Dusty Rhodes was on top of the National Wrestling Alliance throughout the 70s and 80s, but also headlined Madison Square Garden as part of the WWWF, challenging "Superstar" Billy Graham for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship.
Cody Rhodes has told the infamous story of Dusty defeating Graham by countout, but not winning the WWWF Heavyweight Championship.
According to Cody, Vince McMahon saw Dusty as a guy he could build around.
"One of the things that I was told as a kid was that right after these Garden Shows with 'Superstar' Billy Graham, is that Vince McMahon wanted to use Dusty and 'Superstar' for his expansion, the expansion that would become what we know and where we work and the biggest global sports entertainment wrestling entity on the planet, by far. They booked recording studio time, they were going to make albums, this was before Rock N Wrestling where Vince had these ideas of reaching out beyond pro wrestling. As a kid, hearing that story from Dusty, I didn't believe it. I'm watching VHS videos of Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior and I thought it was his way of catching up, 'I was really special too,' he didn't need to do that, but everyone has an ego. Come to find out, one day I'm sitting by the ring, this is before I left, I'm still doing Stardust, Vince told me the exact story. How mad he was that Dad left and he was going to give him the whole world and he wanted him to be the Hogan and all this. I remember my dad telling me how Hogan used to come to Champion Wrestling from Florida and watched him and revered him. It just sounded like, 'you're just trying to chase that clout.' Then I heard it from Vince and then I heard it from Hogan and Bruce Prichard. I hope we cover this on the documentary. I consider Dusty Rhodes a Mount Rushmore guy, and not just because he's my dad. If it's a son Mount Rushmore, I'm putting four Dustys. I consider him from an industry perspective, closed circuit becoming pay-per-view, The Big Event, the idea of sizzle and matching substance, especially what him and 'Superstar' did in the Garden, that's why the Garden is so dang special to me. It was great to get this part of the story out there and hear it from Bruce as well," Cody said on Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenberg.
Dusty would eventually join WWE in 1989, wearing polka dots and billed as the "Common Man." Many thought Vince was burying Dusty, but Cody believes otherwise.
"Then, he comes in, he's past his prime. I don't believe [Vince] took it out on [Dusty]. If you hear it from himself, he just thought he was past his prime, 'let's do some fun stuff.' When I try to tell fans that the polka dots weren't a rib, it's one of those things where they will argue with me on it. I don't want to argue about this. In the past, I tried to argue it. The only thing I could offer of substance that it wasn't a rib is that he was in major rivalries. Ted DiBiase, Macho King [Randy Savage] as WrestleMania bringing Liz [Miss Elizabeth] back to the ring, Big Bossman. He was in major rivalries for the tiny amount of time he was there. He was prominent the whole time he was there. He was on before intermission or on last depending on where Hogan wanted to go on the card. It's also where he made the most money he ever made in his career, and prior to that he had been an executive producer and or top talent at NWA. I don't mind when people are like, 'they don't love the Rhodes.' I like the narrative of the McMahons pushing the Rhodes a bit. It's a fun narrative. There might be some truth in it. Vince is this Adonis and it turned into the physique and what he wanted, maybe we don't check his box. However, we still come together with these random royal families in wrestling and we offer what we offer, and I want to make it clear how high up we are on the list," he said.
Dusty Rhodes was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
Cody Rhodes is set to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39. Fans can find his comments on potentially facing Sami Zayn at WrestleMania by clicking here.
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