Keith Lee’s sudden new direction has already confused fans, and now D-Von Dudley is worried about where it could be taking him. After hearing about Lee’s involvement with Darius J. Wright and AYDA, D-Von said he hopes what he was being told isn’t true.
During an appearance on the DukeLovesRassling podcast, Duke explained the situation surrounding Lee to D-Von. D-Von wasn’t claiming any firsthand knowledge about AYDA or declaring it a cult himself, but what he heard was enough to concern him.
“But I hope that brother, I hope what I’m hearing isn’t true and to get out of this cult.”
“But again, only until you actually go through what you’re going to go through with this cult, if it is a cult, it’s the only way you’re going to realize when something goes wrong that it’s bad news.”
D-Von Dudley kept coming back to that “if.” He didn’t know enough about AYDA to say what it actually is, and he ultimately hoped the cult characterization Duke had presented to him was wrong.
“Other than that, they’re not going to admit that it’s bad news. They’re not going to do that at all. They’ll keep doing what they’re doing.”
“But I hope, I pray and hope that I, I pray and hope that it’s not a cult.”
Duke had his own message for Lee. He addressed him directly and suggested that if Lee is searching for something spiritually, he shouldn’t put another human being in the place of God.
“All I’ll say is, Brother Keith Lee, listen, man. We’re fans of yours, bro. Whatever it is that’s going on, you can’t replace God with man.”
“So, if you’re, if you’re on some kind of spiritual journey and you need a spiritual awakening, there are paths to get there.”
“Now, I’m not telling you to pick any religion. I’m just telling you to pick God. And you can take that anywhere you want. But man ain’t God. Just know that.”
That sent D-Von into a larger point about his own Christian beliefs. He brought up the Bible’s warnings about “false prophets” and said people need to understand their faith rather than blindly following someone who claims to have the answers.
“Well, remember the Bible says that there will be false prophets that will come in his name, but yet they’re not.”
“And you have to be a, and the thing about it is, well, how do we know? Well, you have to know your Bible.”
D-Von also compared that to the amount of attention people give social media, arguing that believers should spend some of that same energy studying their faith.
“We’re so, we’re so, we’re so quick to grab the phone and look at social media and see what’s going on and the BS that they put out on there.”
“But when was the last time you can honestly say you picked up, you picked up the Bible, if you’re a believer, and pretty much, you know, study the word of God?”
He wasn’t trying to tell everyone listening that Christianity had to be their answer either. D-Von made a point of saying that this is what works for him personally and acknowledged that other people may find their own way through life.
“But I’m going, I’m telling you how I deal through life. I’m telling you it works for me.”
“It may not work for you and, but if it doesn’t, whatever works for you works for you. But again, if you want to know the truth, read your Bible.”
Lee only resurfaced on social media on September 11 after staying almost completely silent for nearly a year. He appeared alongside Wright while promoting AYDA, or “Awaken Your Dormant Abilities,” and fans quickly started calling the program a “cult.”
That description remains an accusation rather than an established fact. Wright describes himself as a consciousness explorer, while his “The Great Work” offers paid teachings involving out-of-body experiences and what he calls non-physical reality.
Bryan Alvarez has since reported that Lee’s interest in all of this is no gimmick. He was told Lee is “all in” on AYDA and that the situation was part of what he had previously heard when discussing the belief that Lee had retired from professional wrestling.
Bottom line: D-Von doesn’t know whether the label being thrown around online actually fits. He just heard what Duke had to say, didn’t like the sound of it and is hoping Keith Lee hasn’t found himself somewhere he’ll eventually wish he had left sooner.
Do you think D-Von Dudley’s concerns about Keith Lee are fair, or is it too early to judge what Lee is involved with? Let us know in the comments.
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.
