Post by Iceman on Aug 31, 2005 2:30:37 GMT -5
PW Insider:
In case you missed it over the weekend, the team formerly known as The Dudley Boyz was notified by WWE that they couldn’t use the Dudley name outside of the company as WWE sent legal letters to anyone and everyone who was using the "Dudley" name in their advertising, telling them to stop. At the Wrestle Reunion 2 convention and show, they worked as Team 3D.
When they left ECW for WWE six years ago, ECW owner Paul Heyman told them that he was giving them the rights to the name as a payback for all they had done for his company during their time working for him. He made it clear that he was doing so that in the event they ever left WWE, they could take their professional names with them. Well, apparently Heyman never filed the proper paperwork and WWE has retained the rights to the Dudley names. They have made it clear that they intend to keep the men who created the characters from using them again anywhere but a WWE ring.
Personally, I think it's really a low move by Vince McMahon and WWE. If his company had created the Dudley characters and made them into recognizable names, it would be one thing. But, they didn't. The Dudleys were already an established team when they came to WWE, having made their name as the best tag team in the business long before they ever got to McMahon's company. Heyman made his intention clear to give the name to the team before they left ECW and if they had a large cash reserve, they could take WWE to court over this and maybe win. But, that won’t happen. What makes it more galling to me is that, while they would say that they are just "protecting an asset", it seems to me like WWE is just doing this because the Dudleys had the audacity to refuse taking a pay cut when WWE wanted to sign them for less. After all, why would Vince care where they use the name since he has said that he doesn't see TNA or the independents as "competition"? If that were true, he wouldn't be so concerned with seizing something that wasn't even supposed to be his. So, it just comes across as spiteful to me, especially when you consider what Heyman’s stated intention was back in 1999.
Again, it's not as if Heyman wasn't on record as saying that he gave the Dudleys the name back when they left. But, Vince found a technicality here and seized it, just because he could. Was he within his rights? Yes. Was it morally wrong to do? In my opinion, oh yes. It’s just another example of what Mike Johnson talked about on his hotline recently, you don’t cross the boss in WWE. Sad, but true. It certainly sends a message to the WWE current talent, and the message is not a good one.
In case you missed it over the weekend, the team formerly known as The Dudley Boyz was notified by WWE that they couldn’t use the Dudley name outside of the company as WWE sent legal letters to anyone and everyone who was using the "Dudley" name in their advertising, telling them to stop. At the Wrestle Reunion 2 convention and show, they worked as Team 3D.
When they left ECW for WWE six years ago, ECW owner Paul Heyman told them that he was giving them the rights to the name as a payback for all they had done for his company during their time working for him. He made it clear that he was doing so that in the event they ever left WWE, they could take their professional names with them. Well, apparently Heyman never filed the proper paperwork and WWE has retained the rights to the Dudley names. They have made it clear that they intend to keep the men who created the characters from using them again anywhere but a WWE ring.
Personally, I think it's really a low move by Vince McMahon and WWE. If his company had created the Dudley characters and made them into recognizable names, it would be one thing. But, they didn't. The Dudleys were already an established team when they came to WWE, having made their name as the best tag team in the business long before they ever got to McMahon's company. Heyman made his intention clear to give the name to the team before they left ECW and if they had a large cash reserve, they could take WWE to court over this and maybe win. But, that won’t happen. What makes it more galling to me is that, while they would say that they are just "protecting an asset", it seems to me like WWE is just doing this because the Dudleys had the audacity to refuse taking a pay cut when WWE wanted to sign them for less. After all, why would Vince care where they use the name since he has said that he doesn't see TNA or the independents as "competition"? If that were true, he wouldn't be so concerned with seizing something that wasn't even supposed to be his. So, it just comes across as spiteful to me, especially when you consider what Heyman’s stated intention was back in 1999.
Again, it's not as if Heyman wasn't on record as saying that he gave the Dudleys the name back when they left. But, Vince found a technicality here and seized it, just because he could. Was he within his rights? Yes. Was it morally wrong to do? In my opinion, oh yes. It’s just another example of what Mike Johnson talked about on his hotline recently, you don’t cross the boss in WWE. Sad, but true. It certainly sends a message to the WWE current talent, and the message is not a good one.
