Hogan refused to work with Dustin Rhodes? (Bruce Prichard's "Something to Wrestle With" Podcast)

[C.S.]

From the recap on PWPodcasts.com:

 

"Bruce mentions that Hogan did not want to work with Dustin Rhodes in the early ’90s. He says Hogan didn’t think he was in the greatest of shape at the time nor did he have high-profile status. Conrad calls BS on this and says Hogan was threatened by Dustin’s youth and family legacy."

 

This immediately stuck me as strange.

 

WHEN would this have happened? (Dustin's brief WWF stint? Dustin's WCW stunt? Goldust era?)

 

WHY would it have happened? Assuming they're not referring to Dustin's stint as Goldust (was Hogan even still around then?), what purpose would such a match/feud serve when both were white meat babyfaces?

 

I'm going only by the recap and not the actual podcast, so maybe specific dates are mentioned there? Conrad's suggestion that Hogan was threatened by Dustin seems like a real whopper to me. I know we're all huge fans of Dustin, but come on now!

 

Does anyone remember hearing anything about this back in the day in the Observer, Torch, etc.?

 

 

[PeteF3]

I haven't heard it either, but supposedly according to Bruce they were kicking around the idea of Dustin vs. Hogan at WM9. Yes, really--I guess the thinking was that Dusty and by proxy Dustin might have been a potential free agent with the change in WCW regimes going on at the time, and that Dusty might have been out along with Watts and JR. I don't know if I believe it but to me, it's more plausible than Matt Borne's contention that Doink vs. Hogan was supposed to happen at that show.

[Loss]

I thought we learned that just about everything Bruce Pritchard says on this show is a work. Is that incorrect?

[sek69]

That was my understanding, plus I have a hard time believing Hulk would be aware of Dustin's existence in the slightest in any of the periods their paths would have crossed.

[Sean Liska]

I thought we learned that just about everything Bruce Pritchard says on this show is a work. Is that incorrect?

He won't say anything negative about Vince or HHH but I don't think he's known for just making stuff up, the show is popular because it's relatively honest and Conrad is there to call Bruce on stuff. Not sure about this story though.

[flyonthewall2983]

That was my understanding, plus I have a hard time believing Hulk would be aware of Dustin's existence in the slightest in any of the periods their paths would have crossed.

 

Dustin was in the WWF towards the end of Dusty's run, so it's plausible they did meet at some point during that time.

 

When Cody and Dustin were on Jericho's podcast, one of them said that on their way out going to WCW, Vince pulled them aside and said the minute Turner lets Dustin go he'll have a place at the WWF. Not too hard to buy that since that's exactly what happened in 1995.

 

I have to admit when I heard that tidbit on the podcast it kind of took me by surprise. I figure that whatever happened early on with Watts going, that it didn't really affect Dusty because he still managed to keep his spot. Same with Dustin, who was a top babyface in WCW.

[goc]

Hogan would be have been right to refuse if this story is true, which I doubt it is, because bringing Dustin into WWF in 1993 and working an angle of "Dusty's son vs Hulk Hogan" would have been a huge flop. That would have only had legs in WCW after Hogan turned and was Hollywood but by then they were both in different companies.

[Bix]

Bruce is not the type to just make up something out of thin air like that if it doesn't benefit him.

 

I can totally buy that Bruce and others would see Dustin, a hell of a prospect who was turning into a great worker and had the size to be credible against Hogan, having potential as someone they could mold into a top heel. Especially since Barry Windham didn't work out and if we're talking his first WWF run, he's not established yet and potentially easy to repackage.

[PeteF3]

Also, just because Bruce brought it up as a possibility doesn't mean it ever got past the "Hey, what about this?" brainstorming stage. He was in the inner circle of the creative team, so he'd hear just about every possible pitch, from the ones that were nearly put into action to the stuff that was suggested and quickly dismissed.

[C.S.]

I can believe that Hogan would at least be aware of Dustin. He grew up in Florida and was a major Dusty fan. I wonder how long Vince had the Goldust idea in mind, and whether that was included in the Hogan vs. Dustin pitch.

[BrianB]

Also, just because Bruce brought it up as a possibility doesn't mean it ever got past the "Hey, what about this?" brainstorming stage. He was in the inner circle of the creative team, so he'd hear just about every possible pitch, from the ones that were nearly put into action to the stuff that was suggested and quickly dismissed.

 

Bruce has made comments about Hogan not liking the idea and commenting on Dustin's arms and body. That suggests the idea got somewhere beyond just being suggested in a meeting/brainstorming session--perhaps potentially more than other things Bruce has floated like Scott Steiner coming in as a singles and getting the title, which he has said was entertained.

[iamthedoctor]

Hogan would be have been right to refuse if this story is true, which I doubt it is, because bringing Dustin into WWF in 1993 and working an angle of "Dusty's son vs Hulk Hogan" would have been a huge flop. That would have only had legs in WCW after Hogan turned and was Hollywood but by then they were both in different companies.

 

Im not sure how Hogan & Dustin would have clashed. It seems when Dustin came in his father was slowly leaving WWE anyway and Dustin went to a draw with Ted on TV so its not like they saw him as a guy to beat Dibiase for a megapush. Time Hogan came to WCW in 94 it wasen't long before Dustin got fired in 95 anyway. I remember them having a match on Thunder in 2000.