Yesterday, the wrestling world and sports world as a whole suffered a heavy loss when wrestling great Dusty Rhodes passed away at the age of 69. I first got the news of Dusty's passing from a Tweet by Triple H paying tribute to him. Others would follow such as Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and others. Dusty's contributions in wrestling reach far and wide. He wined and dined with Kings and Queens. He slept on alleys and dined on pork & beans. That means that Dusty saw the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. Rhodes was the ultimate definition of blue collar, which is what automatically drew fans to him. He was able to think on his feet during his promos. Just like Stone Cold, The Rock, Hulk Hogan or Macho Man to name a few, Dusty was one of those people that you had to listen to when he picked up a microphone. When he walked into a building, you could feel his charisma immediately. Even watching at home, you could tell there was something unique about him. What Rhodes lacked in physique, he more than made up for with his mic skills and ring work.
Dusty got his start in wrestling in a tag team called the Texas Outlaws with long time friend Dick Murdoch. They were a heel tag team in the AWA. Rhodes would eventually part ways with Murdoch as he moved to Championship Wrestling in Florida, where he became the biggest draw that the promotion had ever had. By 1974, Dusty became a full-fledged face during a tag match with his partner Pak Song against Mike and Eddie Graham. Rhodes turned on his partner before eliminating Mike and Eddie as he cleaned house. According to his 2006 Documentary "The American Dream" Dusty would go to every armory in Florida and sell out the shows. He would gain a grassroots following piece by piece. Rhodes would also gain prominence in Georgia along with other NWA territories, but Florida was the place that helped him shine the brightest. Dusty was easily recognizable because of how common his appearance was. Eventually, he caught the eye of Vincent J. McMahon, Sr., as he would make the move to the Northeast to wrestle for the World Wide Wrestling Federation at the time. The American Dream would receive his first glimpse of the bright lights of New York working for the WWWF. McMahon had never seen a performer like Dusty before that time, because Rhodes was not built like the typical Vince McMahon prototype. His greatest claim to fame in the WWWF was his series of spectacular matches with "Superstar" Billy Graham. Their matches included a match for the WWWF Title, a Texas Death Match and a Texas Bullrope match. Rhodes would eventually return to the NWA, as he would defeat Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on August 21, 1979 in Tampa, FL. The match was the PWI Match of the Year, as Rhodes was highly celebrated after his spectacular win. Harley was one of the Dream's best opponents before Dusty transitioned into battling his best dance partner, Ric Flair.
Some can say that the seeds to their feud may have been planted when Flair defeated him for the NWA World Heavyweight Title on September 16, 1981 in Kansas City, MO. It took a while for them to have another encounter, but you could tell that they had the makings of something great down the line. By 1984-85, the feud would escalate even further as Flair became even more of an arrogant heel. Dusty automatically became the top babyface in the promotion, as he and Flair took the NWA to greater heights than before. The Four Horesmen originated after Arn and Ole Anderson attacked Dusty and broke his leg. On October 29, 1985, Dusty Rhodes delivered his most intense and passionate promo "Hard Times". The way that he connected with the common people during that promo gave him even greater national exposure, as he continued to chase The Nature Boy for the title. Even Maria Menounous did a great impression of Dusty's Hard Times promo. If Dusty appreciated her impression, then none of the smarks have a right to criticize her. Their signature matches included their battle at Starrcade '85, and Great American Bash '86 which was the peak of their feud. Rhodes defeated Flair in the Steel Cage, as other wrestlers from the locker room rushed into the cage to celebrate with him. His journey had culminated in that match, as it was the "Match of the Year" for 1986. In 1987, Dusty was named "Most Popular Wrestler" by PWI. That is significant, considering the fact that Hulk Hogan headlined the biggest WrestleMania of that time (WM III), as he bodyslammed Andre The Giant. At that point, Hogan was at the pinnacle of his career. Yet, Dusty edged him out in popularity, even if it was just for that year. That shows how deeply that Rhodes connected with so many fans. Dusty would become more familiar with the larger mainstream WWF crowd with his "Common Man" gimmick where he would wear Polka Dots. Even though it may still be viewed as a rib my many people today, Dusty was able to make the most out it. He truly did.
As a booker, Dusty was the mastermind behind Starrcade before WrestleMania was born and took the world by storm. Rhodes was the innovator behind WarGames and BattleBowl. In WWE, Dusty's career backstage received new life as he became one of the mentors for the young talent in NXT. Rhodes has always had a keen eye for talent, as he has been able to shape and guide the careers of these upcoming stars with his wisdom. Even the newer generations have had the chance to receive the many things that he had to offer. Everyone from John Cena, Randy Orton, all the way down to a Bray Wyatt or Kevin Owens have talked about the things that Dusty has taught them. The Divas such as Natalya and The Bella Twins are extremely grateful for what they learned from him. Everyone has expressed their love for him, and how he has helped to direct them. You can tell that Dusty has had a profound influence on Triple H by how he has done an incredible job as a Booker and Executive for NXT. His contributions even outside of the ring are what make him stand the test of time. Now, it is time to finish with one last Bionic Elbow for the American Dream if you will, daddy. The Hard Times are now over. Rest in Peace and Power, Dusty.
(Painting Courtesy of: Rob Schamberger. Twitter: @RobSchamberger)
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