These are hard times. The American Dream is dead. What can be said about Virgil Runnels, AKA "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes that hasn't most likely already been said? I could write about his amazing skill with a microphone. How even as I write this I am watching/listening to some of his "greatest hits" on youtube with tears in my eyes. I could write about his amazing in-ring work with opponents like Ric Flair, "Superstar" Billy Graham, or Nikita Koloff. However, I'm sure there will be many people more qualified than I to recount those great moments and I encourage you to seek them out on your own. What I'd like to try and do here is just explain what Dusty Rhodes meant to me, personally.
"My Belly's just a little big, my hiney's just a little big, but brother, I am bad and they know I'm bad!"
The quote above is from the well-known "Hard Times" promo that Dusty cut on October 29th, 1985. It is, in my opinion, the greatest promo in the history of wrestling and if you don't agree... I don't care. You're wrong and I'm right.
Rhodes was once quoted as saying "When I was winning, [the fans] were winning."
That is what a great good guy (babyface, if you prefer the insider terminology) should be. When a good guy wins something important in pro wrestling, the fans should be able to feel the same way they do about their favorite sports teams. Listening to Dusty Rhodes talk makes me feel how I imagine fans of the NBA felt watching Michael Jordan. It doesn't matter who came before him, nor who came after him. He was truly a once in a lifetime performer and any/everyone who ever saw him was better for it.
Beyond his amazing career in front of the cameras, Dusty Rhodes has also had a profound impact on many of the performers you see on WWE television currently. Men and women like Kevin Owens (or Kip Stern, if you were Dusty), Sami Zayn, Charlotte, Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins, John Cena, Paige, his two sons, Goldust and Stardust (Dustin & Cody, respectively) of course, and even the legendary Hulk Hogan, have cited Dusty's influence on their careers, with Hogan going so far as to say that Dusty's interviews on Florida television are what got him to pay attention to pro wrestling in the first place. So, one more reason I love Dusty Rhodes is that just about every wrestler that has come through WWE that I've enjoyed watching has, in some way or another, learned from or been inspired by him. He has left a bigger legacy than almost anyone else in the history of pro wrestling and I could not be more grateful to him for contributing so much to an industry I love.
In closing, I would like issue condolences to the Runnels/Rhodes family and say one last big, heartfelt thank you to Virgil Runnels, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. May we, the fans, never forget the impact that the son of a plumber had on the business we all love. Rest in peace, Dream. Thank you.
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Liam Renner is a contributor to The Wrestling Life, heard weekly on The Elite Podcast Network
"My Belly's just a little big, my hiney's just a little big, but brother, I am bad and they know I'm bad!"
The quote above is from the well-known "Hard Times" promo that Dusty cut on October 29th, 1985. It is, in my opinion, the greatest promo in the history of wrestling and if you don't agree... I don't care. You're wrong and I'm right.
Rhodes was once quoted as saying "When I was winning, [the fans] were winning."
That is what a great good guy (babyface, if you prefer the insider terminology) should be. When a good guy wins something important in pro wrestling, the fans should be able to feel the same way they do about their favorite sports teams. Listening to Dusty Rhodes talk makes me feel how I imagine fans of the NBA felt watching Michael Jordan. It doesn't matter who came before him, nor who came after him. He was truly a once in a lifetime performer and any/everyone who ever saw him was better for it.
Beyond his amazing career in front of the cameras, Dusty Rhodes has also had a profound impact on many of the performers you see on WWE television currently. Men and women like Kevin Owens (or Kip Stern, if you were Dusty), Sami Zayn, Charlotte, Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins, John Cena, Paige, his two sons, Goldust and Stardust (Dustin & Cody, respectively) of course, and even the legendary Hulk Hogan, have cited Dusty's influence on their careers, with Hogan going so far as to say that Dusty's interviews on Florida television are what got him to pay attention to pro wrestling in the first place. So, one more reason I love Dusty Rhodes is that just about every wrestler that has come through WWE that I've enjoyed watching has, in some way or another, learned from or been inspired by him. He has left a bigger legacy than almost anyone else in the history of pro wrestling and I could not be more grateful to him for contributing so much to an industry I love.
In closing, I would like issue condolences to the Runnels/Rhodes family and say one last big, heartfelt thank you to Virgil Runnels, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. May we, the fans, never forget the impact that the son of a plumber had on the business we all love. Rest in peace, Dream. Thank you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liam Renner is a contributor to The Wrestling Life, heard weekly on The Elite Podcast Network
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