D-Von Dudley recently alleged that past racist experiences while working with the WWE were with Jim Ross.
Dudley, who retired earlier this month at TNA Bound for Glory 2025, has often told an anecdote about experiences with racism in wrestling, describing when a “higher-up” in WWE said to him that he didn’t like him because of the color of his skin.
The Team 3-D member most recently told this story during an interview with VideoGamer.com earlier this month:
I dealt with that certain higher up that told me to my face, they don’t like me because of the color of my skin. And they work for other organizations now, and this person knows who he is. I have no respect for that person. I don’t really care for him. Now that he’s not in the position that he once was, I just really don’t care for him.
During an appearance on his own podcast earlier this month, Dudley said that the incidents occurred around 1999 to 2000.
While Dudley has told the story over the years, he hadn’t previously mentioned who exactly said it to him. However, during a recent appearance on Devon & The Duke, he said that the two incidents occurred with JR.
Was it JR? Yes … I’m not angry at the man today. You know, I know the man is going through some health problems, some health issues. And just to show you the place that I’m in, I pray to God [he] can heal his body. But, was I disappointed with that man when he said those things to me back then? Yes, I was. Now, he can sit there and deny it all he wants. But, again, Bubba was there, and Bubba said that he remembers the incident on my podcast. Paul Heyman was there, Spike Dudley was there, and Tommy Dreamer was there. So you have all these other people that were there who aren’t Black, by the way.
Dudley continued, mentioning how he has decided to forgive Ross:
I don’t wish that man any bad illness, nothing like that. I was very hurt, very bothered by what that man had said on two separate occasions. And like I said about Hogan, I’m not asking you to forget what was said, but you have to forgive, and I’ve forgiven him in my heart. I have not talked to him, I have not. And when I see him, I don’t say anything to him. It’s not once had he come to me and apologized for the things he said. He might say he won’t remember, that’s fine.
POST Wrestling has reached out to Jim Ross for comment and will update this story if we receive word from him.
