James Dudley | |
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| Born | (1910-05-12)May 12, 1910[1] Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | May 26, 2004(2004-05-26) (aged 94)[2] Washington, D.C., U.S. |
James Dudley (May 12, 1910 – May 26, 2004) was an Americanbaseball player,professional wrestling manager, and professional wrestling executive. He playedNegro league baseball for nine years but is best known for his time with theWorld Wide Wrestling Federation. He worked with four generations of wrestling's McMahon family and was particularly close withVincent J. McMahon. At age 74, he was put back on the company's payroll to show appreciation for his work for the McMahons. He also managed several wrestlers in the WWWF and was inducted into theWWF Hall of Fameclass of 1994.
Dudley was considered an "excellent athlete" and ran the100-yard dash in under ten seconds on multiple occasions.[3] Although he showed up for the trials for the 1924 United States Olympic team, he was not allowed to participate becauseAfrican Americans were not permitted on the team.[3][4] After playing semi-professional baseball inBaltimore, Maryland, Dudley signed with theBaltimore Elite Giants at age 27. Nicknamed "Big Train", he playedcatcher but started out helpingpitchers warm up in thebullpen.[3] Playing alongside two other talented catchers,Roy Campanella andEggie Clarke, Dudley's playing time was limited.[5] He remained with the Elite Giants until leaving professional baseball in 1945.[6] In total, he played about 60 games in the Negro leagues.[1]
James Dudley began working forJess McMahon in the 1950s, when McMahon was a co-owner of theCapitol Wrestling Corporation.[7] When McMahon and his partners broke away from theNational Wrestling Alliance to form theWorld Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in 1963, Dudley continued to work for McMahon.[2][7] Dudley performed many different jobs, from carrying buckets of water to counting ticket sales.[4] Dudley was a close friend ofVincent J. McMahon and continued working for the family when the younger McMahon took over the business from his father; in particular, he drove McMahon'slimousine and served as hisbodyguard.[8][9] He has said that he thought of McMahon as a father figure.[7] McMahon later increased Dudley's responsibilities with the company several times, and eventually assigned him to manageTurner's Arena in Washington, D.C.[2][7] His role required him to oversee several other events, including theTown and Country Jamboree television show.[7]
| "Although he was rarely seen by the fans, James Dudley is one of the most important and influential men in sports-entertainment history. In the 1950s and ‘60s, when fans tuned into WWE's weekly TV show, few realized the enormous role Dudley was playing behind the scenes." |
| Hall of Fame Inductees -WWE.com[2] |
Dudleymanaged several wrestlers, includingBobo Brazil. Prior to Brazil's matches, Dudley excited the crowds by waving a towel while running to thering.[2] He also managed such wrestlers asBearcat Wright,Sailor Art Thomas, andSweet Daddy Siki.[1] Over time, Dudley's role with the company diminished and he ceased working for them; the company's operations were moved toConnecticut, and Turner's Arena was demolished. Shortly before McMahon's death in 1984, he told his son,Vincent K. McMahon, who had taken over control of the promotion (then known as the WWF), "Whatever else you do, you take care of James Dudley."[7] After Vincent J. McMahon's death, Dudley was put back on the company payroll at age 74 and subsequently received several gifts from Vincent K. McMahon to show appreciation for Dudley's contributions to the company.[7] Dudley has been described as an "important cog" in the company, and McMahon once stated that "had there been no James Dudley, the WWF possibly wouldn't exist as it does today".[7] Dudley continued to feel a sense of loyalty to the McMahons and their promotion.[7] Dudley was inducted into theWWF Hall of Fameclass of 1994 by Vincent K. McMahon.[2]
Dudley's final appearance with the company came during the January 3, 2002, episode ofSmackDown!. According to the storyline,Stephanie McMahon was banned from theMCI Center. In an attempt to get past security, she pushed Dudley in a wheelchair but was still refused entrance. Following the scene, Dudley left the wheelchair, walked to his seat, and watched the show.[7]
Dudley continued to live inWashington, D.C., after retiring from professional wrestling. He had 38 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and 16 great-great-grandchildren.[7] Dudley died ofnatural causes on May 26, 2004, at the age of 94.[2][8]
,Cagematch,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database
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