How Good Was Dusty Rhodes Actually?

Storytelling and character are what put a wrestler on top in the modern era, and Dusty Rhodes’ ability to have people root for him remains undeniable. Dusty would be the perfect candidate to build a great feud with Dominik Mysterio or Drew McIntyre. Ric Flair’s fancy lifestyle was the perfect opposition for The Common Man that Rhodes portrayed, and that would work just as well with Logan Paul in 2026. The Son Of A Plumber is the polar opposite of a man who sells a Pokémon card for $16.49 million. This is a man who wrote the book on the swag that’s employed by Trick Williams, and the “everyman” heart that fuels Hangman Adam Page.

Dusty Rhodes’ best years came before the grind of a 24/7 news cycle, endless opinions via social media, the churn of multiple shows a week, and a PLE/PPV every month. Even when exploring his in-ring limitations, Dusty feels like a performer who would have found more tricks for his toolbox to keep fans invested in his stories and matches.

As for his body of work, Rhodes vs. The Four Horsemen wrote the book on the warfare of 'one man vs. a stable'. Hulk Hogan had many classic rivalries, but he never had to run against a pack. Whether it’s Sting vs. The nWo, Seth Rollins vs. The Vision, or Stone Cold vs. The Corporation, they all owe a debt of gratitude to Dusty Rhodes’ 'one vs. all' work in the NWA against J.J. Dillon’s Flair-led stable.

The biggest argument for Dusty’s ability to adapt to any era comes in his short run in ECW. Down on his luck and in dire need of financial support, Dusty Rhodes had a great run in Paul Heyman’s outlaw promotion. He got his swagger back via that hardcore crowd’s love for him and his timeless ability to connect with wrestling fans. He had violent classics in Street Fights and Texas Bullrope matches, teaming with a man whose “everyman” schtick owed everything to Dusty's blueprint, Tommy Dreamer.

This is before mentioning that Dusty Rhodes' legacy lives on in the biggest babyface in wrestling today. Cody Rhodes can relate to every crowd he stands before, and that shines brightest when he brings Dusty's legacy to the table in the cities in which his family made their name.

Dusty Rhodes was also one of the true innovators of violence. This is a man who was involved in Barbed Wire and Texas Death matches, and almost had his eye taken out by The Road Warriors back in the '80s. Dusty was extreme, long before it was a buzzword.

He also came up with the concept for WarGames, a match that still thrills audiences today. The NWA WarGames match from 4 July 1987, where Dusty teamed with The Road Warriors and Nikita Koloff to take on the Lex Luger version of The Four Horsemen, is as thrilling (if not more so) as any of the recent WWE or NXT versions of the match.

9/10