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MIKE JOHNSON TAKES A DEEP LOOK INTO THE WWE-DUDLEYS SITUATION AND HOW THIS IS JUST THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF WHY WRESTLERS DON'T WANT TO CROSS THE BOSS

"The Dudleys, they were synonymous with ECW, you know? D-Von get the tables." Vince McMahon, "The Rise and Fall of ECW"

The recent turn of events involving former ECW, WCW, and WWF Tag Team champions The Dudley Boys is one of the most unique instances of World Wrestling Entertainment attempting to enforce their copyrights in some time. One WWE source believes that the company informed the Dudley Boyz that they are unable to use their name or even the intellectual properties of the Dudley characters (tables, glasses, etc.) as payback for Bubba Ray Dudley playing hardball with WWE Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis during negotiations and for comments made about Laurinaitis by D-Von Dudley on radio show appearances once it was obvious the team wasn't going to be signed to a new deal.

Despite their reasonings, whether WWE is legally in the right or not on paper, morally the fact that they are blocking the Dudleys from the name is a major moral mess when you look into the history of the characters and the performers using the personas.

Bubba Ray Dudley has been using that name since October 1995 when he debuted in Extreme Championship Wrestling in that persona. He even used "Bubba" during his original debut (which never aired on TV) playing the role of a bodyguard for Bill Alfonso in Middletown, New York during a Gangstas vs. Public Enemy match. D-Von Dudley has been using the name, a play on his given name of Devon, since his ECW debut in April 1996.

WWE did nothing to create the characters or even evolve them as The Dudleys grew from a comedy deal to legitimate badass heel main eventers in Extreme Championship Wrestling. They did that with a baptism of injuries, blood, riots, and main events. When one traces the history of the Dudley Boyz, WWE can't even claim that they took them and gave them a platform nationally as the Dudleys were headlining PPVs and according to one ECW source at the time, were involved in the best drawing feud in ECW history against Tommy Dreamer following an angle where they "broke" the neck of Beulah McGuillicuty.

While WWE later gave the Dudleys huge pushes on WWE programming, they were using the personas they had already created, in new outfits, not doing anything original that WWE creative had devised. They were the ECW Dudleys, a bit toned down on the mic for censor's sake, but the Dudleys nonetheless. This wasn't a case of WWE taking two rookies from OVW and throwing names and gimmicks on them. They arrived fully developed as performers and personas, as the most decorated tag team act in ECW history.

The Dudley Boyz name was created in July 1995 with Raven and Tazz both given credit for coming up with it in the past. Bubba and D-Von debuted in the then-WWF in late 1999. For WWE to apply for trademarks in 2003 and then receive them in 2004, almost nine years after the name was in existence, is beyond questionable. They are claiming ownership on something they never had any right to own. WWE can't even claim that they purchased the rights to the name through the ECW bankruptcy paperwork as the intellectual properties for the Dudley Boys gimmick aren't even listed an asset. If WWE is going on the idea that they own the names because they purchased the assets, everyone from Spike Dudley to Rob Van Dam to Stevie Richards to Sabu to Justin Credible had better be on alert because there is a huge grey area waiting to be explored as to what WWE can and will claim ownership to, which will be a huge mess in the future and a sad piece of ECW's legacy.

Equally sad is that The Dudley situation is just the latest case of wrestlers realizing that in today's version of WWE, in many cases it isn't about wrestling, or sports-entertainment, or even doing the best thing for business. For many wrestlers, it's about staying away from the McMahon family wrath, being part of the WWE machine, making as much as you can and most of all, no matter what you do, not "Crossing the Boss." That may have been Vince McMahon's trademark phrase during his feud with Steve Austin, but today's boss is the entire McMahon family. The last thing anyone wants to do is cross them in any way, shape, or form, even if you have the best of intentions in mind. When you end up in the McMahon cross hairs, in the end, you will pay and you will know you did.

There is the Frankie Kazarian story, which according to Kazarian is that he refused to cut his hair when asked by management, saw the writing on the wall and was released. One minute he was being praised by management and the next he was ostracized, because he committed the crime of thinking about himself and what he wanted to do for his career. Don't cross the boss when they tell you what's good for you.

How about Paul London, who dared question Vince McMahon about killing top rope maneuvers for Cruiserweights? London argued that the Cruisers needed the moves to stay over and in return for his passion for what he does, was removed of the Cruiserweight championship, saddled with a series of whiny interviews, and shipped home for a few weeks. Don't cross the boss, even for the good of your own performances.

Look at Joey Styles, who despite having a WWE deal, still wanted to have a wrestling PPV with his name as part of the title. Well, no matter what the verbiage was in his WWE deal, he still received notice from WWE and stepped down from his project. As much as Joey may be outspoken against the company, in the end, he didn't want to cross the boss either, not at the threat of losing his chance to be the voice of ECW in whatever form that will be in the future. Don't cross the boss, no matter what your contract might say.

Let's take it a step further. The Blue Meanie, who was guilty of nothing more then getting beat up at ECW One Night Stand by JBL and made the mistake of publicly saying he was thinking of filing a lawsuit over the situation. Well, unfortunately for Meanie, his crime was that WWE heard about it, because he immediately got the big call to come back to the happy WWE family with open arms. He was marched to Smackdown, where he had a sit down with JBL and WWE management to "clear the air." Of course, clearing the air included basically JBL saying that the incident happened and that they could either work or shoot when they stepped in the ring that night. The Meanie wants nothing more than a regular WWE gig, so of course agrees to squash everything. He wants a job. His indy company was dying and he was working in a video store - WWE was that brass ring he was praying for. He'd do anything to work there and live his dreams. Unfortunately for Meanie, he didn't have the foresight to sign a contract before he got in the ring. What happens? They get into the ring where JBL is ultra, ultra, ultra careful with Meanie so they nullify any potential legal issues, even giving Meanie the pin. Within a month, the BWO fades away without even a phone call to Meanie telling him "Thanks and good luck." At one point, Meanie was looking at a potential settlement from a lawsuit, and now he's looking at a phone that won't ring. Why? He dared cross the boss, even though he didn't work for WWE at the time he did so.

I guess the lesson to be learned here from the Dudley Boyz situation is that unless you are performing under your given name for WWE, make sure you have your own trademark and copyrights in order before signing a deal. You have to in order to protect yourself because WWE will offer you no blanket of protection unless you are a star the level of Steve Austin or The Rock who they need to keep on their good side.

WWE showed no regard whatsoever to the Dudleys, disregarding the fact that the team bled and killed themselves by having some of the most dangerous bouts in WWE history with their TLC style bouts during the Attitude era.

The Dudleys dared cross the boss. They did that by doing what anyone else would want to do in their situation, by trying to get the best money deal possible.

Those damned Dudley Boys then committed the most heinous of crimes in the WWE view. They crossed the boss by actually thinking they could move on and continue their careers elsewhere, having the gall to want to use the names that they themselves nurtured and developed, when WWE themselves were the ones that closed the door for their return.

In return, they've lost the only personas and names they've ever known as stars in the ring.

D-Von, get the lawyers.

Mike Johnson can be reached at Mike@PWInsider.com.

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