Views From The Turnbuckle: Remembering The Dream

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When talking about pro wrestling, one of the catchwords thrown around is "it." The reason it is referred to as "it" is because it is hard to define what exactly it is, all we know about it is that performers that possess it have an irresistible ability to connect with the audience. Dusty Rhodes had "it" in spades.

Dusty wasn't just a popular figure in wrestling. There are plenty of guys who drew just as much as him and are far less impactful in the overall scope of wrestling. Dusty wasn't just a big star that drew well for a lot of years, he was a figure that revolutionized the idea of what pro wrestling could be.

Before Dusty arrived on the scene, you wouldn't really want to hear the babyface talk on the microphone. The babyfaces that preceded Rhodes, iconic stars like Lou Thesz, Bruno Sammartino, Verne Gagne, etc. were all fantastic performers and made a lot of money for a lot of different people, but they were not exactly electric performers on the microphone. Most promos typically ended up as a humility contest with all of the top babyfaces showing the same amount of charisma as a dry turnip. If you wanted someone really quotable, you went to the heels. The top stars rivals; Freddie Blassie, Superstar Billy Graham, Nick Bockwinkel and Buddy Rogers, were the kings of gab. For a long time it was considered a no-no for the babyface to boast about himself, it was the heel's job to have the ego, the babyface was supposed to be humble and give it all back to the fans.

Dusty Rhodes changed all of that. Rhodes came around the bend and warped the idea of what a top babyface could be. His physique left a lot to be desired and he lacked the amateur background that many of his contemporaries possessed. None of that mattered. Rhodes had so much charisma that it was nearly impossible to not support him in his quest for gold. All of the old superstitions, that a face had to look the part, that it was wrong for a face to constantly postulate about themselves, went out the window when it concerned Rhodes.

Rhodes worked most of his career under the gimmick that he was an everyman, the American Dream, someone that rose from the working class of society to find fame and fortune in the field of entertainment. But Dusty was so good at his gimmick that it really wasn't a gimmick at all. After watching him for some time it seemed impossible to believe that Rhodes WASN'T like the character he portrayed on television in real life. Like Steve Austin, it seemed that Dusty was the exact same when he was at home on the couch as he was when he was in the ring.

His career has been well-documented, but it still is one of the most remarkable journeys a wrestler has had. As a babyface during the territory era, Rhodes became one of the few stars that were truly a national figure. He was an icon in the South, where his charisma and attitude resonated with every type of fan. In the North he was an outstanding draw, facing off against Graham in sell-out crowds at Madison Square Garden. As a booker he arguably deserves a spot on the Mount Rushmore of creativity, constantly coming up with new match ideas and storylines.

Dusty was not perfect. Many who worked closely with him complained about his arrogance and his ego. He constantly booked him and his friends into the top positions in companies long after their primes had past and his work on commentary in WCW left a lot to be desired.

But even with all of that, Rhodes will be remembered for his tremendous contributions to the business. His legacy will not be about the time when he went over someone that should have gotten he rub, or because he overused the false finish to the point that his name got attached to the idea. He will be remembered because of his over-the-top passion for the industry and the changes he made for the betterment of babyfaces everywhere. The wrestling world is significantly for the better for having Rhodes' involvement.

The most memorable moment in his career did not take place in the ring, it took place while he was wearing a suit and giving an interview. In the "Hard Times" promo, he mentioned that there were two bad men to walk the earth, John Wayne and Dusty Rhodes. "And there were two bad people: one was John Wayne ? and he's dead, brother ? and the other one is right here!" Now, we no longer have any bad men, rest in peace, Dream.