The Dudley 'family' has been a long term story in ECW history. Through the early days with many family members leaving for reasons or others, to the Dudley Boyz being 8 time tag-team champions, and their brother Spike's quest to stop them.

Most peoples earliest Dudley memory may be ECW's first PPV, Barely Legal. At this time the Dudleys were the Dudley Boyz, Big Dick, Signguy and Joel Gertner. They lost to the Eliminators, relinquishing their belts, but they would gain them back many more times from various tag teams. In 1999 Big Dick Dudley left for XPW and shortly after Bubba and D-Von went to the WWF where they were wasted. Only Spike and Joel Gertner remained. Signguy had 'turned' into Lou . Dangerously, but the only wrestling Dudley to stick it out was Spike, who suffered a broken leg at the hands of Rhino. 6 months later, Spike returned as commissioner but sadly a few months later, ECW closed it's doors.

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Young Snot Dudley One of the original Dudleys and the tag-team partner of Dudley Dudley. During the summer of 1995 he was super-bombed by the Pitbulls and smashed his pelvis. he was out of ECW. Dudley Dudley was another Original Dudley. He tagged with first Snot Dudley and then with DW Dudley. Some of ECW's funniest promos were the ones about Dudley. His super-deep voice is hilarious and his stupid laugh... man! Dudley Dudley is the only 'true' Dudley - His mother was Momma Dudley, whereas the other Brothers were spawned from daddy Dudley's other love interests.

Big Dick Dudley barely speaks, he just shouts and growls like a beast. Along with Dudley and Snot, Big Dick was an original Dudley boy. He was hit by a truck in September 1995 and fractured his knee cap - putting him out of action for a while. He returned with crutches and finally lost them in mid 1996. Described by Gertner as 'wrestlings true masterdon'. He left around March 1999, but returned for Hardcore Heaven 99 in May where he showed a brief appearance gripping up Chris Chetti. Dances With Dudley was an American Indian brother of Bubba Ray. His tenure in ECW was perhaps the shortest of the Dudleys, but proved popular with his comedic character. How is he related to the other Dudleys? Apparently Daddy Dudley was at an Indian settlement, whereby he met and fawnicated DW's mother. Bubba Ray Dudley along with D-Von would eventually be 8 time ECW tag-team champions. The most foul-mouthed degenerated Dudley of them all. As the years went by he got worse and worse. Signguy Dudley joined the family in 1995 and had the look to fit in perfectly. He stuck with the Dudley Boyz until they left in August 1999. Daddy Dudley was put in a mental home for a while and that is where he met Signguys mother... Chubby Dudley was always eating and would never come to the ring without a cake or something. He didn't really wrestle much but proved to be a strong part of the entourage. D-Von Dudley, previously Devon Dudley, came to ECW 6 months after his 'brother' Bubba Ray. He and Bubba were 8 time Champions - and therefore the most successful in ECW history. Spike Dudley was a 'seperated' brother from the others, who didn't like the way the Dudleys treated people.

The Dudleys were managed by Joel Gertner, the self proclaimed 'quintessentual studmuffin and a damn handsome man'. He would come to the ring with what ever array of Dudleys there were at that time and present them to the audience - as well as cussing the audience by offending their mothers. Each time he came out, Gertner had a different rhyme, Preceded by saying "Well, Well, Well.." usually putting himself over as a sexual stud. He describes Signguy as the silence behind the violence and D-Von as his Brother from another Mother. After the Dudley Boyz left ECW, Joel Gertner became a color commentator which proved to be an instant hit.


The Dudley family circa 1996. From left : D-Von, Bubba Ray, Dances with, Signguy, Chubby and Big Dick

The 3D
Throughout the years, The Dudley Boyz(D-von and Bubba) have put many people 'out' of ECW either long term or permanently. This is all due to their Dudley Death Drop, also known as the 3D. Actually, the 3D had a double meaning. 3D = 3 Dudleys (Bubba,Dick,D-von) who made up the 3 man tag team when needed. In the WWF they were allowed to use the 3D, but only if they did it 'softly'. In ECW, the Dudleys used the doubleteam move to fracture Beulah McGuilacutty's neck - retireing her from Pro wrestling - she is now a teacher. They did the same to the Sandman, but he was quickly rehabilitated and returned to ECW with a neckbrace - looking for revenge with the Dudleys. The Dudleys forced the popular tag-team of the Eliminators to split up and the team of the Gangstas to fall apart - but in the fallout of this, New Jack and Jon Kronus formed the Gangstanators to seek revenge. It was Tommy Dreamer seeking revenge for Beulah and Sandman to avenge his fracture that led to the feud of 1998. It culminated at Heatwave '98 with Dreamer, Sandman and Spike vs. Bubba, Big Dick and D-Von (AND Signguy AND Gertner AND Jeff Jones) with New Jack and Jack Victory intejecting themselves in one of PPVs most violent matches ever and one that I personally think is the best fight that the Dudleys had in terms of entertainment.
18 Months after they departed for WWF, ECW was at the Madhouse of Extreme in Queens NY, when the Dudleys ran in to attack Simon and Swinger. Gertner had brought them back to help him.
A new feud was on the horizon.

Next up was a match which was Simon, Swinger, CW Anderson and Dawn Marie vs. D-von, Bubba, Gertner and Tommy Dreamer. The Dudleys wiped out Simon Diamond's team.