In October of 2025, WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley made headlines after stating that he had experienced racism during his time in WWE from “certain top officials,” though he did not initially name anyone. The comments sparked discussion online, with fans speculating about who Dudley was referencing and what incidents he may have been alluding to from his long run with the company.

During a later appearance on Duke LovesRasslin, Dudley clarified his remarks and confirmed that a specific individual had been involved. He explained that others had already connected the dots publicly, which led him to address the matter more directly.

“Okay. Did I come out and say ‘Ten Gallon Hat’? Yes. Did Maven let the cat out of the bag? Yes. Was it JR [Jim Ross]? Yes, I did have a problem with JR back then. And I didn’t know why. I’m not angry at the man today. I know the man is going through some health problems, some health issues, you know, and just to show you where I am and the place that I’m in, I pray that God can heal his body.”

At the time Dudley made those comments, Jim Ross did not immediately respond publicly. However, the topic resurfaced during a Q and A segment published on Ross’s YouTube channel on December 25. During the discussion, Ross’s co host Conrad Thompson played a clip of Dudley addressing the allegation before offering Ross the opportunity to reply.

“Jim, I’ll give you a chance to respond. Well, it’s alleged that you said, ‘I don’t like you because of the color of your skin.’”

Ross then gave a lengthy and emotional response, strongly denying the allegation and expressing confusion over why his name had been brought up.

“That’s so absurd, it doesn’t merit a response.

I like D-Von. I like him today. I hired he and Bubba. I thought we did a good job of booking them. They made money. They were put in situations where they could do the things they do best. Those TLC matches were pieces of art , they’ll last forever. The Dudleys are a major part of that.

Bubba , I know Bubba for sure, because I was involved in the booking of that stuff. And I don’t know, I was shocked to hear that, because I don’t recall ever having a cross word with D-Von Dudley. I always respected him and his work. I love the Dudley tag team.

It took me totally off guard. I never said that to D-Von Dudley. And why he would conjure up that , I guess to get attention. Maybe he’s not as happy with his post-wrestling life as Bubba is, because Bubba’s made a tremendous success of himself as a broadcaster and still works.

So, I never said that. I wish it had not happened. Some people, I’m sure, are still going to believe it, and that’s their prerogative. But I’m not angry at D-Von. I’m just curious and don’t understand why he went there. I just don’t get it.”