RIP Dusty Rhodes

Proof that even a fat man with a lisp can make it big in America.

 

RIP, Dream. I grew up on NWA wrestling. I wasn't much of a Dusty Rhodes mark -- I was a Ric Flair guy -- but there's no denying Dusty's influence on Flair and on the business. I was fortunate to meet him a few times and came within a hair of refereeing one of his matches in 2004. I was one of three refs on the card. He wrestled Kamala that night. I refereed the next match with Road Warrior Animal and Rick Steiner vs. The Powers of Pain. You'll be missed, Dusty.

 

I posted this on the wrestling thread, but I'll repost here for those who don't read it, with a few edits:

It's always shocking, even though the last few times he'd appeared on TV, he hadn't looked well. He was very thin, which, for those who remember him, he had pretty much never been that.

He came to my hometown a few years back for a charity show, and I got a pic with him. There was a line, so I really didn't get to say much to him. Then he cut a promo in the ring about the charity in his imitable style, and a local heel came out to challenge him, and he gave the guy some jabs and the bionic elbow. He was really quick with it, and it was a really cool thing to see in my hometown.

As much criticism as he earned for his backstage stuff, on screen, he was just awesome to watch. RIP

 

Good lord. I hope they reinforced the ring for that one.

 

One of the very best. Saw one of his big matches with Harley Race way back in 1980 or so. I was 8. Unfortunately, the only thing I really recall from the night was catching a glimpse of the Dream in his birthday suit as I waited for my dad outside the locker room. It was my first experience with a sports locker room.

Tampa Sports History: The Last Tangle in Tampa, 8/3/80

The thing that always amazed me about Rhodes and all the wrestlers of that era was the amount of scar tissue on their foreheads from the razor blades they'd use to create the "crimson mask."

 

So....1A?

I lobbied to have it on our sports front, but it got pushed to the obits page

 

Just for posterity's sake:

"He put hard times on Dusty Rhodes and his family. You don’t know what hard times are, daddy. Hard times are when the textile workers around this country are out of work, they got 4 or 5 kids and can’t pay their wages, can’t buy their food. Hard times are when the auto workers are out of work and they tell ‘em to go home. And hard times are when a man has worked at a job for thirty years, thirty years, and they give him a watch, kick him in the butt and say 'hey a computer took your place, daddy', that’s hard times! That’s hard times! And Ric Flair you put hard times on this country by takin’ Dusty Rhodes out, that’s hard times. And we all had hard times together, and I admit, I don’t look like the athlete of the day supposed to look. My belly’s just a lil’ big, my heiny’s a lil’ big, but brother, I am bad. And they know I’m bad."

 

"Hey a computer took your place, daddy"

As true today as it was then. RIP.

 

My favorite memory was watching NWA end on WTBS with the Four Horsemen beating up Rhodes (and Schivone yelling about being out of time). The Braves were hosting the Pirates, so I kept watching. Midway through the game, the cameras show Flair and Rhodes sitting together, drinking beers.

 

Surprisingly, yes. He's pretty big around these parts. Doubt he'll get that play in most places.

 

I was lucky enough to see Dusty wrestle live back in the Championship Wrestling from Florida days (late 70's-early 80's). He was the most popular sports personality in the Tampa Bay area back then. The war with Kevin Sullivan (The Midnight Rider vs. Lucifer) was an amazingly great and ridiculous story line.
Dusty and Gordon Solie were like a great comedy team together.

 

The "mystery" of The Midnight Rider was both ridiculous and awesome.