• Home
  • Movies
  • Music
  • TV
  • Video Games
  • Wrestling
  • Topics
  • Latest Comments
Search
Cult of Whatever logo
  • Movies
    Featured
    • The Living Daylights: Timothy Dalton as James Bond

      The Living Daylights is still awesome, thirty-five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 28, 2022
      Movie Blogs
    Recent
    • Elvis: Austin Butler

      REVIEW: ELVIS beautifully mythologizes the King of Rock and Roll

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 25, 2022
    • The Black Phone: Ethan Hawke as The Grabber

      REVIEW: THE BLACK PHONE is a flat, dull, rushed non-horror movie

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 25, 2022
    • Jurassic World Dominion Logo

      REVIEW: Jurassic World Dominion – Here we go again…again

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 12, 2022
    • Three Men and a Baby: Tom Selleck and Ted Danson

      Three Men and a Baby is still awesome thirty five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 31, 2022
    • The Bob's Burgers Movie Poster

      REVIEW: Bob’s Burgers The Movie is Bob’s Burgers The Show, which means it’s great

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 28, 2022
    • Top Gun Maverick: Tom Cruise

      REVIEW: Top Gun Maverick is a sequel that soars!

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 27, 2022
  • Music
    Random
    • Michael Jackson Thriller Album Cover

      Thirty years ago music fans said "Nevermind" to Michael Jackson

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 21, 2021
      Music Blogs
    Recent
    • The Beatles: Get Back

      What GET BACK reveals about the Beatles

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 15, 2021
    • Simon And Garfunkel at Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam1982

      The Boxer is a song about being conned

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 4, 2021
    • Lady Gaga: Chromatica Album Cover

      Lady Gaga’s discography is totally out of order

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 3, 2021
    • Queen II Album Cover

      On Queen’s The Miracle, and the importance of track ordering

      By Matthew Martin
      | February 16, 2021
    • Linda Paul Mccartney 1976

      50 years ago, McCartney dropped “Lennon” and went solo…

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 5, 2020
    • Beatles Usa 1964

      50 years ago the Beatles said “The End”

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 31, 2019
  • TV
    Featured
    • Nancy Drew S03e01: Kennedy McMann as Nancy

      Nancy Drew S03E01 Review: The Warning of the Frozen Heart - Uh-oh!

      By Salome G
      | October 10, 2021
      TV Blogs
    Recent
    • Riverdale S06e18: Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge

      Riverdale S06E18 Review: Biblical – Spooky chaos!

      By Salome G
      | June 29, 2022
    • Roswell, New Mexico S04e04: Heather Hemmens and Sherri Saum as Maria and Mimi DeLuca

      Roswell, New Mexico S04E04 Review: Dear Mama – Emotional?

      By Salome G
      | June 29, 2022
    • Evil S03e03: Katja Herbers and Aasif Mandvi as Kristen Bouchard and Ben Shakir

      Evil S03E03 Review: The Demon of Sex – Contrived?

      By Salome G
      | June 29, 2022
    • Dark Winds S01e03: kinaaldá Ceremony

      Dark Winds S01E03 Review: K’e – Swoon!

      By Salome G
      | June 29, 2022
    • Roswell, New Mexico S04e03: Sibongile Mlambo, Lily Cowles and Michael Trevino as Anatsa, Isobel and Kyle

      Roswell, New Mexico S04E03 Review: Subterranean Homesick Alien – Treading water?

      By Salome G
      | June 23, 2022
    • Obi-Wan Kenobi Series: Ewan McGregor and Vivien Lyra Blair as Obi-Wan and Leia

      REVIEW: Obi-Wan Kenobi had a good season and little else

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 22, 2022
  • Video Games
    Featured
    • Arkham Knight

      Batman: Arkham Knight - A fitting end to a trilogy

      By Tom Farr
      | July 18, 2015
      Video Game Reviews
    Recent
    • Legend Of Zelda

      Can a Legend of Zelda movie work?

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 6, 2022
    • Super Mario 64

      Which system had the better launch: A battle of four Nintendo consoles

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 1, 2021
    • Luigi's Mansion

      Happy twentieth to Nintendo’s underrated gem, the Gamecube

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 18, 2021
    • Metroid Dread

      Metroid Dread – Post Game analysis and sequel needs

      By Matthew Martin
      | October 29, 2021
    • Mario Headphones

      The SNES Turns 30: A look at some of the system’s best soundtracks

      By Matthew Martin
      | October 22, 2021
    • Metroid Dread Poster

      REVIEW: Metroid Dread reawakens the old gamer in me

      By Matthew Martin
      | October 11, 2021
  • Wrestling
    Featured
    • Wwe Payback 2017 Poster 2

      Your SO OF COURSE preview of WWE Payback 2017

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 30, 2017
      WWE Blogs
    Recent
    • AEW Double or Nothing 2022: CM Punk vs Adam Page

      REVIEW: AEW Double or Nothing 2022 delivered an up-and-down show

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 30, 2022
    • MJF on AEW Dynamite 17th November 2021

      Getting AEW to the next level…

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 29, 2022
    • Raw 210501: Triple H and Stephanie McMahon

      May 21, 2001 – A (forgotten) date that will live in WWE infamy

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 20, 2022
    • WWE WrestleMania 39 Logo

      Your WAY TOO EARLY predictions for WWE WrestleMania 39!

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 20, 2022
    • WWE WrestleMania 38 Poster

      Your SO OF COURSE preview of WWE WRESTLEMANIA 38!

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 30, 2022
    • Wrestlemania 31 Paige Aj Lee 2

      BOOK REVIEW: The Women of WrestleMania is a balanced take on an under-valued slice of history

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 16, 2022
  • Topics
    • site logo
    Latest
    • Riverdale S06E18 Review: Biblical - Spooky chaos!
    • Roswell, New Mexico S04E04 Review: Dear Mama - Emotional?
    • Evil S03E03 Review: The Demon of Sex - Contrived?
    • Dark Winds S01E03 Review: K'e - Swoon!
    • REVIEW: ELVIS beautifully mythologizes the King of Rock and Roll
    • REVIEW: THE BLACK PHONE is a flat, dull, rushed non-horror movie
    • Latest Comments

    Hard Times Come Again No More: Saying goodbye to The American Dream

    By Matthew Martin
    | June 12, 2015
    Wrestling

    I’ve written eulogies before. I’ve written plenty of career retrospectives. Each one is different because each wrestler is unique. Their stories, their influence, and what kind of people they were outside of the ring naturally shapes what their legacy will be.

    With some icons, their lives were controversial and when they die you have to kind of force yourself to reexamine them. Michael Jackson was the butt of so many jokes but when he died–the very day and from then on–he was revered as the pop icon he was/is. I guess it’s because, while they are alive, we are judging them in the moment, but when they die we immediately look at the sum total of their body of work. When you do that, it’s easier to say “yes but” and give credit where its due to a great artist who may or may not have been a great person.

    That will not be necessary here.

    Dusty Rhodes, the affectionately-dubbed “American Dream” has died, and his legacy will be just as positive as it was while he was yet living. He will be remembered today, on the day of his death, the way he was thought of yesterday, when he was still alive: As an icon of the industry, a kind soul, with a one-of-a-kind resume and a willingness to pass on his knowledge to future generations. He will be remembered for what he has always been: First a unique wrestling talent, then a wonderful creative force, and recently a quintessential “wise old man in the room” who was more than ready to help an upstart learn just what to say in his promo, just how to say it in her backstage interview, just the way to walk so as to exude charisma and ooze pizazz and just the way to act in order to make a special connection with the audience.

    ~~~~~

    As a wrestler Rhodes was unique. He was the first “this guy doesn’t look like a wrestler” main eventer. In the late 70’s he had a few WWWF title matches with Superstar Billy Graham, pictured below:

    Billy Graham Magazine Covers

    Meanwhile, this was what Dusty looked like back then:

    Dusty Rhodes Magazine Covers

    He was…plump…in an era where wrestlers were essentially body builders with a little bit of personality as a bonus. In fact that’s been the norm in every era of Pro Wrestling, and it’s the reason why guys like Mick Foley and Kevin Owens are such unique specimens (literally) and why it’s such a huge deal when someone who looks like that achieves success. Wrestling is a worked sport; you may be the most beloved superstar on the roster, but if the promoter doesn’t want you representing his company he can hold you back and keep you jerking the curtain. Dusty Rhodes should have been a curtain-jerking nobody, but through an untrainable, indescribable “it factor.” He was a headliner almost from the moment he laced up his boots.

    His biggest claim to fame came as the top babyface for Jim Crocket Promotions (the spiritual forebearer to WCW).

    With each title win, Dusty would celebrate his victory as one for the little guy, sticking it to the man. He was like Stone Cold, except in a more inspirational way. Starting in the mid-80’s Dusty Rhodes was the posterboy-opposition to the reign of terror that was The Four Horsemen. Although Dusty was a two-time champ before Flair won his first world title, an (and won it from Rhodes!) the story of Rhodes as the underdog was easily told: While Flair and his posse were limo riding, jet setting, high society-types, Rhodes was the middle class working man trying to earn a fair shot at the World’s champ. It was Rocky, except without the challenger ever earning a begrudging respect of the champ. Instead, Flair would make Rhodes’ life miserable. Many times it would appear that Rhodes had captured the Big Gold Belt only to have the decision reversed and the title remain with Flair, much to the sadness of the challenger and the vitriol of the audience.

    Ric Flair Dusty Rhodes Figure 4 2

    The most memorable moment in their historic rivalry would come after Ric Flair broke Dusty’s ankle. His time away left Jim Crocket Promotions without its hero, but upon returning, The American Dream cut one of the greatest promos of all time, en route to his incredible title win at The Great American Bash 1986 (which snapped Flair’s two year-long run with the championship).

    ~~~~~

    As a booker, promoter and writer, Dusty Rhodes is credited with imagining many of the greatest concepts in the sport. War Games, The Great American Bash and Fall Brawl are just a few of his contributions to pro graps. On the other side of the coin, Rhodes was the brains behind the eponymous “dusty finish” where a title challenger seemingly wins the belt, only to have the decision reversed in a technicality. The idea itself is great booking when used sparingly, but it ended up being overdone and matches felt cheap as a result.

    Still, many older fans look back on those days and reminiscence about the various ways a title change would be undone: the challenger wore a mask, the challenger accidentally backed into the ref, the challenger bled too much. And so on. I was talking recently with one older fan about dusty finishes in the 80’s and he said “It got to the point where I wouldn’t trust a title change until the champ was in his car driving home…and even then I was suspicious.” Overdone though it may have been, it became a hallmark of the era and gave the fans a euphoric reaction when the title finally did—for real—switch hands.

    You only need to look at the statements made by some of wrestling’s biggest names in order to appreciate the impact Dusty Rhodes had, on them personally and on wrestling entirely.

    Dusty Rhodes Hall Of Fame

    Paul Heyman, Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Harley Race, Triple H and others have all described Rhodes as a brilliant mind in wrestling, with an ability to think outside the box and come up with a concept or an idea that you didn’t even know you wanted, but once you saw it, you wanted to buy it.

    ~~~~~

    When he returned to WWE in the mid-2000’s he served as a creative consultant and ambassador to the company. When NXT and the Performance Center launched, he worked closely with the rookies, helping them hone their promo skills. There’s a long list of guys in wrestling’s history who could cut an impassioned promo, but few were as real as The Dream. Some could have gone to Florida to work with the trainees, and there’s a long list of ex-wrestlers that fans have desired to see down there training, but their personal demons or inability to articulate how to hone the craft would have made the work unfulfilling and lacking.

    Dusty Cody Rhodes Ted Dibiase

    Dusty was the best man for the job of mentoring WWE’s future, and the work that he accomplished in his short time in that role is seen whenever you compare the mic skills of someone like Sami Zayn or Sasha Banks in 2013 as opposed to 2015. He wasn’t just great at it, he was great at teaching it. That’s a rare talent.

    ~~~~~

    And now that talent is gone.

    Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

    YouTube privacy policy

    If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

    I rewatched that famous “hard times” promo (which was so resonating that struggling American workers would stop him on the streets to thank him for it) looking for some kind of angle or hook or even just a little inspiration to kick me out of the funk I’ve been in since hearing the news. I found two quotes that stand out to me:

    The love that was given me, I will repay you.

    His memory will live on, his kindness will not be forgotten, his generosity, inspiration and passion will always be celebrated. And above all, the love that we gave him—while he wrestled “for us” and struggled “for us” and eventually won “for us”—he repaid it to us ten fold.

    There were two bad people. One was John Wayne, and he’s dead, brotha, and the other one’s right here.

    Not anymore.

    Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

    YouTube privacy policy

    If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

    So long to the American Dream.

    Share this article:

    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit

    Tags

    Dusty RhodesThe American Dreamwrestling deaths

    COMMENTS

    Please read our Commenting Policy before you join in with the discussion.

    Note: If you have email notifications enabled, please check your email spam folders to ensure emails are not missed.

    Subscribe
    Connect withD
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    Notify of
    guest
    Connect withD
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    guest
    0 Comments
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments

    You might also like

    • The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story DVD Review

      By Stephen Lyon
      | June 8, 2006
    • Curtain Call: An unfitting end to a Hall of Fame career

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 27, 2015
    • DVD Review: Macho Man – The Randy Savage Story

      By Henry Higgins
      | December 8, 2014
    • Ric Flair Interview

      By Josh Modaberi
      | January 7, 2013
    • Starrcade: The Essential Collection DVD Review

      By Henry Higgins
      | February 21, 2009

    FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

    Wrestling Topics

    Recommended for you

    • REVIEW: AEW Double or Nothing 2022 delivered an up-and-down show

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 30, 2022
    • Getting AEW to the next level…

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 29, 2022
    • May 21, 2001 – A (forgotten) date that will live in WWE infamy

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 20, 2022
    • Your WAY TOO EARLY predictions for WWE WrestleMania 39!

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 20, 2022
    • Money in the Bank and making a main-eventer

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 31, 2017
    • What we want from an AEW video game

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 31, 2021
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Cookie Policy and Settings
    • Terms of Use
    • Photo Credits
    • RSS
    All Cult of Whatever articles, logos, illustrations and graphics are copyright CultOfWhatever.com. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. © 2021 CultOfWhatever. All Rights Reserved.
    • facebook
    • twitter
    wpDiscuz