D-Von Dudley is weighing in on Naomi and Mercedes Moné’s 2022 WWE walkout, and he says fans should be careful about believing only one side of the story.
While speaking on the Duke Loves Rasslin podcast, D-Von said he was with WWE as a producer during that period and remembered how much speculation surrounded the situation. He explained that many people online had strong opinions, even though they didn’t actually know what was happening backstage.
“I was there. There was a lot of things that I didn’t use, you know, So it was, it was a tricky time back then, but I remember reading online, so many people had their opinions on what they thought was going on as opposed to really knowing what was going on behind the scenes.”
D-Von then criticized how WWE handled its side of the story publicly. According to him, companies often put out the version they want fans to believe, which can leave talent looking bad if their side is not heard.
“And the WWE put it out. Then 9 out of 10 times they put out what what they wanted to put out and wanted the public to believe their story and not actually get the talent story, which now makes the talent look bad.”
He said that kind of public framing can make wrestlers look like prima donnas or people acting bigger than the company, even when the reality may be very different. D-Von argued that talent can have genuine issues behind the scenes that fans never fully learn about.
“It looks like they’re from Madonna’s or what have you. And a lot of times it wasn’t like that. It wasn’t like that, but they were trying to do prima donnas or bigger than the company. They had a genuine life. They had a beef about something and they didn’t real and a lot of people didn’t realize that.”
D-Von also warned fans not to immediately accept the first version of events, even when it comes from WWE. He said there are usually multiple sides to any dispute, and people should not condemn talent without knowing more.
“This is why you should be very sceptical, even if it comes from WWE, on why certain talent do what they do and why they react and act the way they do.”
“People don’t understand, man, there’s two to three sides to a story and you can’t just take the first story you do and then condemn the people for doing what they’re doing.”
When talking specifically about Naomi and Mercedes Moné, D-Von said there was more going on than fans knew. He recalled that both women were unhappy with how they were being showcased at the time, though he avoided giving away details that he felt were their story to tell.
“But there was a lot of discrepancy going on with Sasha and Naomi during that time because I was a producer then. I know they were very unhappy the way they were being, you know, showcase.”
D-Von said he could not fully remember every detail, including whether there were discussions involving money, but he was certain the situation was deeper than just being Women’s Tag Team Champions at the time.
“And I do know that they might have been money discoversing with money. I don’t fully remember, but I do know they were just unhappy with where they were at the time. And I think they were tagged to the champion at the time. But it was something more to that. Yeah, it was something more to it than being tagged in champions. It was the way, I forget what it was, but it was something more to it.”
He added that Naomi and Mercedes should be the ones to explain their version if they ever choose to do so, instead of everyone else guessing about what really happened.
“And I’m sure those ladies, you know, that’s their story to tell. So you know, if ever having the opportunity would come on the show, we can ask them and you can get their version of it as opposed to a speculating what happened and why it did what it did.”
D-Von was also asked whether companies should publicly criticize talent during disputes, and he made it clear he does not think those issues should be aired out in public. In his view, company-talent problems should stay private because fans do not need every detail while emotions are still high.
“I in my opinion, and this is what I feel, if there’s beef within the company that you have with your talent, I don’t feel that it’s appropriate to go out there and put it out there in the public because the public doesn’t need to know the insurance and outs of what’s going on.”
He said the better approach is to handle things internally and avoid feeding public opinion before all sides can be understood. D-Von added that companies can simply say “no comment” and let time create a clearer picture later, even if that takes years.
“I just feel like go into your own issues on your own without having to bring the public into it, having them have their own opinion. You know, it’s like no comment, it’s easy, no comment, you know? And when the time is right and when they could be 10/15/20 years from now, we can all look at it and go, OK, now I understand why what happened.”
Naomi previously said the 2022 walkout was about standing up for herself as Trinity, not just as her WWE character. D-Von’s comments now add another layer from someone who was inside WWE at the time, making it clear he believes the public never got the full story.
In the end, D-Von didn’t reveal every backstage detail, but his message was obvious: don’t assume Naomi and Mercedes Moné were simply being difficult. From his perspective, there was more behind that walkout than WWE’s public version ever explained.
Do you think WWE should have kept the Naomi and Mercedes Moné situation private? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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