D-Von Dudley has sharpened his defense of Sheamus’ agent Nick LoPiccolo, moving beyond simply acknowledging bullying allegations to directly condemn the use of intimidation and pressure tactics against agents during contract talks.
Speaking on his podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer drew a hard line: a disagreement over a deal should never turn into an attempt to scare the person representing the talent.
Dudley returned to the subject on the D-Von and the Duke podcast after his co-host relayed that LoPiccolo appreciated him publicly speaking on the matter. LoPiccolo has accused Tony Khan and members of the AEW office of bullying and harassment during negotiations, claiming the conduct damaged his talent-management business.
Dudley framed the situation as something he had never seen in three decades in the business.
I’ve heard of agents not being able to cut a deal because they were so far off, but never to the point where an agent accused the company of bullying. I’ve never heard of that,” Dudley said.
He was careful not to make accusations about anything he did not witness. Dudley said it was hard for him to imagine Khan as a bully, but he didn’t dismiss LoPiccolo’s account from outside the room.
It’s hard for me to look at Tony Khan as being a bully, but I don’t know. I’m not in the room, and I’m not there with the negotiation. So, you’ve got to take him at his word. That’s what he felt. Can’t deny the man,” Dudley said.
Dudley Condemns Intimidation In Negotiations
The heart of Dudley’s latest remarks was a blunt rejection of using pressure when a deal is not going a company’s way. He argued that agents exist precisely to handle tense business conversations between wrestlers and promoters.
But threatening or making somebody feel uncomfortable just because they’re actually trying to discuss business, I never understood that. If business doesn’t go the right way, we lead to stuff like that? That’s stupid. That’s ridiculous,” Dudley said.
For Dudley, speaking on the conflict was about exposing the behavior rather than stoking drama. He said the goal was to get the issue into the open and possibly stop it.
He also tied the situation to what he sees as a broader breakdown of respect in the modern wrestling business, saying people no longer follow protocol and that veterans often prefer the old-school way because “at least there was respect back then.”
Sheamus Situation Complicates Any AEW Pursuit
The stakes here run through Sheamus, who LoPiccolo continues to represent. When Dudley made his comments, Sheamus was described as working as a free agent, though his current contractual status cannot be independently confirmed as of now and should be treated as unverified.
This guy still represents Sheamus, who by the way is a free agent. And I’m so glad he’s still working with Sheamus because Sheamus is a hell of a talent, hell of a worker, hell of a human being,” Dudley said.
Dudley’s co-host went further, directly telling Khan to “grow up” and claiming media figures had told him Khan threatened them. Those accusations came from the co-host, not Dudley, who declined to repeat them and instead offered a warning that such behavior “will all come back to bite you in one way, shape or form.”
Dudley also revisited his own history with Khan, referencing a claim that he was left waiting backstage all day for a planned meeting. “That sh*t will never happen again,” he said, adding he would rather return to the post office than let it happen.
