10 Most Inspirational Wrestling Stars Of All Time
3. Dusty Rhodes
‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair may have been the face and backbone of the NWA, but no one was as beloved as ‘the American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes.
The man turned fan favourite in 1974 and, a weird flirtation with the nWo aside, never looked back. Possessed of the body of a janitor and the voice of a jive singer, no one could captivate a crowd with such ferocious, twinkling charisma - and that extended way beyond the way he conducted himself in the squared circle.
You see, the Dream wasn’t just a fiery white meat babyface. He meant more to the business than his character, or how much he drew, or those fantastic matches with Flair or Superstar Billy Graham or Harley Race, or even his innovation as a booker.
From every single report of the man, Rhodes was a truly lovely, generous guy who lived to pass on his knowledge and his experience. The Dream was teaching people to be better, to do better, long before he had a trainer or a coach’s job. Everyone who met him seems to have been inspired or motivated in some small way.
When Rhodes passed away in June 2015, story after story after story came out in the press about how much he’d meant to the people he’d mentored in the business. His sons, Cody and Dustin. Diamond Dallas Page. Stone Cold Steve Austin. Kurt Angle. Triple H. Scott Hall. MVP. Chris Jericho. Ric Flair, and the other Horsemen. Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts. Jeff Hardy. Jim Ross. Mick Foley. Tommy Dreamer. ‘The Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase. X-Pac. CM Punk. Everyone at NXT for the last few years - Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns, Kevin Owens, all the NXT women’s division, 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 he’d helped shape or change 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 man’s true legacy lay.
Rest In Power, Dream.