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00:00I admit, I don't look like the athlete of the day supposed to look.
00:03My belly's just a little big, my height is just a little big,
00:06but brother, I am bad and they know I'm bad.
00:10He's just a common man, working hard with his hands.
00:14He is the American dream, Dusty Rhodes.
00:18The little plumber's son, who come out of the ditch and became so sweet.
00:22But this son of a plumber was anything but common,
00:25as he'd go on to inspire audiences for generations with his gold hair,
00:30silver tongue, and polka dot outfits.
00:32Don't talk about the American dream, Dusty Rhodes.
00:34I am the best at it. There is no other.
00:37Today, we get fucking like a monkey
00:39as we look back at the legendary career of WWE Hall of Famer, Dusty Rhodes.
00:45No greater star, there is no greater being ever
00:49than Dusty Rhodes' American dream.
00:51This is WWE's greatest moments.
01:12Welcome, everyone, to WWE's greatest moments.
01:15I'm Michael Cole.
01:16And on this edition, we are taking a look back
01:18at the illustrious career of the American dream, Dusty Rhodes.
01:22I don't do hard times. I am the good time rock and roll man.
01:27The self-described common man was not only a sight to be seen in the ring,
01:30but he was also one of the most captivating superstars to ever hold a microphone.
01:36I'm going to put this booty right up your booty.
01:39A master wordsmith, Rhodes could win over any crowd with his charm and relatability.
01:44Who's your favorite wrestler?
01:45Dusty Rhodes.
01:47In 1977, Dusty's star would truly shine brightly
01:51as he implored audiences to simply dream.
01:57It's a good time of year because it's a new year.
02:00The American dream spreading joy and cheer in the new year, 1977.
02:04I figured out right away I can sell more tickets talking them in the building
02:08than actually what they were seeing in the building.
02:11It's about winning the Georgia Heavyweight Wrestling Championship for my people, baby.
02:17He's the only one that reeled me in, 100%.
02:19He was the white Muhammad Ali.
02:22This is the American dream, Dusty Rhodes, the greatest rap master,
02:25the greatest wrestler, the greatest super heavyweight.
02:28The job of that interview, especially during that day,
02:31was to talk people into the building, was to sell tickets.
02:34One of the greatest sights in the world is the Atlanta Omnets.
02:37When I look at that interview, he could do it better than anybody.
02:40The thing is, he's going to feel the dream in Omnets.
02:44Dusty was a master at hyping up audiences everywhere
02:47and make them feel any emotion he wanted to.
02:50When you come out here and you mention Dusty Rhodes, the American dream,
02:54and you call him the legend, you say it, brother, in reverence.
02:58And when it came to getting physical, the dream could also back up those words.
03:03Dusty Rhodes could fight.
03:05Fight he did.
03:05And one of Dusty's greatest adversaries was none other
03:08than the NWA television champion, Tully Blanchard.
03:12This right here says it all, doesn't it, Dusty?
03:14I'm the man.
03:16It was at the Great American Bash 1985
03:18where these two would lock horns at perhaps their most brutal battle yet
03:22inside a dreaded steel cage.
03:27This is a lights-out match
03:30not sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance.
03:34Tully Blanchard, Great American Bash.
03:36He was fabulous.
03:38I drew actually the most money with Tully.
03:41He was the ultimate hero.
03:43Blanchard with an elbow.
03:45Dusty was so fun to beat up.
03:47There was just a very good chemistry there.
03:50When you can take all that personality that Dusty had
03:53and then when it gets down to Dukes
03:56and you can still pay it off,
03:58that's when you know that you are a superstar.
04:01Oh, Dusty's coming!
04:02And that's what separates a lot of people,
04:04and Dusty had that.
04:06He had that ability to entertain you,
04:08but he also could get down and dirty
04:10and fight and do what he had to do.
04:12Our new World TV title holder, Dusty Rhodes!
04:18There's only a couple belts back then,
04:20and that television title,
04:22it meant everything.
04:28If one thing is true about the professional wrestling business,
04:31it's that change is inevitable.
04:32Oh, yeah!
04:33You know, I'm just a common man.
04:38Amongst these success stories was Dusty Rhodes.
04:40In 1989, Rhodes would join WWE
04:43and show off a side of himself
04:45that truly defined the term common man.
04:51Welcome to Americana Butcher Shop.
04:53We don't sell no soda pop,
04:54but if you're looking for good beef,
04:56that's the place to stop.
04:57Vince saw him as the common man,
04:59so we did vignettes.
05:01I can do it when you can
05:03cause I'm the ever-loving Americana pizza man.
05:06Make him that everyday man.
05:08He was the pizza man.
05:10He was the plumber man.
05:11He was the gaff man.
05:13He was the taco man.
05:15Dusty became every man.
05:17I'm gonna show you my patented trash man,
05:21Americana Hookshot.
05:22All right, there it is, baby, do it, yeah!
05:25The scripts were pretty funny.
05:26I enjoyed them.
05:27I really enjoyed them
05:28because they were really off the wall
05:30and kind of funny.
05:31Let me get that one.
05:31I did the first ever
05:33triple potty bypass!
05:35Well, Dusty Rhodes,
05:36he basically spoke
05:37from a working man's perspective.
05:39Right here.
05:40This is baloney.
05:40This is baloney,
05:41and we are full of it today.
05:43People could relate to those vignettes.
05:45Just got Dusty over that much more.
05:48We got tacos,
05:49we got enchiladas.
05:50What can I do for you?
05:51Yes, ma'am!
05:52Dusty was a person
05:53that could literally take something
05:54and go,
05:55all right, baby,
05:56let's go.
05:58Yeah!
05:59Woo!
06:01Still to come.
06:03He has had enough!
06:05The name of the game
06:06for Dusty Rhodes
06:06has always been
06:07resiliency.
06:10Dusty Rhodes was beloved by all
06:12and for good reason.
06:13The 1970s were filled
06:15with flash and color.
06:17This man, unquestionably,
06:18a colorful individual.
06:20And just like what
06:21the great Muhammad Ali
06:22did for boxing.
06:23Then this might shock
06:24and amaze you,
06:25but I will destroy Joe Frazier.
06:27Dusty Rhodes
06:28would sell out arenas nationwide
06:30with just the words
06:31coming from his mouth.
06:33The man of the eye,
06:33the man with the power.
06:35I am the hit maker,
06:36the record breaker.
06:37With a microphone in his hand,
06:39the common man
06:40spoke to the common man.
06:46Mr. Soul,
06:47Mr. Charisma,
06:48Mr. Dusty Rhodes.
06:51287 pounds of sweet salt.
06:53I want to get right down
06:54to what's going on.
06:55Dusty Rhodes,
06:56the American dream.
06:57He was absolutely
06:58the top promo of all time.
07:00The time has changed.
07:02Now then,
07:03it's going to be
07:05electrified funk and madness.
07:07Can you dig it?
07:08Electrified funk
07:09is putting a modernized spin
07:10as times change.
07:12It's not Muhammad Ali.
07:14It's not a baseball team.
07:16It's not a horse.
07:17It is not anybody
07:18but me.
07:19The one thing
07:20our father had
07:21was charisma
07:23that was unmatched.
07:26The little plumber's son
07:27who come out of the ditch
07:29at eight years old
07:30and became so sweet.
07:33Charisma.
07:35That's why
07:36Dusty resonated.
07:37Yeah, you dig it.
07:38The game's so sweet.
07:39Incredible charisma.
07:40That's a gift.
07:41I've wined and dined
07:42with kings and queens
07:44and...
07:44Kings and queens.
07:45But I slept in the alley
07:46and dined on pork and beans.
07:48People are sitting at home
07:49going,
07:49I got to go see Dusty Rhodes.
07:50He's making me feel something.
07:52You know what you can kiss
07:54if you don't like
07:54what I'm saying.
07:56I had that one element
07:57that you cannot give anyone.
08:00Charisma.
08:00You either have it
08:01or you don't.
08:02And I had it.
08:04There is Dusty Rhodes
08:05270 pounds
08:08of sweet, sweet soul, baby.
08:10That is really the secret
08:11to his success
08:12because he really was
08:14the American dream.
08:16Dusty Rhodes
08:16had done it all
08:17in his Hall of Fame career.
08:19But the one accomplishment
08:20that eluded the American dream
08:21was that of winning
08:22the WWE Championship.
08:24The current champion,
08:25superstar Billy Graham
08:26was a performer
08:27like no other.
08:29Superstar and Dusty
08:30had explosive charisma
08:31when it came time
08:32to talk the talk.
08:33Mouth shut and ears open.
08:35I am the greatest.
08:36I am the strongest.
08:37This is my belt.
08:38I got the truth, baby.
08:401977,
08:41Rhodes looked to finish
08:42his own story
08:43as he took on the superstar
08:44for the greatest prize
08:45in professional wrestling.
08:49And comes the biggie.
08:51The Worldwide Wrestling
08:52Federation Heavyweight
08:53Championship match.
08:54The two hottest items
08:56in the country at the time
08:57was the superstar
08:58Billy Graham and myself.
09:08Here's Dusty Rhodes,
09:09superstar Graham,
09:10packing that place,
09:12standing room only.
09:13Rhodes whipped to the corner
09:14of the elbow of Graham.
09:16Open it to the bare heart.
09:18The deafening roar
09:19and the sound
09:19was amazing.
09:21Rhodes catching it.
09:24Graham now,
09:25off the rope again.
09:26and hook all over.
09:30Tony Graham has been
09:32counted out.
09:33They're all losing
09:34their minds
09:35and he's got
09:35the world title belt
09:37and then,
09:38no,
09:39you don't get
09:40to keep that belt
09:41because you can't win
09:42by count out.
09:43The only time
09:45that the championship
09:46can change hands
09:47is either by a pin
09:49or a submission
09:50or a submission.
09:51The crowd was happy
09:52that Dusty won
09:53but they were not happy
09:54because the title
09:55didn't change hands.
09:56The winner
09:56but not the new
09:58world champion,
10:00Dusty Rhodes.
10:01The match was over
10:02and I would stand there
10:03and didn't want
10:04to leave the ring.
10:05Superstar,
10:06I've come a long way
10:07to whip your ass down.
10:08Get out of here, baby.
10:13Still to come.
10:23It's no secret
10:24that Dusty Rhodes
10:24is one of the greatest
10:25superstars of all time
10:26and deserving
10:27of all the praise
10:28he has gotten
10:29over the years.
10:30But his mark
10:31on this industry
10:31is more than just
10:32his work on the microphone
10:34and in the ring.
10:35It's his work
10:36behind the scenes
10:37as well.
10:38Dusty Rhodes
10:38was a creative force
10:39like no other.
10:40It was his brain
10:41that came up
10:42with the innovation
10:42known as the
10:43as War Games
10:44and the Great
10:45American Bash
10:46and even the cornerstone
10:48of WCW Starrcade.
10:50A tremendous crowd
10:52is on hand
10:52for tonight.
10:53Starrcade.
10:54It was at the 1987
10:55edition of Starrcade
10:57where Dusty would face
10:58a tough opponent
10:58in Lex Luger.
11:00This baby
11:01is for real.
11:02Dusty Rhodes
11:03would step onto
11:04the stage he created
11:05as he took on
11:06Lex Luger
11:07for the United States
11:08title inside
11:09of an unforgiving
11:10steel cage.
11:12Lex Luger,
11:13it will be
11:14the total end
11:15to the total package.
11:21Lex Luger
11:23closes for everybody.
11:25Let's take a look
11:26at the dream.
11:27and you wonder
11:27why my ego
11:28is so big.
11:29Yeah.
11:31It's not Dusty Rhodes
11:32the American dream.
11:34The name of the game
11:35for Dusty Rhodes
11:35has always been
11:37resiliency.
11:38He has always been
11:38able to bounce back
11:39and even though
11:40Luger's a great athlete,
11:41I think it favors
11:42Dusty Rhodes.
11:44Dusty was a good guy
11:45or a baby face,
11:46so that really
11:47established me
11:47as a heel
11:48by cheating
11:50JJ
11:51and just
11:52the chair in.
11:53Chair over the top.
11:55The referee
11:56was mad by Luger.
11:57Got me a lot
11:58of heat.
12:01And again,
12:02the chair.
12:03Rick's got him.
12:06No, it's got him.
12:12If your nickname
12:14is the American dream,
12:15winning the United States
12:16title,
12:18pretty important,
12:18I would assume,
12:19to your legacy
12:20as the American dream,
12:21you know.
12:22The American dream
12:23is the new
12:24United States
12:25heavyweight champion.
12:28In the late 1970s,
12:30professional wrestling
12:30was firmly in the grasp
12:31of one Harley race.
12:33The self-proclaimed
12:34greatest wrestler
12:35on God's green earth
12:36had their credentials
12:37to back it up
12:37with an incredible
12:39926-day
12:40world heavyweight
12:41title reign.
12:42You know damn well
12:43you can't beat me.
12:45But all roads
12:46would lead to,
12:47well, roads
12:48as the champ
12:49would defend his title
12:50against the American dream.
12:51Harley race.
12:53I've just been
12:54to a lot of hail, Jack.
12:55And I'm not gonna
12:56lose that world's title.
12:57You can bet
12:58all your old
12:58heavyweight championship
12:59money on that, Jack.
13:02The largest
13:03proud at earth
13:03jammed
13:04for Homer Hester
13:05the Armory in Tampa
13:05is Dusty Rhodes
13:06the challengers
13:07getting set to take on
13:08the world heavyweight
13:09wrestling champion
13:10Harley race.
13:11NWA world
13:12heavyweight champions
13:13held the championship
13:14for several years.
13:16And to defeat
13:17the champion
13:17and actually lay claim
13:19to being a world
13:20heavyweight champion
13:21was a huge deal.
13:25Dusty could sell out
13:26the building
13:27with almost anybody
13:28and you'll have
13:30as good a match
13:32as anyone on the card.
13:33Dusty Rhodes
13:34continues to dominate
13:35the situation.
13:37Ladies and gentlemen,
13:38a new world heavyweight
13:39wrestling champion.
13:40He considered
13:41the world championship
13:42to be the highest honor.
13:44You can't get him
13:45to say that wrestling
13:46was fake.
13:47and it's because
13:47it's not.
13:49That moment wasn't.
13:50When you take it
13:51that seriously
13:52the fans take you seriously
13:53and they support you
13:55they're crying with you
13:56they're cheering with you.
13:57That moment I was
13:58champion of the world
13:59and I think that's
14:00what made that so great
14:01so great a moment for me.
14:03This is an example
14:04for every man,
14:05woman and child.
14:06Get a dream
14:07hold on to it
14:08and shoot for the sky.
14:10I have been to the mountaintop
14:11and it will take
14:12a hell of a man
14:13to knock me off.
14:18Over the years
14:19Dusty Rhodes proved
14:20that he was more
14:21than just a common man.
14:22He was also a trailblazer.
14:24In the early 2010s
14:25WWE introduced
14:27its brand new
14:27developmental system
14:28NXT.
14:30This would become
14:30the launchpad
14:31for young up and coming
14:32talent to skyrocket
14:34to superstardom.
14:35Behind the production
14:36training, booking
14:37and mentorship
14:37of this young roster
14:38was none other
14:39than WWE Hall of Famer
14:41Dusty Rhodes.
14:42If you can dream
14:43it, you can do it.
14:44Dusty's passion
14:45for the future
14:45of this industry
14:47was palpable
14:47and when it came
14:48to NXT
14:49he always wore
14:50his heart
14:50on his sleeve.
14:54Dusty!
14:55Dusty!
14:55All right,
14:56welcome to NXT
14:57right here
14:58in Full Sail University.
15:01I was with NXT
15:02at the time
15:03and I was there
15:03the night Dusty
15:04came out and spoke
15:05to the fans
15:05and he still had
15:06that charisma.
15:07This is your house.
15:08This is our house.
15:10This is in
15:12NXT, yeah baby!
15:14It was so powerful
15:15for all of us
15:16to have Dusty
15:17as our commissioner
15:18but what Dusty
15:19did behind the camera
15:20was immeasurable.
15:21Dusty was the heart
15:22and soul of NXT
15:22and the way he spoke
15:23to you,
15:23the way he spoke
15:24about you,
15:24the way he spoke
15:25about wrestling
15:25and just stayed with you.
15:27In the success
15:28of NXT,
15:28you talk a lot
15:29about it being done,
15:30none of it could have
15:30taken place
15:31without Dusty.
15:32Thank you sir.
15:32You won't regret it.
15:34All right.
15:34Definitely taught me a lot.
15:36He was like a father
15:37figure to me
15:37when I was down
15:38in Florida.
15:38He was the first person
15:39to just tell me
15:40to be myself
15:40and that that
15:42was going to be good enough.
15:43Dusty Rhodes
15:44was just somebody
15:44to push you
15:45and push you
15:46and push you
15:46as a person
15:47and just be
15:48the best performer
15:48that you can.
15:49Let's get this party
15:50started.
15:55Up next
15:55is our final
15:56two moments
15:56in the countdown.
16:06If there's one quality
16:07Dusty Rhodes had,
16:09it was how to reach audiences
16:10on an emotional level.
16:12Dusty was a master
16:13at reaching into your soul
16:14and getting you fired up.
16:16He spoke to every race,
16:17color, and creed.
16:18I'm the son of a plumber.
16:19I was raised
16:20in Austin, Texas
16:21and I never had
16:22anything
16:23unless I fought for it,
16:25unless I scratched for it,
16:27unless I got down
16:28on my knees
16:29and went for it.
16:30He wanted to let you know
16:32that we were all
16:32in this together
16:33through the easy times
16:35and the hard times.
16:40I don't have to say
16:41a lot more
16:42about the way
16:43I feel about Ric Flair.
16:45No respect,
16:46no honor.
16:47He put hard times
16:49on Dusty Rhodes
16:50and his family.
16:51It's a hard times promo.
16:52I lived it.
16:53That's what made it so great.
16:55Everyone's been through it.
16:56You don't know
16:57what hard times are, daddy.
16:59Hard times
17:00are when the textile workers
17:01around this country
17:02are out of work
17:03and got four or five kids
17:05and can't pay their wages,
17:06can't buy their food.
17:08And one word led
17:08to another,
17:09to another,
17:10to another
17:10and it built
17:11and it built
17:11and it built
17:12and it built.
17:12And hard times
17:14are when a man
17:15has worked at a job
17:1630 years,
17:1730 years
17:18to give him a watch,
17:20kick him in the butt
17:21and say,
17:21hey, a computer
17:22took your place, daddy.
17:24That's hard time.
17:26Art becoming life,
17:27life becoming art,
17:29his delivery of it
17:31is what makes it
17:32a masterpiece
17:32and it's because
17:33he believes it.
17:35And Ric Flair,
17:35you put hard times
17:38on this country
17:39by taking Dusty Rhodes out.
17:41And Dusty was able
17:42to bring it home
17:42in that one promo
17:44to let you know
17:45that he felt
17:47what you felt
17:47and you wanted him
17:49to win for that.
17:49Let me leave you
17:50with this.
17:51I will be
17:52the next
17:53world's
17:54heavyweight champion
17:55on this hard time blues.
17:58It is now time
17:59for our number one moment
18:01and it's one
18:01that remains
18:02in the minds
18:02of long-time
18:03professional wrestling fans
18:04for the last four decades.
18:06There were no more
18:07polar opposites
18:08in literally every category
18:09than the American dream
18:11Dusty Rhodes
18:11and long-time
18:12NWA world's heavyweight champion
18:15Ric Flair.
18:16Flair was pompous,
18:17boisterous,
18:18and arrogant.
18:18It's the fact
18:19that I live a lifestyle
18:22never, ever
18:23equaled
18:24by any other man.
18:25Rhodes was humble,
18:26kind,
18:27and a man of the people.
18:28I don't put values
18:29in the same thing
18:31Ric Flair does.
18:32It didn't take long
18:33for these two
18:33to find each other
18:34on opposite sides
18:35of the squared circle
18:36and have one of the most
18:37riveting rivalries
18:38of all time.
18:39But it was
18:40at the Great American Bash,
18:411986,
18:42where the only way
18:43to settle the score
18:44was inside the confines
18:46of a steel cage.
18:50When Ric Flair
18:51and Dusty Rhodes
18:52wrestled,
18:53the two greatest wrestlers
18:54in the world
18:55are colliding.
18:56For me and Flair,
18:57you never knew
18:58what you were going to get.
18:59You kept watching it.
19:00They wrestled so many times
19:01against each other before,
19:02but it's always
19:02a new ballgame.
19:04What a grueling match.
19:07Both men have to be
19:08at the brink
19:08of exhaustion right now.
19:10We were the ultimate
19:11bad guy
19:11and the ultimate
19:12blue collar guy.
19:14Dusty was the son
19:15of a plumber.
19:15I was the guy
19:16born with a golden spoon,
19:17right?
19:19Boy says he's getting...
19:21Oof.
19:22Dusty got right out of it.
19:24Dusty and Flair
19:25have been going around
19:26for several years
19:27and the fans
19:29are really anxious
19:30to see Dusty
19:31finally claim
19:32that big prize.
19:34The fans are behind Dusty.
19:38Small package.
19:39Hands, Ric.
19:43Dusty Rhodes
19:44has just won the match.
19:46Talk about the chase.
19:47If you look
19:48in the furthest sections
19:49of that building
19:49and people are losing
19:51their minds,
19:52it's because they were
19:53in on the chase
19:54with him.
19:54A new world
19:57having great champion,
19:59the American breathe,
20:01Dusty Rhodes.
20:03Let's breathe now
20:04as an audience
20:04and a fan of Dusty Rhodes.
20:06He became world champion
20:07again for the second time.
20:08To give them hope,
20:10it can happen.
20:13Dusty Rhodes has left
20:14an indelible mark
20:15on professional wrestling
20:16as well as fans worldwide.
20:18Who would have thought
20:19that a common man,
20:20a son of a plumber,
20:21could have made
20:22such an incredible impact
20:23and plant the seeds
20:24for this industry
20:25for generations to come.
20:27And that'll do it
20:28for this edition
20:28of WWE's Greatest Moments.
20:30I hope you've enjoyed
20:31this look back
20:32at the American dream,
20:34Dusty Rhodes.
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