D-Von Dudley has spent decades traveling the world as one of professional wrestling’s biggest names, but the WWE Hall of Famer is getting tired of life on the road. While he still enjoys meeting fans at conventions, the constant flight delays and airport headaches have him admitting that he’s ready to retire.
During the October 23, 2026, episode of the D-Von and the Duke podcast, Dudley opened up about his future while discussing the possibility of taking on more acting roles in Hollywood. The conversation started when host Duke Loves Wrestling brought up a hypothetical situation involving Tyler Perry offering Dudley a major role in a big-budget movie. Dudley didn’t hesitate when asked whether he would accept the opportunity.
“Oh, I’m jumping on that. I’m jumping on that quick now.”
Dudley went on to explain how different Hollywood productions are from the wrestling business. During his WWE career, performers often had to arrange their own rental cars, pay for hotel rooms, and deal with grueling travel schedules. Hollywood productions, on the other hand, have been much more accommodating during his experiences filming commercials.
While discussing the possibility of landing roles in major film franchises, Dudley made an admission about his future.
“Listen, I’m ready. I’m ready to retire.”
That doesn’t mean Dudley has stopped enjoying his interactions with wrestling fans. In fact, he made it clear that meeting people at conventions remains something he genuinely loves. The problem is everything he has to go through just to get there.
“I enjoy the Comic Cons. I love talking to the people, interacting with them, you know, but what’s killing me lately is the flights.”
Dudley didn’t hold back when describing just how frustrating airline travel has become.
“Every damn flight is delayed now.”
The former Dudley Boyz member also revealed that he recently crossed paths with WWE Superstar Damian Priest at an airport. Dudley was returning from Dallas while Priest was coming from Miami, and he decided to ask how WWE talent had been handling the ongoing travel headaches. According to Dudley, Priest told him the situation wasn’t much better for WWE’s current roster.
“It’s a mess.”
Dudley said Priest acknowledged that things had improved somewhat in recent weeks, but flight problems remained an issue. That conversation only reinforced what Dudley has been experiencing while traveling to conventions and appearances nearly every week.
“I’m on the road every week with the ComicCons and appearances and stuff like that. So it’s like okay um am I the only one dealing with this? You know, it it’s hard. It’s really hard. And sometime the traveling is what gets you more than anything.”
After decades of working WWE schedules, traveling around the country, and continuing to make public appearances following his in-ring retirement, Dudley clearly isn’t enjoying the airport routine anymore. He hasn’t announced that he’s officially ending his convention appearances, and he certainly isn’t ruling out future entertainment projects. If anything, Dudley sounded enthusiastic about the possibility of trading some of those exhausting airport trips for opportunities in Hollywood.
For now, D-Von Dudley is still connecting with fans and remaining active in wrestling through his academy, but his comments make one thing clear: he’s reaching the point where the travel is becoming more trouble than it’s worth. He’s already put in decades on the road, and nobody could blame him for wanting a schedule that doesn’t involve another delayed flight.
Do you think D-Von Dudley should step away from the convention circuit and focus on Hollywood, or would you like to see him continue making appearances for wrestling fans? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
