D-Von Dudley Defends Kevin Nash After Backlash Over “Mr. Bojangles” Remarks

The backlash surrounding Kevin Nash’s controversial comments about Je’Von Evans isn’t slowing down — but now D-Von Dudley is stepping in to defend him.

After Nash deleted his attempted apology over remarks that included phrases like “Mr. Bojangles” and comments about Evans being presented as “more urban,” the criticism intensified. Social media reaction changed from the original statement to the wording of Nash’s explanation, particularly his reference to the term “Uncle Tom,” which sparked even more outrage. Now, D-Von Dudley is offering a different perspective.

Speaking on the DukeLovesRasslin podcast on February 21, 2026, D-Von said he doesn’t believe Nash had malicious intent — arguing that it was more about poor wording than prejudice. He began by stressing his personal experience with Nash over decades in the business.

“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.”

D-Von acknowledged that Nash’s phrasing crossed a line, particularly the idea of suggesting someone be “more Black.”

“I think he was just speaking his mind about what he would like to see, but his choice of words wasn’t right. You can’t really tell someone to be ‘more Black.’ That’s like telling a white person to be ‘more white.’”

Still, he made it clear that based on their long history — from the Attitude Era to TNA and even Japan — he never personally witnessed racist behavior from Nash. D-Von went on to describe Nash’s personality as more frat-house humor than hostility.

“But again, I know Kevin. I know what he’s about. Not one time have I ever heard him say anything racial during the time we spent together on the road — during the Attitude Era, in TNA, in Japan. I never heard him say anything derogatory in that sense. To me, Kevin has always been like one of those guys in a frat house — 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.”

Now, with D-Von Dudley offering a character defense based on years of firsthand experience, the conversation has shifted again — from just what was said to whether intent should factor into how it’s judged.

Do you think D-Von Dudley’s defense changes the conversation around Kevin Nash’s remarks, or does the wording itself outweigh intent? Sound off in the comments.

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