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So long, Dudley Boyz: Relive ‘WWE Raw’ tag team’s best moments
If ever there was a legendary tag team, it’s the Dudley Boyz. Bubba Ray and D-Von, the ECW boys who made it to the big time in WWE and became the most decorated tag team in professional wrestling history, have closed the book on their career.
One year after returning to WWE — following a sting in TNA — the Dudley Boyz announced their retirement. It came a day after a loss to Sami Zayn and Neville at “SummerSlam,” but the Dudleys were adamant they wanted to end their career on their own terms and thanked the fans for supporting them and helping to make them such an iconic team.
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Of course, this was the Dudley Boyz, so they couldn’t just leave. They’ve been putting people through tables for 20 years and their last night wasn’t going to be any different. When the Shining Stars decided to get in on the fun, they were met with a Dudley Death Drop (3D). Before the tables came into play though, The Club intervened and destroyed the Dudleys — putting D-Von through the table.
It’s an old adage in the wrestling business that you “do the honors” of making your opponents look good on your way out the door — you lose your final match/segment and build up those who are staying. While there’s nothing to keep the Dudleys from returning one day, this segment felt like the final page of their career as it pertains to WWE and a way to build The Club as a serious threat to the Tag Team Championships.
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Truth be told, there’s not much else for the Dudleys to accomplish in wrestling. They’ve won every major set of Tag Team Championships — ECW, WCW, WWE, TNA and IWGP — and will no doubt end up in the WWE Hall of Fame, possibly as part of the 2017 class.
As fans say goodbye to the Dudley Boyz, take a look back 10 of their most career-defining moments and see just how far this team evolved from foul-mouthed ECW act to kings of tag team wrestling.
The very first Dudley Death Drop
The Dudleys win the ECW Tag Team Titles
The Dudley Boyz deliver wrestling’s most NSFW promo
The Dudley Boyz meet The Rock
The Dudleys win their first WWE Tag Team Titles
The Dudleys take on the Hardy’s in a tag team ladder match
The triangle ladder match at ‘WrestleMania 17’
The very first Tables, Ladders and Chairs match
The Dudleys win the WCW Tag Team Titles
The Dudley Boyz return to WWE in 2015