Ex-WWE writer Vince Russo makes a shocking admission about Bully Ray's personality off-screen (Exclusive)

Ex-WWE writer Vince Russo insisted that he loves Bully Ray, i.e, Bubba Ray Dudley, to death, but made a shocking admission about his real-life personality off-screen.

On the latest episode of Writing with Russo, host Dr. Chris Featherstone brought up the issue that D-Von Dudley spoke about, where he accused Jim Ross of making racist comments, and generally speaking about the backward nature of WWE in the late 1990s and the early 2000s.

Vince Russo said that he doesn't envy D-Von Dudley because Bubba Ray, aka Bully Ray, has notoriously been a difficult person to deal with. He credited D-Von for being able to do so for so many years:

"I do not envy him [D-Von Dudley], because if you knew Bubba [Ray Dudley], who I love to death, not the easiest person to deal with. And D-Von had to deal with him for years. That had to be difficult for him."

You can watch the full video below:

Bully Ray confirmed that his gesture to The Hardy Boyz signaled a final retirement.

At Bound For Glory 2025, The Hardy Boyz defeated The Dudleyz to retain the NXT & TNA Tag Team Championships. In the final moments post-match, Bully Ray and D-Von Dudley handed their shoes over to their storied rivals, marking the end of their respective careers. Some felt that this was only the end of The Dudley Boyz, but it seems like even their singles careers are done.

Following Bound For Glory, Bully Ray took to X/Twitter to confirm that they handed over their boots to The Hardy Boyz as a way to signal their retirement. This was made with a statement of finality:

"Some wrestlers leave their boots in the middle of the ring to symbolize retirement. In retirement, we decided to hand the Hardys our boots in the ultimate sign of respect for the history WE created together. Emotional moment that will never be forgotten. ❤💪🏽 to Matt & Jeff"

It seems like it was a long time coming for both the legends. Regardless, it was a great way to close out their rivalry and careers, as both Bubba Ray and D-Von have long had one foot out of the door.

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