D-Von Dudley reflects on him and Bubba Ray Dudley complaining about their payout for the first TLC Match at WWE SummerSlam 2000.
These days, almost anyone on the WWE roster may be booked for a match like a TLC Match. However, 25 years ago, the concept began as a signature match for The Hardy Boyz (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy), Edge and Christian, and The Hardy Boyz (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy).
In his latest YouTube video, D-Von Dudley reveals that the match was one of the only times that he and Bubba Ray Dudley complained about their payout. While he didn't say how much extra they got, he did note that sometimes, complaining when you know you're in the right is the right thing to do.
"Never once did we complain, except for that one SummerSlam, the first TLC match, we felt like we deserved more because of what we put our bodies through, everything that we went through, the blood, sweat, and tears. We just deserved more. We did go to JR, at the time, he was head of talent relations, and complained to him. We let him know that we were unhappy. Sure enough, he said, 'Well, I'll get back to you. Let me go talk to Vince.' He talked to Vince, came back, and sure enough, he said, 'Okay, you guys got approved for this amount.' We were like, 'Oh, damn, we should do this more often.' But it actually worked. It really did. So I will say this, keeping your mouth shut when you know that you are in the right is probably never a good thing to do in the wrestling business, but this is why we were the way we were, because of the fact that there was some regrets."
Elsewhere in this YouTube video, he breaks down the positives of being on a WWE Legends deal. Read those comments here.
In Fightful's resources section, fans can find a breakdown of what various wrestlers have disclosed about their pay over the years.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit D-Von Dudley's YouTube channel in addition to linking back to this article and giving Fightful credit for transcription.
