Big Daddy Dudley would be proud.

Not even the "father" of wrestling's most famous half-brothers could have predicted the success of Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley since arriving last August in the World Wrestling Federation. Neither did the industry analysts who wondered whether the Dudleys could do right in the WWF after leaving Extreme Championship Wrestling.

"Nobody ever thought we would get to this level," said 29-year-old Buh Buh Ray, whose real name is Mark Lomonica. "When we first came [to the WWF], so many people said it was a bad move and we would never survive and get anywhere. We thought, 'No problem. Just give us a couple of months.' Once they did, we showed what we're capable of when they give us the ball."

The Dudleys began teaming in ECW in 1996, with D-Von (27-year-old Devon Hughes) and his "brothers" picking on the popular Buh Buh Ray until he turned heel. The Dudleys proceeded to win the ECW tag-team titles a promotion-record eight times before jumping to the WWF.

The Dudleys started on the bottom of the WWF ladder, with Buh Buh Ray reverting to the stuttering gimmick that brought him early ECW success. The Dudleys, though, found their niche with a hot finishing maneuver (the 3-D) and by driving opponents -- especially female performers such as Mae Young, Lita and Trish Stratus -- through tables.

In another generation, such antics would have made the Dudleys villains. But with the makeup of today's wrestling fans, male-on-female violence is one of the quickest ways to popularize a performer.

"We didn't click right off the bat with people, but we were monster heels [in ECW]," said Buh Buh Ray, who WWF announcers claim enters an "orgasmic trance" upon putting a female wrestler through a table. "Now, we're at the other end of the pendulum. We're babyfaces. I can't even believe I said that word.

"The WWF is a babyface territory. The fans want to chant along with Rocky (aka Davie resident Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson). They want to dance with Too Cool. And they want to see the Dudley Boyz mess people up, put women through tables and deliver the 3-D. They like the violence."

Tori is the next WWF female likely to get "tabled." Tori -- who has driven Buh Buh Ray through tables on two occasions -- will team with her Degeneration X partners X-Pac and Road Dogg to face the Dudleys in a handicap tables-and-garbage-Dumpsters match on Sunday's King of the Ring pay-per-view show. Both props will be legal, stemming from DX stuffing the Dudleys into a Dumpster and rolling it off a stage on last week's Smackdown telecast.

Considering how promoters have split some of the most popular tag teams of the 1990s such as the Legion of Doom and Harlem Heat, a Buh Buh Ray vs. D-Von feud may be inevitable. But both Dudleys would like to stay a bespectacled duo for as long as possible.

"We can go down as one of the best teams ever," said D-Von, who was a postal worker before breaking into the business as a student of "Unpredictable" Johnny Rodz. "We'd love to have that title once our careers were said and done. We'd like to have people someday looking at us like, 'The damn Dudleys were phenomenal. Nobody can hold a candle to them.'

"If Buh-Buh were to go out on his own, he'd do great. But the best ting is that together we can make this work as a tag team. I think any promoter would realize he has a good thing going."

Tickets remain on sale for a WWF Smackdown taping July 4 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise. For more information, call the arena box office at 835-8000 or Ticketmaster at 523-3309 ... Tickets are on sale for an ECW show Aug. 11 at the Fort Lauderdale War Memorial, 800 NE Eighth St. For information, call 761-5380.

Questions and answers

Q. What happened to The Patriot? -- Dave Cotton, Aurora, Col.

A. The Patriot (real name Del Wilkes) was forced to retire because of chronic triceps injuries. Wilkes reportedly is interested in writing a tell-all book on his days in the business.

More of the Dudley Boyz interview can be found at www.wrestlingobserver.com. Alex Marvez also is host of an Internet chat session from 7-8 p.m. Mondays at www.lycos.com. Questions can be sent to Marvez c/o the

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