Dusty Rhodes is not a legend by Fluke, even if you're brand new to professional wrestling, and have just become a fan. You've likely already heard his name, and that's not just because somebody thought it was fun, it's because when you go back through the history books of professional wrestling, well, I don't really think we are where we are today without one Dusty World. And even when he joined the WWF or the World Wrestling Federation, Vince McMahon gave him a polka dot gimmick. And when you do start researching the deep dives of the internet, they will tell you that Vince McMahon did this as a practical joke because for the majority of his career, Dusty Work for the competitor. And what did Mr. Rhodes do? He made it work and he was so effortlessly entertaining. It is a damn shame that he was never the WWF champion because if somebody deserved it, but it was Dusty Rhodes. What other name was I going to say? And the reason we are throwing Dusty Rhodes into the mix today is because we are continuing our wrestler review series. We're using the Brett Hart method, which is essentially what does a wrestler look like, how does a wrestler talk, and how can they go in the ring and you mark them out of 10? Now, we are going to go way deeper than that because, of course, it is a video for YouTube, and at the same time, I want to make it very clear at the start, because I know how audience retention works. And matter what kind of number we put on this after we have done our looking back through the annals of time, which is a bizarre thing to say, Dusty Rhodes is a legend.

Dusty Rhodes is awesome, and right now, good news of your time. We'll go and watch Dusty Roads. Now, we will start with a look and presentation, because Dusty Roads is such a wonderful throwback, and actually something people are talking about right now, because Will Cruz recently debuted in the WWE under Mason Rook, I think his new name is. But you do not have to look like a bodybuilder and you do not have to look like a big jack guy to be successful in sports entertainment. You just have to understand who you are and then project that out into the world. I mean, Rhodes was a common man and therefore that's what he wanted to represent and who was one of his biggest rivals throughout his career. It was Rick Flair, and this is why it works so much.

Because on the left hand, you had Dusty, who would dress like a quote, quote, normal person. Then you had the Nature Boy. He was called the Nature Boy. He would come out in robes, and he would fly around in jets, and he would do all kinds of crazy things. He spent a bunch of money, and that's when you had the so-called evil,

and that's where you had the so-called good.

And if Dusty Rhodes walked out,

they're looking like a Chippendell's model.

I tell you, right now, it would have sucked.

Me, duh! money, and that's when you had the so-called evil, and that's where you had the so-called good, and if Dusty Rhodes walked out, they're looking like a Chippendell's model, I'd tell you right now it would have sucked.

Dusty wanted to be that guy that you just wanted to go for a drink with, and he even dropped this hint to his promos, he would often say, hey, baby, there ain't no steroid in this body. That just felt great when we were living in an era with the superstar Billy Grains, the Lex Lugas, all the Hulk Hogan's.

It actually was a benefit to Dusty Rhodes because he didn't look like anybody else. Look, I love a bicep, but after a while a bicep is just a bicep. But if you wanted to compare it to somebody in the modern day, you could look at a Kevin Owens or an Eddie Kingston to other professional wrestlers who are so flipping good that always have some sort of criticism throws out throws at their physique, which is dumb, by the way. Have you ever seen Eddie Kingston or Kevin Owen's blow up in a major match? Of course you haven't because they're built to go. And once again, I don't think Keough or Eddie Kingston gets to what they have done unless they look that way, once again just makes them more relatable. It's why even when we had this stupid idea to dress him up in polka dock, Dusty Rhodes got it over, because he embraced it and he made it fun and he just made it entertaining, and that's what he did with every single tool under his belt. I mean, that theme music is still so damn catchy even in 2006. I'm not saying that it's going to be everybody's cup of tea. If you are into big men, slapping man meat, the Dusty Rhodes isn't for you. But I just think it is so damn cool that he was able to be on top of the business for so long and look the way that he did and miniature to inspire everyone. And I suppose on that note, if you did want to find a minor criticism, it probably would be that Dusty Rhodes always look like Dusty Rhodes. Like I remember he cut

his hair once when he went to ECW, but I'm going to stick an 8.5 out of 10 on it and you could even push it out to a 9 should you see fit. I just think once again he knew who he wanted to be and he knew who he was. And apparently that is a question that John Cena asked new recruits, tell me who are you and you have to really feel it and really know it and I bet dusty roads could

have gone on about that forever. It's just such a damn good example. When we move on to promos, and this shouldn't take long, because if today you are going to sit down and write a list of the 10 best promo guys in the history of professional wrestling, Dusty Rhodes's name should probably come up at some point. And even if you didn't think it would get into a number 10, you better be sitting down and having a damn good argument about why not. And if you're a wrestling fan, you must have seen the hard times promo. And if you haven't, wait until you finish this video, because again, YouTube and audit retention, but make sure you check it out today. Ain't no gatekeeping here. There has to be a first day when you do eventually see it, but I promise you to blow your mind and you'll go, everybody in the modern day has been inspired by this. It always fair as well at Dusty Rhodes has been inspired by how a preacher would conduct their sermons. I promise you, when you are done listening to this, you'll sit and you'll look around and you will decide maybe I should run through that wall because I think that's what Dusty wanted me to do. This was in 1985 as well just before he was about to take on Rick Flair. And yet it is timeless. Again, 1985 feels like it was a millennia ago. Even that's a wild exaggeration. But you could take it and plop it in today onto Dynam Dynamite, on to or onto Smackdown, and it would conjure up exactly the same feelings because the words that were coming out of his mouth were one, they were true, but two, well, they just meant something. It's basically a motivational monologue, but Dusty was so good at this. He could say phrases like get funky like a monkey, and you'd still go, yeah, He's definitely going to whip somebody's ass. That's like my dream. If I say funky like a monkey, people go, ha ha, that stupid bald goof. Nobody thinks I'm going to beat anybody up. So we don't need to overcook the pudding here. I think we've made our case and wrestlers today are still watching Dusty Rhodes in order to get better at the talking. It's 10 out 10. It just is and a wonderful reminder that if you do have this side of wrestling down, you're probably going to go pretty far. As ever though, alongside pro-mobinity does come in ring work, and Dusty Rhodes is so damn interesting in this sense, because it all depends what you believe professional wrestling to be. But if like me, you think it's about grabbing an audience member or grabbing a crowd and taking them on an emotional journey, well, guess who was flipping good at that? Now, it's hard to explain, because if you're more into a Sean Michaels or Nettie Guerrera or Will Osprey, and that's the type of wrestling you like, maybe you would watch Dusty Roads and not understand it at all, but that's also the beauty of not only professional wrestling, but all entertainment. Somebody's heaven is going to be somebody's hell. But I just think that Dusty Rhodes, one, was entertaining when he wanted to be, but two, when he did get into some of these blood feuds, oh my gosh, you'll be watching like a horror movie, but you won't turn away because you're desperate to see what the outcome is. And he wasn't a Ricky Steamboat or a Harley race or a Rick Flair to bring that name back in there. Once again, if you really want to argue it, you'd probably say those guys were more versatile. But ultimately, you are meant to feel something when you are watching a wrestling match. And even in 2005, I think it was 2005, when Dusty went to TNA, he had this match where he bled buckets. Once again, you're doing the

hand thing because he got you. It really was his charisma that shined through as well, and maybe it was a less-is-more situation. If Rhodes had all of a sudden started bumping his ass off during a match, and once again, I don't think it would have worked, I don't think people would have bought in as hard. Because do not forget this was a dude that could wiggle and jiggle his hips and sent a grout into a frenzy.

Sometimes that's all you need.

So if we are talking about how to our... not forget this was a dude that could wiggle and jiggle his hips and sent a grout into a frenzy,

and sometimes that's all you need. So if we are talking about how to approach a match and look at a program and figure out what this is going to work and that's not going to work, once again Dusty Rhodes was right up there. He knew you didn't have to give away everything, because what are we going to do in six months' time? And sure, once again, there's probably a pattern to some of Dusty's matches, but you can say that about a lot of the great. And once again,

it comes back to that old point. Because what are we going to do in six months time? And sure, once again, there's probably a pattern to some of Dusty's matches,

but you can say that about a lot of the great. And once again, it comes back to that old Paul Heyman quote, we should push the strengths and hide the weaknesses. And nobody need to tell Dusty that because he totally understood and he made sure he built that to every single batch. So really, this just goes to show how smart he was. and if you really want the height of the Dusty Roadsmacks,

make sure you go and watch the end of a blood feud

or when he was fighting for a title because you will be desperate for him to win. And really he could lean on heightened emotions like nobody else, especially of that era. So I'm going to give him an 8 out of 10. Once again, I think you can push this up to a 9. But it all depends how you come to the world of pro wrestling.

Like some people just do like agile guys that can flip-flop and fly around. And I would imagine if you are a brand new fan in 2006, it would require a little bit of brain meddling before you did understand. Understand's not the right word. I just think it comes down to the fact to get the most out of a dusty roads match, You've got to make sure you're plugged into the feud, so I guess it just takes a little bit more time.

And once again, we are living in the modern day. I mean, TikTok's a thing. Nobody has any time. You give something three seconds and you move on. It just goes to show, though, there is more than one way to crack an egg when we get to legacy. And once again, there are few other people in the history of pro wrestling that left their mark as much as this guy. Now, once again, Dusty Rhodes was just one of these guys that knew how to get you in his corner. Like, imagine him against someone like Drew McIntyre today. Drew McIntyre is so good at winding people up. So if Dusty Rhodes had all of a sudden injected himself into a feud with Drew, Everybody'd be like, well, screw you, Drew, you've got to whip his ass. But he wouldn't either.

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