10 Most Influential Wrestlers Ever
8. The American Dream Dusty Rhodes
Ric Flair may have been the face and backbone of the NWA, but no one was as beloved as the Dream. The man turned fan favourite in 1974 and never looked back.
Possessed of the body of a school janitor and the voice of a jive singer, the late Dusty Rhodes may seem one of the more unlikely candidates for greatest babyface of all time, but he's right up there with the best and brightest.
At his peak, no one could touch the American Dream. Crowds would be spellbound by his promos, as one of the greatest interviews in all of professional wrestling worked his magic. It's jawdropping, even today: no one, probably in all of wrestling history, could captivate a crowd with such ferocious, twinkling charisma.
But the Dream wasnt just a fiery white meat babyface. He meant more to the business than his character, or how much he drew, or the fantastic matches with Flair or Superstar Billy Graham or Harley Race - or even his innovation as a booker, or his creation of Starrcade (the NWA's annual supershow event that supposedly inspired Vince McMahon to create WrestleMania and beat the competition at their own game).
From every single report of the man, Rhodes was a truly lovely, generous guy who lived to pass on his knowledge and his experience: he was training and coaching people before he had a trainer or a coaching job, and it seems that there's no one in wrestling who met him who wasn't inspired or motivated to do better.
When Rhodes passed away a few years back, story after story after story came out. His sons, Cody and Dustin. Diamond Dallas Page. Scott Hall. Jake The Snake Roberts. Stone Cold Steve Austin. Chris Jericho. Ric Flair, and the other Horsemen. Jim Ross. The Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase. Mick Foley. Tommy Dreamer. X-Pac. Jeff Hardy. Kurt Angle. CM Punk. MVP. Triple H. Everyone at NXT for the last three years - Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns, all the NXT Divas, and more.
So many more, dozens and dozens more, and all with their own personal laughing, tear-stained stories to tell about the man, and how hed shaped or changed their lives and careers.
The American Dream Dusty Rhodes may well have been an inspiration in the ring and on the mic but it's backstage, in the locker room and in training, on the road, at home and in the Performance Centre, where the mans true legacy lay. Rest In Power, Dream.