wrestlers; they were also plumbers, hockey players, country music singers, dentists, or any sort of occupation that could be mined for comedic or sadistic effect. As opposed to today's rosters, those cartoonish personas were not based in anyway in reality.

In the age of hundreds of wrestling Web sites, fans today are a little savvier than in the days when a wrestler could be reinvented and renamed. They are also more selective in what they accept. D-Von Dudley had competed in WWE since 1999 without much fringe to his basic persona. The new Reverend D-Von was a remarkable change. And not very welcome judging from the fan reaction--or lack thereof.

The change in D-Von was both ineffective and unnecessary. Both he and Bubba were competing on different programs with their own, unique angles. Since Bubba was getting over in a similar persona to that of his tag-team days on "Raw," D-Von easily could have done the same. The "Smackdown" brain trust may not have had that much faith in D-Von getting over as himself, though, so it created the reverend gimmick.

Fans rejected the Reverend D-Von and not because of his heel status. They were turned off by the over-the-top gimmick, not to mention the loss of a beloved persona.

Wisely, WWE quickly Decided that the Reverend needed to lose his collar. The alliance with Batista ended in a shocking turn and all-too-short feud. Batista was shipped off to "Raw." But what would become of D-Von?

In November of 2002, seven months following the WWE and Dudley split, D-Von jumped to the "Raw" brand. It was not to set up a dream feud with his "brother," but to provide assistance to his kin. D-Von and Bubba reunited their storied tag team, with D-Von dropped the collar and rediscovering the camouflaged colors of the Dudley Boyz.

The Dudleys have reunited under ideal circumstances. "Raw" is a promotion with only two championships: the world heavyweight title and the world tag-team straps. The creative team is now paying more attention to the tag-team belts and making them mean something. The title validated the partnership of Chris Jericho and Christian, while adding tremendous storyline potential to the Booker T-Goldust tandem. For the first time in a long time, a tag-team title is nearly on the same level as the singles belt.

Sometimes, the old cliche rings true: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Sometimes a wrestling character doesn't need refreshing as much as he needs to "dance with the one that brung him." Splitting up the Dudleys did not create two singles wrestlers as much as it divided a team that was over with the fans. Bubba's singles stint may have gone somewhere with the proper push. Then again, D-Von, with the right gimmick or no gimmick at all, could have become a singles star.

Hindsight is 20-20. Dudley Boyz fans are rejoicing now that the brothers are back together. Instead of saving souls as the Reverend D-Von, the reconstructed D-Von Dudley is "getting the tables." There is strength in numbers, even if that number is only two.