10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Dusty Rhodes

10. The 'Polka Dot' WWF Character Was A Rib

Making a name for himself as part of Jim Crockett Promotions, the NWA and WCW, Dusty Rhodes would find his merry way to the garish, colourful land of the World Wrestling Federation in 1989. Experiencing incredible burnout due to years of wrestling, booking and putting up with the numerous headaches associated with running wrestling territories, Rhodes was encouraged by Vince McMahon to just have some fun during his WWF tenure. Of course, one thing Dusty probably didn't bargain on was a drastic change to his wardrobe. More akin to being decked out in jeans and tank tops, the portly Rhodes now earned a living dancing around in bright colours, most famously yellow polka dots which McMahon reasoned better fit in with the more cartoon-like vibe of his federation at the time. Years later, Rhodes claimed the outfits were his idea, but it's generally accepted that the costume was a light-hearted (at best) rib on the man from McMahon. The 'American Dream' had become a much-loved character in WCW, and it seemed the WWF wanted to poke fun at it to a degree. Few can say for sure whether there was any malice in it, but Dusty embraced the idea nonetheless.