Eric Bischoff Says Cody Rhodes Is 'Special,' But In A Different Way Than Dusty

Cody Rhodes is just days away from the biggest match of his career when he challenges Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on the second night of WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium. WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff recently spoke about "The American Nightmare" and compared him to his late father, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. 

"Dusty was special," Bischoff said on the "83 Weeks" podcast. "Cody is also special, but in a much different way. Dusty was every guy. Everybody could relate to Dusty ... I don't think Cody has that same very, very special thing. Cody's unattainable. He looks perfect. He's impeccable. He's class. He's everything most of us will never be."

Bischoff explained on the podcast that when individuals saw Dusty, they could picture themselves being just like him, and that was how much people related to the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017 inductee. The former WCW Senior Vice President pointed out that how Dusty carried himself and delivered his promos were key to his persona. Of course, the former NWA World's Heavyweight Champion was provided with the "Common Man" gimmick when he joined WWE in 1989, which saw Dusty wear a polka dot wrestling attire. It had been suggested that the character was given to the much-loved legend as a backstage rib, but Dusty's son Dustin Rhodes admitted that, upon reflection, he doesn't think that was the case. 

Cody has portrayed his fair share of characters over the years, ranging from the "Dashing" gimmick to Stardust. Now, the suit-wearing, straight-talking, 2023 men's Royal Rumble winner is considered a top star in WWE following a run with All Elite Wrestling.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "83 Weeks" with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.