Dusty Rhodes Still Living The American Dream
Posted: Jul 31st 2010 By: CMBurnham
His "bionic elbow" feels a bit rusty these days, but wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes still jumps into the ring from time to time.
He just feels sore afterward.
Rhodes tag-teamed with his two WWE-wrestling sons recently, and - while he says he had a great time - he found himself slower and creakier than his heyday in the '70s and '80s.
He's 64 years old, after all.
That elbow doesn't do quite as much damage anymore.
"I got in the ring, and I somehow got my elbow up high enough to hit someone in the head," Rhodes says and chuckles. "I can't get 'funky like a monkey' as much as I used to do."
Rhodes won't wrestle today when he appears at a Florida Championship Wrestling event in Punta Gorda. But he will sign autographs, pose for photos and hand out "American Dream" bobbleheads.
Instead of wrestling, the Florida resident spends his time mentoring young wrestlers at FCW's Tampa headquarters. He teaches the art of wrestling as high theater - an art he practically invented alongside Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan and a handful of other wrestling greats.
"Back in my day, it was just wrestling," Rhodes says in his famous, unmistakable lisp. "We didn't know marketing, hardly. I was one of the first ones to do that.
Rhodes - otherwise known as "The American Dream" - quickly became a household name, competing for the FCW and winning three world titles with the National Wrestling Alliance.
Fans loved his rotund body, snappy delivery and catchphrases such as "getting funky like a monkey."
"It was a good time," he says. "It really was."
Many of those fans will likely show up today at Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center, where Rhodes will meet and greet people before the FCW match. The Punta Gorda event features up-and-coming FCW wrestlers and World Wrestling Entertainment star R-Truth.
It's one of two wrestling events this weekend.
On Sunday, WWE wrestlers will headlock and piledrive each other at Germain Arena. The WWE "Raw World Tour" features stars Randy Orton, Sheamus, John Cena and more.
Rhodes has met and worked with many of the wrestlers at both events. The FCW is a training ground for the WWE, and through that organization, he teaches up-and-coming wrestlers how to develop a personae and present it to an audience.
"You have to connect with the audience," Rhodes says. "You're a product. You have to sell that product."
Wrestler Ted DiBiase, Jr. - who appears Sunday at Germain - has fought alongside Rhodes' son, Cody, and once met his legendary father.
He came away suitably starstruck.
"Dusty Rhodes was the greatest sports athlete the industry has ever seen," DiBiase says. "He was just electrifying. You couldn't take your eyes off him.
"He really is one of the greats."
Rhodes' Punta Gorda appearance ends a month-long tour that included his July 9 tag-team match in Kissimmee. It was his first match in about three years - and it showed.
"I was not up to it, speed-wise," he says. "It takes a lot out of you, when you get to be my age."
The 6-foot, 2-inch, 302-pound Rhodes isn't built like the sleeker wrestlers in today's WWE. But that rotund physique was part of what made him a star.
He wasn't Superman.
He was Everyman.
"I was this round guy," he says and laughs. "I looked like the guy next door."
The self-described "son of a plumber" is still basking in that fame. In 2007, Rhodes' sons- WWE wrestlers Cody and Dustin (aka "Goldust") - inducted him into the WWE Hall of Fame.
"That was such an unbelievable moment," he says. "It was very emotional."
His hardcore wrestling days may be over, but Rhodes still has a soft spot for the sport.
There's nothing in the world quite like it.
"I look at it as entertainment," Rhodes says. "It's athletes doing great things. It's good and evil. It's a sitcom
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Spotlight in History
- 1959 Danny McShain def. The Zebra Kid for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
- 1960 Danny Hodge def. Angelo Savoldi for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title
- 1979 Mark Lewin def. Bruiser Brody for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
- 1981 Bob Roop def. Super Destroyer for the MSW Louisiana Title
- 1985 Butch Reed def. Dutch Mantell for the MSW Television Title
- 2012 Cody Jones def. Les Mayne for the MSWA Oklahoma Title
- 2016 Nathan Estrada def. Adrian Dell for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
- 2016 Steven Cruze def. Seth Angel for the ComPro Showtime Title
- 2017 Future Hall of Famers/Impact, Inc. (Johnny Z & Damien Morte & Jermaine Johnson) became the IZW Tag Team Champions
- 2017 Ryan Davidson def. Aaron Anders for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
- 2017 Aaron Anders def. Brian Breaker for the ComPro Heavyweight Title
- 2017 Wesley Crane def. Skyler Fayden for the UWE United States Title
- 2023 Tyler Midas def. The Lunchador for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
Week of Sun 07-19 to Sat: 07-25
- 07-19 1968 Fritz Von Erich & Grizzly Smith def. The Spoiler & Gary Hart for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
- 07-19 1968 Jack Dalton [1st] & Jim Dalton became the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Champions
- 07-19 1971 Thunderbolt Patterson & Toru Tanaka def. Johnny Valentine & Wahoo McDaniel for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
- 07-19 1982 Bill Irwin def. Brian Adias for the WCCW Television Title
- 07-19 2008 Dane Griffin def. Les Mayne for the 3DW Texoma Title
- 07-19 2013 Big Daddy Moore became the BPPW Heavyweight Champion
- 07-19 2019 Shawn Sanders became the ASP Inter-County Champion
- 07-19 2019 Xavior def. Paul Puertorico for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
- 07-19 2019 Team Boner (Drake Gallows & Mascara La Parka) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
- 07-19 2024 Father Padge became the MajCW Heavyweight Champion
- 07-19 2024 Brandon Warhawk became the MajCW Flawless Champion
- 07-19 2024 Hell's Kitchen (The Canadian Red Devil & The Lunchador) became the MajCW Tag Team Champions
- 07-19 2024 Lunchador became the MajCW 24/7 On Call Champion
- 07-19 2024 Nightwolf became the MajCW Native American Champion
- 07-19 2024 Cardinal Sin def. Lunchador for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
- 07-19 2024 Jason Simon/Bishop Simon def. Nightwolf for the MajCW Native American Title
- 07-19 2024 Deacon Hendrix def. Cardinal Sin for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
- 07-19 2024 Tyler Shade def. Deacon Hendrix for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
- 07-20 1961 Waldo Von Erich def. Tony Martin for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
- 07-20 1979 Gino Hernandez & El Gran Markus def. Jose Lothario & El Halcon for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
- 07-20 1986 Eddie Gilbert & Sting def. The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) for the UWF Tag Team Titles
- 07-20 2008 The Forsaken (Michael Faith & Halo) def. Limited Edition (Les Mayne & Dane Griffin) for the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles
- 07-20 2013 Drake Gallows became the IZW Impact Division Champion
- 07-20 2013 Kareem Sadat became the SWCW Hardcore Champion
- 07-20 2014 The K. C. Wolves (Graham Bell & Luke Langley) became the WFC Tag Team Champions
- 07-20 2018 Double D def. Colby Black for the MSWA eXpress Title
- 07-20 2026 Vincent Cross def. Bang Bang Bennett for the RDW Na'Cho Momma's Hardcore Title
- 07-21 1947 Buddy Rogers def. Dale Levin for the NWA Midwest World Title
- 07-21 1979 Bill Watts & Buck Robley def. The Assassin & The Angel [1st] for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
- 07-21 2012 The Mercenary became the UWE United States Champion
- 07-21 2012 L. J. McDaniels became the SWCW Womens Champion
- 07-21 2012 Sam Stackhouse def. Jake O'Brien for the SRPW Heavyweight Title
- 07-21 2012 Angel Blue def. Venus for the IZW Queens Title
- 07-21 2018 Drake Gallows def. Alex Royal for the UWE Heavyweight Title
- 07-21 2018 Alex Royal def. Drake Gallows for the UWE Heavyweight Title
- 07-22 1959 Danny McShain def. The Zebra Kid for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
- 07-22 1960 Danny Hodge def. Angelo Savoldi for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title
- 07-22 1979 Mark Lewin def. Bruiser Brody for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
- 07-22 1981 Bob Roop def. Super Destroyer for the MSW Louisiana Title
- 07-22 1985 Butch Reed def. Dutch Mantell for the MSW Television Title
- 07-22 2012 Cody Jones def. Les Mayne for the MSWA Oklahoma Title
- 07-22 2016 Nathan Estrada def. Adrian Dell for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
- 07-22 2016 Steven Cruze def. Seth Angel for the ComPro Showtime Title
- 07-22 2017 Future Hall of Famers/Impact, Inc. (Johnny Z & Damien Morte & Jermaine Johnson) became the IZW Tag Team Champions
- 07-22 2017 Ryan Davidson def. Aaron Anders for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
- 07-22 2017 Aaron Anders def. Brian Breaker for the ComPro Heavyweight Title
- 07-22 2017 Wesley Crane def. Skyler Fayden for the UWE United States Title
- 07-22 2023 Tyler Midas def. The Lunchador for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
- 07-23 1967 Karl Kox def. Waldo Von Erich for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
- 07-23 1979 Kerry Von Erich & Bruiser Brody became the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champions
- 07-23 2004 Rocco Valentino def. Justin Lee for the TPW Oklahoma Heavyweight Title
- 07-23 2005 Tyler Bateman def. John O'Malley for the MSWA Tri-State Title
- 07-23 2011 John E. Stone def. Kevin James Sanchez for the SWCW Heavyweight Title
- 07-23 2011 Double D def. Michael Barry for the IZW Impact Division Title
- 07-23 2011 Teila & El Hoto Loco def. Chris Von Luhr & Jason Noal for the ACW Tag Team Titles
- 07-23 2011 Chris Von Luhr & Jason Noal def. Teila & El Hoto Loco for the ACW Tag Team Titles
- 07-23 2021 Ky-Ote def. Dane Griffin for the TexPro Oklahoma Title
- 07-24 1983 Magnum T. A. & Jim Duggan def. Ted DiBiase & Mr. Olympia for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
- 07-24 2005 Brandon Groom & American Anarchy became the NWA-U Oklahoma Tag Team Champions
- 07-24 2010 The Hardcore Connection (Maniac Mike & Shane Sanchez) def. X-Rated (Bobby Star & Kevin James Sanchez) for the SWCW Tag Team Titles
- 07-24 2010 Kareem Sadat became the SWCW Hardcore Champion
- 07-24 2010 Brandon Walker def. Jonathan Cross for the UWE Heavyweight Title
- 07-24 2010 Jonathan Cross def. Brandon Walker for the UWE Heavyweight Title
- 07-24 2019 Antonio Vega def. Shawn Sanders for the ASP Inter-County Title
- 07-24 2020 Derek James def. Alex Royal for the BPW Oklahoma Title
- 07-24 2020 Size Matters (Sam Stackhouse & Mike Starr) def. Legend Has It (Thrash & Killbane) for the BPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
- 07-24 2020 Ethan Cole def. Tommy Dean for the BPW Lion Heart Title
- 07-24 2022 Sam Stackhouse became the WCR Heavyweight Champion
- 07-25 1957 Duke Keomuka def. Bull Curry for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
- 07-25 1962 Hiro Matsuda & Don Kent def. Alberto Torres & Ramon Torres for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
- 07-25 1966 Tony Borne def. Louie Tillet for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
- 07-25 1977 Captain USA def. Bruiser Brody for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
- 07-25 1980 Ken Mantell became the MSW Louisiana Champion
- 07-25 1981 Eddie Gilbert & Ricky Morton def. Ed Wiskowski & Mike George for the TSW Tag Team Titles
- 07-25 1983 Jimmy Garvin def. Kevin Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
- 07-25 1988 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. John Tatum & Jack Victory for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Titles
- 07-25 2009 Team SuperBad (El Super Colibri & Justin Lee) def. Crazy Beautiful (Brett Taylor & Michael York) for the ComPro Tag Team Titles
- 07-25 2015 La Famiglia (Luke Grayson & Thomas Knight) def. Seth Angel & Adrian Dell for the ComPro Tag Team Titles
- 07-25 2020 Real Dirty Brawlers (Brawler Morrison & Thrash) def. Tommy Dean for the WFC Tag Team Titles
- 07-25 2020 Jon Cross def. Luke Langley for the WFC Hometown Heroes Title
- 07-25 2020 Tim Rockwell def. Jon Cross for the WFC Hometown Heroes Title
- 07-25 2021 Thrash def. Luke Savage for the ASP Mid-American Title
- Great Matsuda Jul 22nd Today!
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Oklafan Quiz
After leaving UWF, Ted DiBiase went to the WWF. What was his new WWF moniker?