D-Von Dudley isn’t backing down—and now he’s sharing a new, detailed account of an alleged racist incident involving Jim Ross that he says happened face-to-face during WWE’s Attitude Era.
Speaking on his YouTube channel on January 7, 2026, D-Von described a previously unrevealed moment that he says happened at a WWE restaurant grand opening, with Bubba Ray Dudley present. According to D-Von, this incident is the reason he’s continuing to speak out—especially after Ross publicly denied making racially offensive remarks.
D-Von explained that the exchange began casually, with Ross greeting both Dudleys before singling him out in a way that immediately felt off.
“He came to me and Bubba and said it. It was at the WWE restaurant — the grand opening. We were mingling with some of the guests, and there was another private room downstairs.”
He recalled Jim Ross initially praising the team, then abruptly changing tone when it came to D-Von, which bothered D-Von. D-Von said he didn’t understand what Ross meant—until Bubba Ray Dudley stepped in and tried to defend him by pointing to his work ethic and character.
“He says, ‘You know what, boys, you guys are fitting in great here. I like you boys a lot. D-Von — I’m not too sure. The verdict’s still out on him. I’m not sure how to feel about that.’ Bubba knew what he was getting at, so Bubba goes, ‘You know something, JR — regardless, D-Von’s a hard worker. He never gives this company any problems.’”
According to D-Von, Ross continued to hedge before finally saying what he claims was the real issue, which was the fact that D-Von Dudley was Black. D-Von described the moment as explosive, saying he had to physically restrain himself while Bubba again tried to shut the conversation down.
“Then finally he says, ‘He’s black. I just… I don’t know. That’s my hiccup. I don’t know how I feel about that.’ I started balling up my fist, and Bubba said, ‘You know what, JR — black, white, purple, it doesn’t matter. He’s a great man.’”
But D-Von says the comments didn’t stop there. D-Von explained why he stayed silent at the time, saying the power imbalance in WWE left him feeling trapped. He also alleged that Ross was intoxicated during the incident, adding that when someone is really drunk, that’s when the truth comes out.
“JR says, ‘Oh, I’m not saying he’s not, but I just don’t know because he’s black…’ If I hit him, we lose our jobs. If I say something, I could lose my job. I was a small fish in a big pond. Jim Ross was very drunk, slurring his words. They say when you’re drunk, the truth comes out.”
This story follows weeks of back-and-forth between D-Von and Ross. In October 2025, D-Von first alleged that Ross had made racist comments in the past. Ross responded by flat-out denying it and calling the accusation “absurd.” Ross previously said:
“That’s so absurd. It shouldn’t even merit a response… I’ve got nothing to gain by saying, ‘Yeah, I said that one time and I really regret it.’ I never said it.”
D-Von previously said he would’ve let things go—but felt provoked when Ross questioned his happiness and implied Bubba Ray had moved on more successfully.
“You gonna try to get us to play against each other? No. Me and Bubba are very good… I’m not turning on him, and he ain’t turning on me. It could have been easily said, ‘Listen, I didn’t say this… but if I did, I apologize.’ Simple as that—and go on.”
Now, with a second story added to the timeline—and this one allegedly witnessed by Bubba himself—the situation between the two WWE Hall of Famers continues to escalate in a big way.
Do you believe D-Von Dudley’s latest story changes the conversation? Should Jim Ross issue a new response? Drop your thoughts below and let’s talk about it.
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