RIP Dusty Rhodes

[jpchicago23]

This hit me harder than most and I wasn't even a huge Dusty mark. I loved Dusty the personality though, his commentary was awesome and he will be missed

[NintendoLogic]

To the pay window babay.

 

The same day Ornette Coleman passes away. Two great in one swoop.

 

And Christopher Lee.

 

Anyway, the truth of the matter is that I'm far too desensitized when it comes to wrestler deaths for one to have any kind of emotional impact. Still, it's really cool to see all the awesome Dusty promos people have posted in remembrance.

[Jmare007]

My Time With Dusty Rhodes.

Earlier today, I was devastated to hear about the passing of Dusty Rhodes. Words like ‘shock’ and ‘sadness’ come to mind, but don’t truly capture the whirlwind of emotions that take place when you are blindsided by news like this. It was particularly shocking to me because I had seen him almost every day this week at the WWE Performance Center when I went in to rehab my shoulder. He appeared to be in good health and so it was really hard for me to believe that the news was true. But as I read more and more about it, and tears filled my eyes, I didn’t know what to do with myself. So I came home and decided to just write a little bit about Dusty. Many mourners referred to Dusty as a great mentor and a great teacher, which he absolutely was. But I would like to share with you the little things about Dusty that I greatly appreciated in my time with him. He was a great guy.

 

I need to start by stating that Dusty was a particularly huge influence and a great help to me when I first arrived at WWE. I started with the WWE in February 2013, reporting to FCW in Tampa, FL, the developmental territory at the time and predecessor for the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Despite coming to WWE with 11 years of experience already under my belt, the idea of “cutting a promo” terrified me when I first got here. Though I had done a lot before getting to WWE, my interviews or “promos” had consisted of only a few words. I had relied on a lot of my non-verbal skills to get to WWE, but the jig was up now that I had signed. It was time to learn, and school was in session every Thursday at the FCW arena: promo class with Dusty Rhodes.

 

I don’t know if you’ve ever had to do something that you weren’t good at, in front of someone who happened to be one of the best of all time at it, but needless to say it is intimidating. But Dusty washed away a lot of my fears very quickly, as he took a liking to me right away, and was very nurturing. He really encouraged me to speak in a conversational and natural manner. There is no greater confidence booster than getting a sign of approval from one of the greatest talkers in the history of our industry. As my confidence grew, so too did my interview skills. After every interview, we would tell me what he liked, what not to do, and would frequently remark how I “reminded him of a young Robin Williams”. It made me laugh every time, and it still does, because I still don’t see it.

 

Dusty is also responsible for my name and character upon my arrival to WWE. After dropping my previous persona from the independents upon signing, I had to choose a new name and a new identity; a new character. It was Dream’s belief in me as a more natural, conversational speaker that helped my decision to more or less just be myself. Picking a name proved to be difficult though, as I had submitted three separate lists of names, all of which had been rejected. Finally, I was asked to narrow it down to 3-5 names and I had a private meeting with Dream to make the big decision. Well, that meeting lasted about a minute.

 

“So, which name do you like?” Dusty said, in his unmistakable and frequently imitated lisp.

“Uh, I don’t know…I kind of like Sami Zayn”, I replied sheepishly. Bear in mind, I had kept this name on each of the lists, and so the name Sami Zayn had been rejected three times at this point.

“Hmm…Sami Zayn……Sami….Zayn….” he said, as he slowly waved his arm laterally, as if visualizing it on a marquee. He paused, and nodded dramatically. “Yeah, that’s the name. You tell them Dream said Sami Zayn is the name.” And so it was, just like that. Even now telling that story, I have a grin on my face from ear to ear.

 

I grew so much as a performer thanks to Dusty and my two and a half years spent with him learning to communicate. But for as much as he did for me professionally, the lessons I took from him as a person resonated with me even more.

 

WWE developmental is a place where you need to learn to navigate the waters of a very unique business, and there are times it can feel like a political minefield. Perhaps what I found most refreshing about Dusty Rhodes is that he was a true life cowboy and sincerely did not give a damn. He spoke his mind. He was defiant. He rocked the boat. He was unapologetic where people were often worried about voicing opinions that differed too much from the norm. In short, he was himself. I can’t tell you how much that resonated with me. And while I don’t aspire to be the cowboy that Dusty was (I could never pull it off any way) he solidified my own faith in myself. He taught me about standing by your convictions and having an opinion of your own, whether it was the popular one or not. For a man who was such a great speaker, it was his actions rather than his words that made the biggest impact of all on me.

 

In my entire time with Dusty, I honestly don’t remember seeing him in a really bad mood. He was always very lighthearted around the Performance Center, and cracked jokes every single time he would see me. I laughed a lot around Dusty Rhodes. He was very funny, sometimes when he wanted to be, and sometimes just because he was.

 

One of my favorite things that Dusty would do that would make me laugh, was brag. I absolutely loved it when he would brag. He was just completely unapologetic; he knew exactly how good he was, and he would tell you about it. He would just tell these great stories about himself in his prime; about this amazing promo he cut, and how it sold out the building the next time they came to town. It was done in such honesty, that it was almost humble in a very twisted way; the opposite of someone you can tell thinks they are great but are obviously trying to downplay it. It’s hard to explain, but trust me, it was amazing.

 

Another thing he did that would make me laugh a lot is he would call people by the wrong name. I still don’t know if he did it on purpose or not, but it was just hilarious. For example, Enzo Amore, one of his star students in promo class and arguably the best talker on a week to week basis in promo class for the last three years…and Dream would still call him “Enzio”. This would make me laugh, every single time, without exception. I’m laughing right now just thinking about it.

 

My favorite of his wrong names though is undoubtedly when Kevin Owens first showed up at the Performance Center. Kevin came into WWE as Kevin Steen. Usually when a new talent arrives to the PC, his/her first week is only observation, and sometimes just a quick getting to know you. However, on one particular night when many important guests were in attendance (“Luminaries”, as Dream would call them), Dusty decided to surprise everyone and put Kevin on the spot by calling up “Kip Stern” to cut a promo. Kevin just stared blankly because his name was Kevin Steen, not Kip Stern. This awkward silence filled the room for a good 10 seconds until William Regal, who was sitting next to Kevin, nudged him with his elbow and said, “You should probably go up there.” Good God, I still laugh about that one all the time. There’s a road here in Orlando called Stern Street and every single time I drive by it, I do my best Dream impression and say, “Let’s see Kip Stern”. Then I laugh.

 

As I recount these little anecdotes, I can’t help but feel so lucky to have gotten the past two and a half years to work with Dusty. This man had seen it all, done it all, watched generations come and go, and had a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the business that literally no one else on earth possessed. I got to share in that and that’s just amazing to me.

 

A few days ago in the trainer’s room at the PC, he was sitting around talking to someone and I said, “Hey Dream, you got put over again by Paul Heyman on Steve Austin’s podcast the other night. Heyman was talking about how you helped him learn how to cut money promos.” And he smiled and in true Dusty form he replied, “There is no one in this business that the Dream hasn’t influenced”. The best part is that he was right. Thank you, Dream. They don’t make people like you anymore. I’m so glad I got to know you.

 

You will never be forgotten.

Sami Zayn

[The Thread Killer]

Sadly, I've become a little numb and even desensitized to wrestler deaths over the years, when I see a headline that somebody passed, it's getting to be like "Oh look, somebody else died." I feel bad that I feel that way, but so many of these guys have passed over the years I've been a fan, it's like I said - you almost get numb.

 

This feels different though. This is really hitting me - the last time I felt like this is when Misawa died. Dusty Rhodes wasn't just a wrestler, he wasn't just a great wrestler, he was a legend. He left such a mark on the sport, it's hard to put into words. Ever since I heard the news, I've been walking around my job, and favorite promos and matches and angles keep popping into my head.

 

What a loss. There will never be another Dusty Rhodes. He really was a true original and we'll never see another like him.

[victory]

Just got back from vacation to hear about this. Another great one gone too soon.

[Tenese Sarwieh]

Such sad news, a true loss in business. He did some much with less.

 

R.I.P.

[Johnny Sorrow]

Me and Dusty at a ROH show back in 2004. While I was waiting in line to get my picture taken with him, the guy ahead of me showed us that he was gonna ask Dusty to sign the Ric Flair DVD set. We were all like, What the fuck?" So when he gets to Dust and asks him Dusty says, "Why not? I'm on half o' this. Ric's lost my phone numbah since it came out, I want some residuals."

 

So after my picture was taken with him I said "Thanks, Dream." Another dude said "That's not the Dream, that's the Midnight Rider." I said, "Nah, it's one of The James Boys. Dusty turns to me and said "Damn! You remembah that shit?"

 

RIP Dusty, you were the best.

[Seej]

Love Sami Zayn's tribute to Dusty.

 

He definitely was one of a kind- a doughy guy with a pronounced lisp, who still became a mega star.

 

I'm glad the internet has been fairly douche-free, concerning Dusty's death. Even if you didn't like him, you have to respect the hell out of what he accomplished.

[ohtani's jacket]

To the pay window babay.

 

The same day Ornette Coleman passes away. Two great in one swoop.

They say people die in threes, but Christopher Lee, Dusty Rhodes and Ornette Coleman is one foul swoop. Maybe I'll play some Dusty Rhodes promos over the top of Dracula while listening to some jazz.

[...TG]

I never really knew the extent of the role Dusty had with the developmental crew in Florida until I read Summer Rae's tribute on Instagram. I figured it was just a part-time gig, coming in a couple times a week at most. But her, Kevin Owens', and Sami Zayn's show me that Dylan's right - he's irreplaceable.

[thebrainfollower]

Ron Moody died today too. This was just a terrible day for great performers.

 

The Dream is someone who grew on me in the last 20 years big time.

[kaufman316]

My WWE DVD set is in storage with family - I think I'm going to get it out of drydock this weekend and maybe even convince my brother to watch the doc with me.

 

In the meantime, I'll tide myself over with these: http://njpwworld.com/search/tag/man_31

 

Rest in peace, Dream.

[JazeUSA]

Sad sad sad news, pretty speechless at this time, if your not mourning tonight your not a true fan of wrestling, RIP Dream

[Superstar Sleeze]

Wow, found about this at work and this sent me reeling like like none have since the Savage death. Just an absolute combination of shock, horror and sadness. Absolutely just love everything about Dusty. There is really no other way than to live your life on the end of lightning bolt. That's what I plan to do dream. RIP Dusty Rhodes

[NintendoLogic]

My mom grew up watching Florida wrestling in the 70s, so she was pretty bummed about the news. She told me about how when she was 16, her German cousin was visiting the States and she took him to whatever the main civic center was in Orlando at the time to see Dusty vs. Ivan Koloff. That must have been quite the shock for someone who, if he watched wrestling at all, was probably used to the likes of Horst Hoffman.

[dedhemingway]

About 75% of what I absolutely adore about wrestling you can find in Dusty. What a dreadful loss, am absolutely stunned. RIP Dream

 

This. So much this. I know many people around here are more about the in-ring stuff, which, don't get me wrong, I love as much as the next guy, but it's EVERYTHING else that makes professional wrestling so special to me, and there's maybe no one who ever did it who embodies that like the Dream did.

 

I don't ever get worked up/emotional about this type of stuff. Hell, I hardly get emotional about deaths in my personal life, but this one has hit me hard. I'm legitimately sad. I wasn't a huge Dusty fan growing up, being in Los Angeles and thus a WWF kid, but, going back, watching everything, he's one of the greatest, hands down. There might not have ever been a more charismatic human being in the history of the world.

 

This will sound over the top, but I kinda feel like a part of my fandom has died. Not in the sense that I'm less of a wrestling fan than I was before I woke up this morning, maybe the opposite, but in that a piece is gone that will never come back.

[Flyin' Brian]

Man, I just saw this. Had been on here all day looking at the draft stuff and didn't even notice. Dusty was awesome and will be missed.

[sek69]

One of the people commenting on Deadspin's story just said "he was so pro wrestling", That just seemed like the perfect description. If professional wrestling as a whole was able to take human form, it would be Dusty Rhodes.

[khawk20]

Wow. RIP to an absolute staple of the expansion of my wrestling interests outside of the AWA.

 

They don't build 'em like Dusty anymore, and sadly never will again.

[Johnny Sorrow]

http://youtu.be/9GuPfpgr0c0

[subatomic_elbow]

I don't even know what to say.

[The Chief]

So I was just at a (wannabe) hick bar for most of the night and did a toast to Dusty. Was surprised how many people actually knew who I was talking about, even if they only knew him from his WWF run.

 

RIP Dream

[The Chief]

BTW Johnny, that video is epic. Thanks for sharing.

[flyonthewall2983]

Did he ever work Verne?

[El-P]

 

To the pay window babay.

 

The same day Ornette Coleman passes away. Two great in one swoop.

They say people die in threes, but Christopher Lee, Dusty Rhodes and Ornette Coleman is one foul swoop. Maybe I'll play some Dusty Rhodes promos over the top of Dracula while listening to some jazz.

 

 

 

Those hommages from Sami Zayn and Summer Rae are both extremely cool and so sad at the same time. Dusty was someone you'd think would be there forever...