Why James Dudley Deserved to be Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame
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Hello PWHS! Shea Heath here with a different kind of article than my normal fantasy posts! James Dudley was inducted into the WWE, WWF at the time, Hall Of Fame in 1994. Since then a lot of people have questioned it, but I'm going to tell you why he deserved it, and very much so!
James Dudley was born on May 12, 1910 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a great athlete. Said to have ran the 100 yard dash in under 10 seconds on more then one occasion. If not for prejudice, he could have been on the 1924 Olympic team. In fact he showed up for the trials only to be told he couldn't compete because of the color of his skin. So, what would he do? He got into baseball. After playing semi-pro ball for a few years, he signed with the Baltimore Elite Giants in 1938. He played in 60 total games from 1938-1945.
[Editor's note: Bruce Prichard has stated Dudley was a fantastic ball player and if he had continued to play, he could have broken ground just like Jackie Robinson]
Once the 1950's rolled around, James Dudley began working for Vince McMahon Sr. and the Capitol Wrestling Corporation. If not for James Dudley, Vince Sr may have never been able to promote in Washington D.C. During that time, Washington D.C. was heavily segregated. There was a white part of town, and an African American part of town. On the white part of town, it was difficult for black men to do business, and on the black side of town, it was difficult for a white man to do business. Well, James Dudley, went up to the business men on the black side, and said basically, if they had a problem with Vince Sr. doing business there, then they had a problem with James Dudley! James was highly respected on that side of town that they said ok. So Vince Sr was able to promote there because of James' actions. Now, this info could be exaggerated but it's whats been said in various sources, articles, podcasts, etc.
Yes, James Dudley was a limo driver, but he did everything for the WWE. He counted ticket sales, he carried buckets of water, he manged Bobo Brazil. He ran Turner Arena in Washington D.C. He was Vince Sr's bodyguard. He helped WWE out greatly during it's early days. Today, he'd be given the Warrior Award for all he did for the company.
That is why James Dudley belongs in the WWE Hall Of Fame. You got to remember, those who are loyal to the McMahons, will be repaid a great deal. From a pure wrestling standpoint, James Dudley probably doesn't get inducted, but WWE isn't pure wrestling. James Dudley remained loyal to the WWE until the day he died. His last appearance on WWE TV was in 2002 on an episode of Smackdown. He died on June 1, 2004 in Washington D.C. He had 38 grand-children, 34 great-grand-children, and 16 great-great-grandchildren.
You can say he doesn't belong in any Hall Of Fame, and based on the facts, as they are told, I say, he belongs in every Hall Of Fame. He wasn't a wrestler. He was a behind the scenes guy. He did it all, and therefore in my opinion he deserves to be in the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, save me a ringside seat!
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Why James Dudley Deserved to be Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Author: Shea Heath.
Published: July 24, 2019.
Article: #223.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Why James Dudley Deserved to be Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Author: Shea Heath.
Published: July 24, 2019.
Article: #223.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Other articles by Shea can be Read Here.