10 Most Drastic Differences Between Wrestlers In And Out Of WWE

7. Dusty Rhodes

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WWE

Outside of WWE:

When you watch back Dusty's famed 'Hard Times' promo, you're Renee Young, sheepishly doing the fist-bump at the TV screen when the man asks you to reach out. Even now, Rhodes' famous words are totally rousing, and it turns out that the guy never even knew what hard times were. Hard times are when a global health crisis forces you indoors for two months. Hard times are when you can't even buy flour to bake with your kids. Hard times are when you are too chronically exhausted to parent that Waffle the Wonder Dog takes your place, daddy!

Rhodes was a guy whose weight was a feature, not a bug, because he was somehow relatable and larger than life - a super-charismatic babyface who would bleed buckets just to stay in the fight.

In WWE:

Rhodes was a guy whose weight automatically made him a jolly figure. He wore polka dots and was teamed with a hopeless valet, with whom he "boogied" because that's what big fat guys do, right? He got the sh*t halfway over by force of will, but friggin' Virgil - the guy who could barely work and that they named to rib the Dream - was given more serious material to work with.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!