D-Von Dudley Reflects On Iconic TLC Match From WrestleMania 17

The Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match involving The Dudleys (D-Von Dudley and Bubba Ray Dudley), The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy), and Christian and Edge at WrestleMania 17 is one of the greatest bouts to ever take place in the history of The Show of Shows.

That match is still hailed as a benchmark when it comes to TLC bouts, and D-Von Dudley recently reflected on the same during an interaction with Denise Salcedo. D-Von said that what made that match special compared to the SummerSlam 2000 bout or other TLC matches that he has been involved in was that it had three extra elements in the form of Lita, Rhyno, and Spike Dudley.

“Well, 30 years later, 25 or 30 years later, they are still talking about it. Apparently, we did something right. We were clicking on all cylinders that night, and even with the other TLC matches, but that one was special. Because not only did we have six guys doing stuff with tables, ladders, and chairs, but we added three other elements to it, which were Lita, Rhyno, and Spike. So, to have all of that and to be able to tell that type of story with no mess-ups—thank god, there was nothing in there that we can honestly say, ‘Oh, well, we should have done that. We should have done this instead,’ but everything just really clicked,” he said.

D-Von Dudley then went on to state that he and the guys involved in that iconic match would always be considered the “grandfathers of TLC” purely because the dangerous stuff that they did was storyline-driven, unlike what modern wrestlers do. He also revealed he learned the nitty-gritty details of a TLC match every time he performed in one and got better and better at it with time.

“It blows my mind the things we did. We will always be considered the grandfathers of TLC because these guys nowadays do so many exciting but dangerous things. Back then, we did dangerous things, too, but it was more storytelling than it was action, and I think that’s what made it so much easier for us. Because it’s Shakespeare, that’s what wrestling is; it’s Shakespeare. And we were able to do that in that match and all the other TLC matches, but in each TLC match, I felt I learned. How to sell? How to stay down? How to wait for your opportunity to come back around when it’s your turn to get up and do something. So each one, I felt I got better and better at. Because when you’re doing that match and you’re in front of all those people, you tend to rush. But I felt after watching each TLC over and over again before 17, I was able to go, ‘No, that’s not the case!’”

Check out D-Von Dudley’s comments below:

Please credit Denise Salcedo’s YouTube and give an H/T to 411Mania for the transcription if you take quotes from this copy.