Beast Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 Yeah I watched Stampede for the first time all the way through on the Network yesterday and that match was MOTN for me. I'm curious if that's his best singles performance overall careerwise for most. The vast majority of his highly rated matches (Meltzer-wise at least) are all tag or multi-man matches with just the Buck match, Vader Clash, Austin Havoc, and Anderson Havoc matches getting over 3 stars for 1 on 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 He had a really great match with Arn Anderson on the 1/4/92 WCWSN too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Casebolt Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 For Dustin, probably the Vader Clash match. For Goldust, the Backlot Brawl with Piper was a match I didn't think much of at the time, but it's really grown on me over the years. His tag work with Cody's been his best sustained run, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claw64 Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 I preferred Dustin Rhodes to Goldust  In ring yes. As a character no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMJ Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 I just watched the Ironman Match for Beach Blast 93' for the first time and thoroughly disliked it (based on other reviews I've read, I'm not alone). It just seems to me, if you break it up into 5 minute segments, the segments are almost out of order. I also expected better, considering how highly I thought of both guys work around this time and have enjoyed rewatching their matches in my journey through 90s WCW. Then, I found this on Scott Keith's Blog of Doom site, it is his review of the match from way back when:  --------------------------------------------------------- - US Title match, Ironman challenge: Dustin Rhodes v. Rick Rude.  Most falls in 30 minutes wins. This was a horrible feud as Rhodes was pushed to US title status on the strength of nothing but his father's position as Executive Producer (ie booker) of WCW. The US title was held up for months as these two battled in boring matches over the belt, and the title was devalued immensely because of it. (Not as much as Santino has devalued it.) It never really recovered, IMO. Rude wins the first fall, Rhodes wins the second. The rest is utterly slow and boring until the big finish where Rhodes hits all of his stuff and Rude keeps kicking out. Time expires, so it's a screwjob ending on top of everything else and the belt is vacant another couple of months. *1/2 This is why overtime in the Michaels-Hart match at WM12 was a *good thing* (I…wouldn’t go that far.) ---------------------------------------------------------   Here is my question/thoughts -  Was the genuine feeling that Dustin was getting a US Title storyline because of nepotism or because he and Barry Windham had had a pretty good run as a tag team in 92' and Dustin was getting good pops whenever he went up against guys like Vader, Rude, Orndorff, or one of the Hollywood Blonds? Seems to me that saying that Dustin was getting pushed for "nothing more than the strength of his father's position" is ridiculous. I was 9 when this happened, so, back then, I wouldn't have known, but I always thought Rhodes' climbing up the ladder made sense (kinda like Marcus Bagwell challenging for the TV Title after winning Rookie of the Year in WCW Magazine - it was kayfabe credible).  So, is Keith too harsh on Rhodes' push? On the feud in general? On the match and its finish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Casebolt Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Far too harsh. Dustin was one of the better guys in WCW at that point. I'd go so far as to say his last name gave them an excuse to give him a push he deserved but might have looked like too much too soon if he was Dustin Smith. I haven't seen the Ironman match in probably 15 years, so I don't have an opinion on it, but Dustin was cranking out great matches and his career seemed to be progressing at a logical rate. He had a great tag run with Windham (and Steamboat); the most natural (hah!) thing in the world is transitioning from that to a second-tier title run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted July 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 I wrote an article on Dustin's early career recently and I went back to look at the WON thoughts on Halloween Havoc 91 in the process. Dave gave them 3.5 stars and praised both guys so the worm turned pretty quickly there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Scott Keith has claimed that the Vader match marked the point where smart fans finally accepted Dustin. Is there any basis to that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ButchReedMark Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 The crowds seemed happy enough to see him back in 1992. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamthedoctor Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 I used to love watching Dustin wrestle in WCW so much preferred this version to Goldust. Â Nothing but love with those matches he had against Steve Austin & the unscheduled match they had on Pro is still one of my favs. Â I did like the 2 Worldwide matches he had with Rick Rude & the Iron Man Match at Beach Blast. Shame in the UK there was no coverage of the 3 matches from Saturday Night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Yeah, the IWC had a meeting in 1994 and decided to start liking Dustin Rhodes. I wasn't there, but I heard about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 I'm just saying that it was supposedly at that point that the RSPW types stopped reflexively attributing his push to nepotism and conceded that he could work. Kind of like what the hour-long Raw match with HBK did for a lot of people regarding John Cena. You can disagree if you want, but not having been there, it strikes me as plausible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Incidentally Meltzer has been very harsh to Dustin so far in 1991, mainly as an excuse to rag on Dusty more. Keith just copied him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Cooke Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Yea, Meltzer never thought of Dustin as more than good. It was his opponent who would make or break how good his matches were from most of Dave's reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoe Posted August 12, 2014 Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 1994 was where it was at. Part of it was Hogan and friends were coming in and Dustin was pushed down the card. So Meltzer and the internet kinda beginning to feel that some1 that talented shouldn't be so misused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkdoc Posted August 12, 2014 Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 Incidentally Meltzer has been very harsh to Dustin so far in 1991, mainly as an excuse to rag on Dusty more. Keith just copied him. Â yea this, though actually keith has softened on the rhodeses a lot in recent years! i think as more of flair's life got exposed, it became harder to maintain the narrative of him as a victim of that egomaniac dusty, so there's been some historical reappraisal there. Â plus, dustin being one of the best workers in WWE over the past couple years makes it far easier to see him as underrated in his early days. kinda like how a lot of internet fans changed their opinions on bret vs. shawn after shawn's comeback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted August 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 Star ratings for Dustin matches (WCW PPVs+Clashes): Dustin Rhodes vs. Buddy Landel = *1/4 Dustin Rhodes vs. Terrance Taylor (w/Alexandra York & Mr. Hughes) = ** Dustin Rhodes vs. Terrance Taylor (w/Alexandra York & Mr. Hughes) = *3/4 Six Man Tag Team Elimination: Dustin Rhodes & The Young Pistols (Steve Armstrong & Tracy Smothers) vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (Badstreet, Jimmy Garvin & Michael Hayes) (w/Big Daddy Dink) = *1/4 WCW World Television Title: Steve Austin © vs. Dustin Rhodes = ***1/2 WCW World Tag Team Title: Dustin Rhodes & Ricky Steamboat (w/Barry Windham) vs. The Enforcers (Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko) © = ****1/4 Lethal Lottery Tag Team: Dustin Rhodes & Richard Morton vs. El Gigante & Larry Zbyszko (w/Madusa) =3/4* Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes & Ron Simmons vs. The Dangerous Alliance (Arn Anderson, Beautiful Bobby & Larry Zbyszko) (w/Paul E. Dangerously) = **** Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes vs. Larry Zbyszko & Steve Austin = ***3/4 War Games: Sting's Squadron (Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, Ricky Steamboat & Sting) vs. The Dangerous Alliance (Arn Anderson, Beautiful Bobby, Larry Zbyszko, Rick Rude & Steve Austin) (w/Madusa & Paul E. Dangerously) = ***** NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes vs. Arn Anderson & Beautiful Bobby = ***1/4 Six Man Tag Team Match (Special Referee: Ole Anderson): Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes & Nikita Koloff vs. The Dangerous Alliance (Arn Anderson, Beautiful Bobby & Steve Austin) (w/Paul E. Dangerously) = **3/4 NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament Quarter Final Match #3: Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes vs. Rick Rude & Steve Austin = *1/4 NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament Semi Final Match #2: Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes vs. Hiroshi Hase & Shinya Hashimoto = ** NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament Final Match (vakant): Steve Williams & Terry Gordy vs. Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes = 3/4* Butch Reed & The Barbarian vs. Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes = ** NWA/WCW Unified World Tag Team Title: Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes © vs. Steve Austin & Steve Williams = *** NWA/WCW Unified World Tag Team Title: Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas vs. Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes © = **1/2 Battle Bowl Qualifying: Big Van Vader & Dustin Rhodes (w/Harley Race) vs. Kensuke Sasaki & The Barbarian = * Six Man Tag Team Steel Cage: Cactus Jack, Dustin Rhodes & Sting vs. Barry Windham, Big Van Vader & Paul Orndorff = ***1/4 WCW United States Heavyweight Title: Dustin Rhodes © vs. Maxx Payne = -1/2* Paul Orndorff & Rick Rude vs. Dustin Rhodes & Kensuke Sasaki = ** Big Van Vader, Rick Rude & Sid Vicious (w/Col. Robert Parker & Harley Race) vs. Davey Boy Smith, Dustin Rhodes & Sting = *** WCW United States Heavyweight Title Thirty Minute Iron Man Match (vakant): Dustin Rhodes vs. Rick Rude = ** Dustin Rhodes & Road Warrior Hawk vs. Rick Rude & The Equalizer = 1/2* War Games: Davey Boy Smith, Dustin Rhodes, Sting & The Shockmaster (w/Road Warrior Animal) vs. Harlem Heat (Kane & Kole), Big Van Vader & Sid Vicious (w/Col. Robert Parker & Harley Race) = *1/2 WCW United States Heavyweight Title: Dustin Rhodes © vs. Steve Austin = **3/4 WCW United States Heavyweight Title: Dustin Rhodes (w/Dusty Rhodes) © vs. Paul Orndorff (w/The Assassin) = *1/4 BattleBowl Tag Team Match #4: Dustin Rhodes & King Kong vs. Awesome Kong & The Equalizer = -*** WCW United States Heavyweight Title Best Two Out Of Three Falls: Steve Austin (w/Col. Robert Parker) vs. Dustin Rhodes © = ** WCW World Television Title: Lord Steven Regal (w/Sir William) © vs. Dustin Rhodes = * ThunderCage Six Man Tag Team: Dustin Rhodes, Flyin' Brian & Sting vs. Paul Orndorff, Rick Rude & Steve Austin (w/Col. Robert Parker) = ****1/4 Bunkhouse: Bunkhouse Buck (w/Col. Robert Parker) vs. Dustin Rhodes = **** Bullrope: Dustin Rhodes vs. Bunkhouse Buck (w/Col. Robert Parker) = *1/2 Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk (w/Col. Robert Parker) vs. Arn Anderson & Dustin Rhodes = *** Dustin Rhodes & Dusty Rhodes vs. Bunkhouse Buck & Terry Funk (w/Col. Robert Parker & Meng) =**1/2 War Games: Dustin Rhodes, Dusty Rhodes & The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) vs. Arn Anderson, Bunkhouse Buck, Col. Robert Parker & Terry Funk (w/Meng) = ***1/4 Dustin Rhodes vs. Arn Anderson (w/Col. Robert Parker & Meng) = ***1/4 Vader (w/Harley Race) vs. Dustin Rhodes = ***1/2 Blacktop Bully (w/Col. Robert Parker) vs. Dustin Rhodes = *1/4 King Of The Road: Blacktop Bully vs. Dustin Rhodes = -** Kind of weird curve there with a few blips here and there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soup23 Posted August 12, 2014 Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 That bullrope match ranking infuriates me every time I see it. The bullrope gimmick isn't a great one but sometimes gimmick matches seemed to be subtracted based on hating the gimmick. Would I rather this Sunday's Ambrose/Rollins match to not be a lumberjack match? Sure, but if they are able to come up with a creative way to work the stip, you bet I will give them credit for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachchaos Posted August 12, 2014 Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 Yeah, that Bullrope Match isn't far behind the Bunkhouse Match really. Even get a little color in the post-match, if that was the concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteF3 Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 I'm guessing Dave wasn't nearly so dismissive of the strap used by Sting and Vader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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