Dusty Rhodes' Cageside Evaluation

What you loved:

1. Mic Work - You guys agreed he was one of, if not the best ever on the mic. So many amazing promos including of course "Hard Times!" He was "the hit-maker, a son of a plumber, and dined with Kings and Queens." Amazing how he could work crowds into a frenzy with his words.
2. Connection - Speaking of the crowds, when he won a match, the crowds went nuts, I mean nuts! The way he looked, acted, and talked it just connected with the everyday person, and it's a genius gimmick that worked for decades.
3. Bionic Elbow - Who doesn't like that move? It's great when his opponents sell the shit out and drop dead from it.
4. Goldust/Cody Rhodes - Thanks Dusty, those two guys rule!
5. Feuds - Had some amazing feuds in the 70's and 80's against Flair, Funk, and the Four Horsemen just to name a few.

My favorite comment goes to WdaBrock - "I live in Charlotte, NC and about 15 years ago I drove with my young nephew in tow to grab a some roses for my woman. I decided to stop at a place called Big Mama’s Flowers on South Bvld; it was down the street from the old Jim Crockett Promotions studio. Jimmy Valiant was chatting with Big Mama, and we heard this voice singing in the back room- an old Little Feat song and out pops Dusty Rhodes! He grabs my nephew and and asks his name and just starts playing with him. The kid asks Dusty if he ever was going to retire and he said: 'My son: I was born for wrestling! This business IS my blood! I seen men say I wasn’t the type for this business and I proved ‘em wrong every time. That’s why I call myself "The American Dream". If my fat hiney can live his dream everyday and inspire ya’ll to dream too, they’ll NEVER get rid of me! They gonna have to drag me away, and I’m too darn big to get dragged!'"

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What you loathed:

1. Polka-Dots - They were ugly looking, my gosh. Word is that whole gimmick was a rib and meant to fail, but Dusty made it work!
2. Dusty Finish - Once in a great while is effective, he used it so much it was named after him!
3. Voice - His accent mixed with the lisp made it somewhat hard to understand him. It's partly what made his gimmick work so well though, nobody's perfect!
4. Physique - Especially in his later years, things got a bit loose. Not the easiest thing to watch, but again it's part of the reason why he connected to the crowd! Most wrestling fans are not bodybuilders, just sayin'...

Favorite comment belongs to someone who gave Dusty a 5, and made a meme for his post The Notorious Eddie Mac - "One of my biggest gripes in the wrestling industry, THE DUSTY FINISH. For the uninitiated, the "Dusty finish" is when (usually) a babyface beats a hated heel to win a title, only to have the win and the title taken back on a technicality later. I get the purpose of it (you know, the money’s in the chase and all that), but God I hate that finish so much"

On to the poll! With 162 votes, Mr. Rhodes' average score is 4.2.

Thanks, Cagesiders! Tomorrow's pick has never sniffed WWE.

Until then!