D-Von Dudley has come to the defense of fellow WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash amid widespread backlash over Nash’s recent comments about rising star Je’Von Evans. While appearing as a guest on the DukeLovesRasslin podcast, Dudley argued that Nash’s referring to Evans as “a little bit too Mr. Bojangles” stemmed from poor word choice rather than racial prejudice. Drawing on decades of shared road experiences in WWE and TNA, Dudley insisted he never witnessed Nash make derogatory racial comments, describing him as someone who champions underdogs and minorities.
“I firmly believe he might have just used his words poorly in that situation. I’ve been on the road with Nash. I’ve traveled with him, eaten with him, had good times with him. Never any bad times. I never once heard him make a racial joke in bad taste, not even a racial joke in general … He likes to joke around, but never in a malicious way to hurt somebody. And he’s always stuck up for the underdog. He’s always supported people who were considered underdogs or even minorities. So to me, it’s just a case of poor word choice.” – D-Von Dudley
In recent years, 66-year-old Nash has endured profound personal tragedies. In March 2022, he lost his best friend and longtime tag team partner, Scott Hall, to complications from hip surgery and heart issues. Just seven months later, in October 2022, Nash’s only son, Tristen, tragically died from cardiac arrest aged just 26, triggered by a seizure linked to alcohol withdrawal after the pair attempted sobriety together. Therefore, to say Nash has had a tough time would be an understatement, and therefore, few would blame him if he decides to step away from the spotlight, given this controversy.
