During a recent episode of Busted Open Radio, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray shared a vivid memory from his WWE career when he experienced intense fear due to an interaction with Vince McMahon. The moment occurred when Bully Ray, then performing as Bubba Ray Dudley, went over WWE’s allotted TV time by five minutes during a broadcast. This small but significant mistake led to a tense situation with McMahon, who was known for his high standards and strict adherence to time limits on live TV.
Bully Ray recalled how the situation left him feeling paralyzed with fear, as McMahon’s reaction was far from forgiving. He described the pressure and anxiety he felt in the moment, which highlighted the intense environment of working under McMahon’s leadership. Ray went on to elaborate on the lasting impact that moment had on him, shaping how he approached his work in the company moving forward. Below are some key highlights from the conversation, as reported by WrestlingInc.com:
Bully Ray on going five minutes over WWE’s allotted TV time:
“We went five minutes over. If you go one minute over on live TV, you’re getting your ass chewed out. Five minutes over? You’re fired.”
Bully Ray on being paralyzed by fear by Vince McMahon:
“Vince looks at me, and he says, ‘If you ever go five minutes over on my live television show again … it better be as good as that.’ That was the first time I ever froze in the wrestling business. I don’t think it ever happened again. I was paralyzed by fear. This was real.”
Bully Ray on there being some leniency on going over time if they did exceptional work:
“If you messed up your match, the old man was gonna be staring at you with his glasses down at the tip of his nose, waving his finger, ‘Come over here.’”
