I tell this story often. I'm mixed; black/white. My Father, who's black, started getting into wrestling around 1977/1978. Now my Dad was born and raised in north eastern Alabama, about 30 miles outside of Huntsville. They didn't have cable so they didn't get to watch a lot of wrestling back then, but they could listen to the radio broadcasts and hear the Wrestler's promos/interviews and the color commentary. My Dad, his brothers, and friends believed, from 1977-1984, that Dusty Rhodes was a black man; based solely on his cadence and the way he sounded while speaking. In 1984, my Father and his brothers saved their money and were able to get tickets to their first live wrestling event in GA. They didn't realize Dusty was white until he came out to the ring and the ring announcer introduced him. He always says, "You'd think that would've bummed us out, right? Nope, it made us even bigger fans because that's when we learned that there were white people who were like us!". I love that story. ✌🏾✌🏾👍🏾👍🏾

@pleaseshutup7053

Жыл бұрын

Dusty definitely a brotha I seen that video of him on the internet at a charity basketball game dude was a hooper

@syko2695

Жыл бұрын

Ngl when you said "I' mixed; black/white" my brain went to you being Michael Jackson 😅

@chrischar9428

Жыл бұрын

​@ENT Broadcast Corporation he was original hip hop

@maxxdahl6062

Жыл бұрын

Awesome story, did he ever hear Gary Hart speak? I don't know how I'd describe Gary, almost SORT of like dusty, but maybe a bit more smooth and a bit more Chicago.

@goodday2760

Жыл бұрын

Cool story, until the NWO-made 'diverse' hand icon.

Dusty's widow Michelle was great on the WWE DVD The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story. She comes right out and says she felt the polka dots were a rib by Vince on Dusty, but she has a sense of humor about it and isn't pissed, just very good-natured. Meanwhile Bruce Prichard is content to just take the company line and kiss Vince's ass while Michelle shoots straight. Good lady.

@zagan1

Жыл бұрын

She also says he came up with it. No one in WWF didn't know why he wanted to wear it, it was probably his way of keeping the American dream locked away from the WWF at the time and they didn't get it. That was his money maker and he controlled everything with it. Run a completely different thing and they can't use the American dream or run some idea around it

@paulheap1982

Жыл бұрын

@zagan1 yet he was still called the American dream in WWF and it was even in his theme.

Hearing Brian Last mention he hadn't heard the Hard Times promo til 2004, makes me grateful for having seen it at first broadcast in 1985. Wow. Crockett was right. It was about grown people fighting for important things.

This was an excellent documentary. I was surprised how great it was. The emotional reactions by Cody & Dustin was beautiful. Dusty’s larger than life persona was must see television. His promos were always top notch. His in ring work was amazing. It was a heartfelt love letter to Dusty. A+.

@mitzicarpenter2820

Жыл бұрын

Well said I love the end of your comment,beautiful and perfect way to put it!

@distantandvague

Жыл бұрын

I love listening to Dustin talk about Dusty because you can feel the emotion of his words, and how their relationship wasn't always great, but Dustin loved him and I know Dusty loved him too.

Dusty was the original common man wrestler. His connection to the people was unparalleled. He was the perfect opponent for the Nature Boy Ric Flair the rich elitist pretty boy. Nobody will ever get over with as many groups of people as Dusty did. A true legend of the business.

@terminallumbago6465

Жыл бұрын

I think what made Dusty so great at the “common man” persona was because he actually seemed to be an everyman. He didn’t have a bodybuilder physique, by all accounts he wasn’t into the hard partying a lot of other wrestlers were doing, he seemed like a family man behind it all.

If this thumbnail existed just a few weeks earlier, you'd never guess who the pizza delivery guy was supposed to be.

@garyhen2028

Жыл бұрын

Haha very true, Travis had to seriously change vinnymac! Lol

@darensparks

Жыл бұрын

Very true

@markfroman738

Жыл бұрын

Vincenzo!

@omyswiftlourido4161

Жыл бұрын

🤣😂🤣😂💪💪

@whiteythaboss407

Жыл бұрын

I makea you a pie like Mama use to!!!!🤌

I’ve never cried this much watching a wrestling documentary! Seeing Dustin break down killed me. Me and my dad had a lot of the same issues…it definitely hits home.

@barrymccockiner773

Жыл бұрын

“All I need is a hug and a kiss to seal the deal baby!” 😭

@bmw328i8

Жыл бұрын

@@barrymccockiner773 that hit me right in the feels!

@makaveli4205

Жыл бұрын

I wish dusty was still alive. He really wasn't that old. Just had a rough life. Gave everything to the wrestling business.

@RainmakerXBooty

Жыл бұрын

@@makaveli4205 men like him never die

Dusty was that uncle from the south that was hip enough that he fit right in the black neighborhood and be welcome and fit in right away. Dusty had a universally appeal AND he could play freaking basketball. He looked like "us" he sounded like "us" everyone loved him

Between 86 & 89 I got to see Dusty live maybe half a dozen times in DC and Baltimore with Crocket/NWA. Man, what a showman. He was the GOAT of the people. Miss those days a hell of a lot. RIP Dusty. You were the best.

This was a great doc, having all the rhodes (runnels) family involved was great and dusty's wife did a good job expressing his feelings at those times.

@KingGhidorah5464

Жыл бұрын

The only person I was surprised not to see was Brandi!

Dusty Rhodes and Paul Heyman are two guys who can code switch with Kayfabe so well that the line is ALWAYS blurred. Even in that last interview,Dusty was still not “exposing the business”,he was so charismatic.

@goodday2760

Жыл бұрын

CODE SWITCH GUYS CODE SWITCH!!! FREAKING GENIUS OVER HERE!

@terminallumbago6465

Жыл бұрын

And ironically, according to Dusty’s Wikipedia page, Paul Heyman was the very last person Dusty was able to have a conversation with in his final moments (idk if they got Paul on the phone or what the situation was).

@InvisibleHotdog

Жыл бұрын

​@@terminallumbago6465 should be skeptical if that's coming from Paul

I told you all, codys chase means more.

Well, Hogan *was* 9 years old... he hadn't mastered how to fly from Japan yet, and accidentally kept going backwards through time until he was a kid watching Dusty!

@cjtquk

Жыл бұрын

400 days a year brother!

This made Cody’s defeat understandable. He gonna be more over after beating Brock and eventually beat Roman

@arturoalmazan5262

Жыл бұрын

he ain't beating brock dude. they buried him already at Wrestlemania. what makes you think they'll let him have a win over brock Lesnar?

@JACQUEZJOHNSON23

Жыл бұрын

@@arturoalmazan5262 buried what he only one time since he been back how is that buried ☠️

@joegreene7619

Жыл бұрын

@@arturoalmazan5262 Oh look, another clueless toddler using buried for a simple angle. It's stunning how little the Meltzer crowd understands about basic pro wrestling booking.

@arturoalmazan5262

Жыл бұрын

@JACQUEZ JOHNSON only one WHAT? can't even understand what you're writing dude.

@pleaseshutup7053

Жыл бұрын

If Brock is lazy and they have a subpar match the effect will be negative

There’s not a day I don’t miss dusty Rhodes, my father would watch ric vs dusty any time Jim Crockett was on when he was younger and then when I was getting older and watching NWO on WCW he would sit there and watch it and be like “this isn’t wrestling” and he would turn it off and show the wrestling programs he collected and talked about that feud being his favorite .. Best part was my father came from the working class and worked his hands all his life and still does, while I wanted to be ric flair.. RIP Dusty

It for sure felt the most special of all these biographies

Jim is right so much tragedy in wrestling more than other industries it was nice fit change to hear a good story

I would love to watch a professional big budget Jim Cornette biography

@BruhNut

Жыл бұрын

WWE legends , Jim Cornette

This was amazing! I’ve watched it twice already. Dusty truly was one of kind and its crazy how he isnt in the discussions of GOAT as he should be. You can hear the love in Jim’s voice just talking about him and how much he pushed for the Midnights. Cody and Dustin were great here.

@Shin-Blade

Жыл бұрын

He is in the GOAT talks!

I got to meet Dusty several times over the years and once got to sit next to him on a plane ride to St Louis. He was such a nice guy in person and loved discussing his career with an average fan like me. As a kid, I remember seeing that famous 1979 Wrestling magazine cover with Dusty on the cover with the best crimson mask I've ever seen. To us kids, he was our very first wrestling hero. We spoke like Dusty, gave each other the elbow years before Hulkamania. He was a god. Thank the lord for the NWA , Georgia Championship Wrestling and later Crockett's Mid Atlantic during this time frame so we could catch real wrestling on TBS. We got to see Dusty, Fair, Arn and Ole Anderson, Tommy Rich, Corny and the express, Steamboat, the road warriors, Barry Windham and list goes on and on. Just my opinion but this 1979-1989 timeframe was just a great time to be a fan of wrestling and the NWA. And a bonus that he put on great NXT shows in Florida, groomed a solid generation of talent.

probably the best wwe legends biography episode. the Hart and Shawn michaels ones were good too

@williammitchell4417

Жыл бұрын

Without a doubt. When one has a good subject and put in the work to produce it... We're making Major motion pictures and Sitcoms 😎

@apostolostvable

Жыл бұрын

Steve Austin's show was very good too

@arturoalmazan5262

Жыл бұрын

@@apostolostvable agreed

I popped at “steambloat” lmao

Dusty did what he did with that body. What more needs to be known about how talented he was? A true genius of the craft.

I now want a Dustin Rhodes biography. Much like the Polka Dots…he got Goldust OVER! I grew up on WWF Dusty so I can never truly hate the polka dots lol but I looooooved all the old footage and backstory here.

@darensparks

Жыл бұрын

​@@ithinkaboutthings9052 I had no memory of that match either. And back then I never missed wrestling, guess I just forgot it happened. .

@marvinleong5902

Жыл бұрын

Hopefully we can hear it during Dustin eventual HOF induction

The Dustin & Cody vs Roman & Rollin's match (with Ambrose, Big Show & Dusty) was awesome, and the crowd loved it. Ironically, Cody pinned Roman to become Tag Team Champion, and now, we've just had the two of them again at Wrestlemania.

@knoxville6155

Жыл бұрын

Regardless of the result, I bet dusty would've loved seeing his own son and one of the kids he developed main eventing wrestlemania.

No one could do a better impression of Dusty than Corny!

Say what you want about how the Cody Mania thing went down… this documentary really made me want to see him “finish the story” that much more.

@thepuertorock1467

Жыл бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@FSLong1

Жыл бұрын

SmackDown is at MSG on July 7th. Perfect day to give him the title.

@pleaseshutup7053

Жыл бұрын

@@FSLong1 why that day

@FSLong1

Жыл бұрын

@@pleaseshutup7053 Because Dusty chased the title at the Garden and never won it. It would be the perfect place for him to win it.

@goodday2760

Жыл бұрын

@@FSLong1 Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! 'Give him' the title! He deserves it! This is awesome! This is awesome! This is awesome! You cancer.

"When I saw Babydoll riding off with Floyd I thought to myself she must be heck of a rider, and I found out later she was a heck of a rider"

Dusty really was the people's champion. He spoke their language, while he didn't have a wrestlers body, he had charisma, he could move well in the ring. Dustys appeal to me was the nwa/wcw version of hulkamania. This was a great bio.

@adamlane6453

Жыл бұрын

Dressed like them? Yes. Spoke like them? Dusty spoke like no one else. Which is why when someone does an impression of him, even a bad impression, you know exactly who they're imitating.

@toma.4808

Жыл бұрын

@Adam Lane I meant that he spoke the language of the common man. They(fans) could relate to him

@zlinedavid

Жыл бұрын

“….my belly’s a little bit big, my heiney’s just a little bit big, but brother I am bad and they know I’m bad.”

@user-lb6is4oo5e

11 ай бұрын

The rock says

Stephanie is so full of it here. Dusty facepalming her not only took him off TV but it most likely is why Cody became a perennial jobber.

Dropped my weed laughing at Jim's response to the mere thought of Dusty having to take orders for Johnny Ace.

This biography hit indescribably hard for me, growing up with a bit of a broken family with lots of love it absolutely tore me up inside to see Cody and Dustin be so raw, but also hear all the different perspectives from each kid and how varied they were despite all knowing and loving their father. Dusty is undoubtedly the American Dream, and I am so glad they did this biography so damn perfect.

Dusty’s biography is the best by far! I sure do miss The Dream! I still get goosebumps every time I watch anything about him he was just electric. I’ve loved Dusty since I was a little girl during the territory days!

The best Dusty promo is when he asks if he can be Dustin's tag team partner. Very emotional moment.

My grandmother was a huge fan of Dusty. She loves to hear him talk to dancing. There will never be another American Dream Dusty Rhodes. Keep dancing and cutting those priceless promos in Heaven.

As a kid growing up in the Northern Atlantic area, I only knew Polka Dot Dusty and Sweet Sapphire, so it's always great to see older footage that was and still is WAY better than the WWF days. My friends and I were fans of him nonetheless, but I woulda really loved Hard Times Dusty much more.

@williammitchell4417

Жыл бұрын

Dusty did so many great things in the NWA. One of the good things about KZread or other means, you can get a chance to see it again.

@johnnygrind77

Жыл бұрын

@@williammitchell4417 Exactly. That's why that I love docu-series like this that aren't afraid to show you the grassroots of things and that we have access to all the yesteryears now.

It's crazy how Vince never liked the Rhodes. I think he was mad that dusty got over with charisma rather than physique

An hour and twenty of Jim and Brian talking about Dusty's TV bio? Yes, please. Thursday looks better.

Crazy that Terri Runnels would make Dustin choose between his wife(& child) and his father. Makes me think she was in favor of all those weird storylines where she was Brian Pillman’s sex slave and Goldust was just all over the place smh

It reminded me how much wrestling was real back then. The cheers, the boos, the emotion, all real feelings we had back then which made wrestling a real thing. Dusty made that feeling into genuine emotion that reached out to us through the television sets and into our hearts. He was an athlete as well as showman and he knew how to hand feed the fans just by doing the smallest thing such as a twinkle of the eye and when we saw it he knew and we knew what it meant. He was the "it" factor and often imitated, never duplicated.

As a father myself, this documentary was excellent. It showed how great Dusty was and how important he was to wrestling which not everyone knows. Also, with how many wrestlers that have died alone in hotel rooms, it was nice that Dusty passed away surrounded by his children and wife.

@terminallumbago6465

Жыл бұрын

And from natural causes at a relatively old age by wrestling standards.

As a relatively younger Dusty fan, I always loved his promo on The Road Warriors for coming after his eye. “My fire, my lighting bolt, my thunder!”

Jim needed to do whole review in Dusty voice if y’weeeeel

This one hit me in the feels a little. I grew up watching the attitude era, so unfortunately I never got to watch Dusty live and in person. He's most definitely one of my favs that I wished I got to witness live.

Polka dots are hard to unsee bebbee

Dusty's WWE entrance them was absolutely amazing. I danced to that all the time in my youth, I wish it would play on the radio even now. It's a shame that his WWE career never matched that entrance. He should have been given a run with the title, beybeh.

I cried several times watching this brilliant documentary. Great commentary, Jim. Always down for a Corny history lesson.

My parents moved us to Central Florida in 1981 when I was 5 yrs old. We lived in a trailer park & Dusty Rhodes was like Superman to my brother & I. He was awesome & was literally fighting evil in the form of Kevin Sullivan. Such great memories.

54:56 Love hearing Jim be a counterpoint to anything Bruce Pritchard says, always great.

Dusty was truly an original personality; true spirit of pro wrestling if there ever was one. 🤟🏻

I witnessed the hard times promo live on TV

Vince's crooked tash on that thumbnail is the work of pure genius

Virgil would like $20 for being mentioned

@dildonius

5 ай бұрын

*$10

I may be only 44, but I loved Dusty Rhodes. He was a talented wrestler and just about the best promo maker. I'm The Canadian Dream Dwayne Menzies. The only difference is about us is about 25 cents.

Dustys hard times promo my favorite ever! Btw I was born in the late 80s and I know about this promo!

Dusty Rhodes is a legend…..

Hard Times promo was popular back when it happened as well. We used to imitate it back then. It has taken on a life of its own due to the internet giving it a much wider audience.

This must be a record for the amount of times the word “goofy” was used in the first 3 minutes.

I don't do it often, but this one had me in tears. What an episode

Undertakers debut at survivor series….. he fought off with Dusty and got eliminated. Think about that. The Undertaker! One of the biggest characters ever meets Dusty in his debut! Amazing history!

@chico1680

Жыл бұрын

Rick Rude leaving a few weeks before the ppv was probably a blessing in disguise for Taker coming in. Had Rude stayed, who knows Taker may have debuted being hatched out of that giant egg.

The reason Dusty and Steve Austin got over so well is because they represented the common man. The working man. Everyone dreams of being able to walk up to their boss, take a shit on his desk, walk out, and never have to work again. Dusty stuck it to rich boy Flair, and Austin stuck it to the big bad McMahon. As long as professional wrestling exists, that gimmick will never sour. For my money, one of the greatest gimmicks in wrestling history because EVERYONE can relate to it. If I can kick the shit out of my boss and tell him to kiss my ass, but you can... Brother, I'll be right there cheering you on and praying for the day when I'm able to.

By far my favorite WWE biography. Dusty was my favorite wrestler throughout the 80s. He made you root for him EVERY SINGLE TIME because he was sooooooo authentic!! Back then, before the curtain call ruined wrestling, you couldn’t figure out why the horsemen weren’t in handcuffs for breaking Dusty’s arm on the truck…..Dusty sold LIKE NO OTHER. And honestly, it was refreshing to know that I never knew Dusty HATED the goldust character until that doc! Dusty kept his disdain for goldust private for the sake of his entrained son (imho). What a great man!!

I remember as a kid. The midnight rider gimmick. When dusty wore the mask…… lmfaoo 🤣. Almost as funny as andre the giant being the big machine. With a mask on. 👋😎

Thank you Brian. I didn’t hear of that promo until Dusty’s DVD released.

I agree with Jim. Bruce pissed me off with that comment about Crockett vs WWF. I wouldn’t have went to a WWF show back then for free. Prichard is such a suck up.

About to catch up on the doc, but I gotta give Brian his flowers. This guy is real historian of the business 💯

'Name someone famous with polkadots. Dusty Rhodes and Minnie Mouse'. Well, and DC Comics had Polka-Dot Man as a supervillian enemy for Batman. :P

i dont' get some of the takes. They're upset about the 89' vignette's where he was a garbage man and a plumber, even though he was a self professed 'common man' with a plumber for a dad. Then Last says he 'knew Bruce sold his soul when he said New York was the big time". Uhhhh it was the big time, certainly in 1989, and Cornette himself said it was the biggest territory in 1977 when Dusty came in.

As a 10 year old, I remember knowing wrestling was fake, but the Dusty era of NWA/WCW was so good you were convinced...no, this part is totally real!! Dusty was a big part of making that world feel genuine. His personality and soul is what guided that golden era. When the 4 horseman jumped Dusty in the parking lot of Crockett Promotions, I jumped off the couch with tears in my eyes and asked my mom, DO THE POLICE KNOW THIS HAPPENED!? I started to call them 😂

wrestling's Jackie Gleason. Gem by Jim

Dusty Rhodes definitely had the best one then Roddy Piper was definitely second best imo 💯

I still want WWE to add the CWF library to the network!!!

It was a great documentary and the Dustin and Dusty relationship is something everyone can relate to

About the " polka dots " issue. I never cared about how he looked wearing them, because l always paid attention to the wrestler, not the outfit ( with the exception of Ric Flair, who would be wearing robes of all ne color, trunks of another color, knee pads and boots of another color ) . Plus , he said that he would have sold diapers if they had asked him to wear them.

I’m 39 and in no time in my life have I thought Gary Hart was black. And I only have ass remember him. This just made me wonder how many black ppl Brian Last came across because we don’t look or sound like that lol.

@areguapiri

Жыл бұрын

Agreed

@david-468

8 күн бұрын

You’ve obviously never heard Chicago accents

Oh my god! Gary Hart wasn't black? I too thought he was from my childhood 😂

there is no doubt in my mind that there is like another 2 hours that hit the chopping block. Dude was a goldmine even in death.

I didn't grow up in that era, but Dusty makes me feel like I missed something because I didn't absolute legend incredible just incredible.😎👏

I wonder if the subtle emphasis on them being UNION jobs that were lost when referring to the Hard Times promo was intentional. It's a WWE production after all.

Best part of these podcasts is the thumbnail art. Always good for a laugh! Especially the one where Jim was Spongebob Squarepants.

Hard Times is great b/c it applied to a major drawing storyline.Or Flair's promo coming back in 83 vs Harley Race.

Vinces new look is more ridiculous than the poka dots

There was absolutely no reason to have Hogan in the documentary. That was the only weakness.

It was a great episode. When are A & E going to do a Biography episode on Jim Cornette though??

I just finished watching this. It was the best biography they've produced. It was very well done. Thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

What an amazing Biography on "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. This episode had me in tears while bringing back wonderful memories of Dusty's career. JCP from 1984 thru 1988 was my favorite time being a wrestling fan and Dusty was right in the thick of it. The "Hard Times" promo is one of the greatest of all-time. The only thing that bummed me out after watching the episode was the omission of Dusty's feud with Tully Blanchard. Their on and off feuds from 1984 thru 1988 is legendary. Their matches, the stipulations, the gimmicks, the finishes, the championships and the money on the line deserved some space or reference because it was just as good as Flair's in my opinion. RIP Big Dust! We miss you!!

@bootneyfarnsworth2844

Жыл бұрын

U know. There's something that's become very apparent in the life of Dusty Rhodes. I want my money back!!! I want aaaaalllll my money!!! All my money!!! We gonna be up there with the stars and lightning bolts!!!

Corny as a gorilla just made my whole wkend for some reason 😂😂

I totally agree with you Jim this was a great biography It was great that I had Magnum TA on the Biography Dusty Rhodes is my all time favorite Wrestler

Just seeing the old stuff from the 70’s the era I started watching!! It was the best

Triple H literally mentioned “the chase “ at the press conference after Wrestlemania Night 2 when talking about Roman & Cody.

I legit cried towards the end

Dusty's creativity and vision was a huge assest. I remember as a kid he was one of those wrestlers that when he made his walk to ring I would get up out of my chair as if I was there at the event. Emotionally you were going into the ring with him!

I was born in 90 so I unfortunately only saw him in wcw. I wish I could have seen him in his prime.

"Name anyone else that's famous with polkadots".....Kwame? lol

Dusty was over absolutely everywhere. The midwest, South, Northeast, etc.

He got a BAAAHcycle

I believe the biggest issue Dusty had was Magnum TAs accident..because I believe Magnum was progressing to take Dusty's spot as top Babyface After the accident, what do you do? Nikita's turn babyface...it was a good try

As somebody who first saw Dusty Rhodes in then WWF in polka dots, I can only say this: I didn't notice the ridiculous costume, just the charisma of the man wearing it! When that theme music hit, I knew that I would witness a great performance!

That hard times promo is something that’d be quoted as if from a legendary film

I'd pay money just to see Vince walk out to the ring and say FUNKAYY!. Lol