Dusty Rhodes

"The Son of a Plumber may not have had the physique commonly associated with a pro wrestler, but he certainly had the charisma and entertainment aspects down to a "T." Oddly enough, his greatest accomplishment may have been his bloodline."

[10.0] "Dusty Rhodes is easily among the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Dusty Rhodes was a true star back in the 1970s and 1980s, you could argue he was the most over babyface in the territory days, he had an appeal not everyone is lucky to have. On the mic? No doubt that he's in the top 5 of all time for how incredible he was with words and knew how to gain the support of the fans with his promos, prime example being the legendary "Hard Times" promo, another great promo to see is his "Payback is hell, daddy" promo, he has so many good ones. Dusty Rhodes may not have been the best in ring wrestler, but he was good for his size and made up for it big time with his personality, charisma and ability to work (either a great match or the crowd), Dusty would have the whole audience in the palm of his hand. Not to mention, he's also been instrumental backstage from inventing the legendary "WarGames" match (arguably, the best match stipulation) and his work in NXT, truly giving back to wrestling in more ways than one. Overall, Dusty Rhodes is easily one of the all time greats, a true legend who has a huge significance to professional wrestling that should be recognized by modern fans. R.I.P. Virgil Runnels Jr."

"One of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He may not be the best in terms of his in-ring work but his charisma and his mic skills are literally off the charts. He is the definition of an absolute icon."

[10.0] "Despite a questionable gimmick in the WWF, Dusty Rhodes managed to make it work and get over, which is really a testament to how great of a performer he was. An absolute legend who left all his blood, sweat and tears for the entertainment of the fans, he was a charismatic talker who could have great matches with a large variety of opponents, even while past his best years. An inspiration for generations after him, he is one of the all-time greats no question."

[10.0] "In-ring you're not going to find anything special, but his overall aura, mic ability and eye for helping talent is what really sets Dusty apart from all the others that might be an 8 or 9. On the mic, there's only a few alive and dead wrestlers who are on his level. He could really, really sell you a match and get you so interested in what's going on. The "hard times" promo is arguably his very best and definitely worth checking out. A lot of the top guys you see in WWE and AEW now (NA wrestlers) were helped in some way shape or form by Dusty. He has left his footprint all over the business and helped make it a better place. Easy 10/10."

"8/10 cus there is not one wrestler on this list that is a 10/10 just like in real life. Dusty was the start of wrestling for most people in the start of the 80s before cable so there is a lot of story to tell. Most of you marks on here know a lot of the details I'll keep my opinion(yes that is what any of this is! ) short. He helped shape what Pro-Wrestling is today. So he wasn't the most technical or had a rock hard physique(I think a lot of you think about other men's bodies too much, ) all this pish posh about him being over rated is ridiculous. Without Dusty, who the hell would of the 4 Horseman have to deal with? I can't can't argue with some you know it all marks that have your man crushes on Undertaker or HBK(man the closet is full of them! ) but, Dusty was and is what the heart of Pro Wrestling should be about."

[8.0] "Dusty is undeniable for a lot of reasons. The man was one of the most charismatic wrestlers (humans? ) in history. If he was a war general, he could lead a battalion. So there's a reason he could draw crowds. His wrestling, for a big man, was actually quite good. But I don't necessarily get excited sitting down to watch a Dusty match. But we have to give him his flowers. The man was an absolute force and he carried leagues. His WWF stint however was horrible."

[10.0] "Great promo, could draw large crowds with his mic work. Bleeds with the best of them. There are downsides to him- not the greatest in ring worker in the world- his booking got repetitive- but then again he was a booking innovator. Definitely someone who is "very good"."

[6.0] "Very over wrestler in his prime, exciting when he had his babyface fire but truthfully, I've never woken up and thought - "let's watch a Dusty match", just not my go to. As a booker - fairly crap, as a commentator - entertainingly crap. I understand his legacy and that he was very popular but just not for me."

[9.0] "Dusty Rhodes wasn't the flashiest wrestler in the ring, but his presence was undeniable. The way he talked, the way he connected with the crowd--there's a reason people still quote his promos today. He had that raw energy and heart that made you believe every word. You could tell wrestling meant everything to him, and he gave back just as much behind the scenes as he did in the spotlight. A true legend whose influence is still felt in today's wrestling."

[9.0] "He wasn't the greatest worker but he was still very charismatic and knew how to work the crowd. He was great at selling and of course everyone here knows how good he was on promos. He perhaps didn't invent the concept of the big event but he invented the way it was presented. He also came up with War Games, Slamboree, Great American Bash, Halloween Havoc, and Bash at the Beach. All great ppv concepts. Some of which are still used or emulated today. He's not a 10 because while he did have a huge part in the success of JCP, he also directly led to its downfall by de facto running the company with Jim Crockett Jr as his proxy. He kept himself on top well past his prime and kept teaming up with every young up and coming star to steal their shine. Not enough to damage his legacy but it doesn't get talked about enough publicly."

[7.0] "Dusty was different, one of the maximum babyface in history, everything was extremely calculated for his ascent before Ric Flair, although perhaps he used his life story too much (where he showed being an impeccable face, showing that he was the son of a plumber, a common man, The American Dream. But he always told us that, he always works, but use his personal life until tiredness), but always worked. Then he had bad moments when he wore yellow moles, everyone has a bad days."

[4.0] "Overrated. Great on the mic, yes. However, this has to be offset by his very predictable in-ring performances. Only had a few moves in his toolkit and most of them revolved around the elbow. Of course, the face punches with the double-handed wind-up always made an appearance. He was a good booker but even this was tarnished by his overuse of the Dusty finish."

[9.0] "Dusty cut masterclass promos every week with little to no effort, a true contender for GOATs on the mic. Just listen to the way he spoke! His energy was so infectious, he came off as so believable and was so charismatic that it was impossible to turn him heel. His matches could be fine, especially if he was going up against a Flair, Arn, or any of the other Horsemen. The only bone to pick with this guy is that his style was a little cartoonish, more suited for the WWF and not a serious company like NWA."

[10.0] "One of the most important figures in wrestling from the territory days and on. The american dream was someone who everyone loved and wanted to see win, he was the perfect pick to rival other superstars like billy graham and ric flair. Dusty's work in wwe developmental was astounding as well as he worked with and developed to the highest degree wrestlers like seth rollins, roman reigns, kevin owens, etc. One of the all timers for me and someone for all fans of wrestling to admire"

[10.0] "Quite frankly, Dusty is a legend. No two ways about it. I see a lot of comments griping about some of his booking but the sport is where it is today because of Dusty's work in and out of the ring. Decade after decade, his contributions are numerous. And he was absolute magic on the microphone."

[7.0] "Hard reset write up. I decided to go the math route as my feelings about Dusty are all over the place and ranking him is definitely difficult and I want to keep things brief instead of a book report. His in ring days before Crockett was pretty great! I liked the Stardust era, some of his mannerisms leave a bitter aftertaste but he knocked it outta the park for the time frame (10). His ring work in Crockett suffered but he was still compelling enough to at least start hot, even if the end was lukewarm at best (6.25). His booking of Crockett and putting ego over business far too often was a serious detriment to the company (4.75). His promo skills in Crockett were amazing but in the last years of JCP, he was on camera WAAAAAY TOO MUCH and was needlessly the focus (3.5). His whole WWF run is nothing but a stream of guilty pleasures (7.75). His color commentary in WCW made me guffaw and rewind often (10). Screwing over superior talent to put himself over, piggybacking on the success of others to hopefully stay relevant, three time Bunkhouse Stampede winner, UGH! ... (minus 5). Created Wargames (10), Created Johnny B Badd (8), Screwed over Ricky Steamboat (-3). Gave the world Dustin & Cody Rhodes (20). 6.56 rounded up, hey pretty close to my original score LOL!"

[9.0] "Dusty Rhodes had an amazing career in pro wrestling both in and out of the ring. Great hard hitting brawler inside the ring. On the mic he was incredible and became a top face. As a booker his main criticism would be his booking of himself as the star and too many "dusty" finishes. Was one of the main minds behind the black and yellow NXT developmental brand."

[10.0] "Dusty was the epitome of what "The American Dream" was in professional wrestling. He was a guy who the normal wrestling fan watching at home could relate to because he didn't look like what you'd think of when you think of a professional wrestler in his era. He dressed like a common guy off the street, he wasn't in shape like other guys of his era, he was heavier set in body type, and if you set him in a line up the last thing you'd think was that he was a pro wrestler. His promos were the same way, yeah he spoke with a heavy lisp, but they complimented his look, and the way he delivered them resonated with the common person watching at home on television, and it made them believe that if someone who looks like he can accomplish what he accomplished then so can they, it made them feel something on the inside to the point where when he was hurting they were hurting with him, His in ring work was unique because he was one of the guys whose reputation preceded him when he transitioned from a heel to babyface. He didn't pull many of the same tactics as a babyface that he did when he was the brawling heel, but his past was a given so many of his opponents knew that he could resort back to being that guy if he had to or the situation called for it. A brilliant wrestling mind too. Many of the concepts and stuff he thought up are still being used yet today. I don't understand how he's not rated at least in the 9's on here. One of the most impactful wrestlers of all time for sure, both in and out of the ring."

[10.0] "Dusty not being within a 9 rating is discraceful when you look at others on that list. Dusty is one of the most important and influential figures in professional wrestling history and deserves better. You look at his history, he is a multi time NWA world champ, inovater of war games, and an inspiration of heavyweight and super heavyweight wrestling as we know it. If Kevin Owens can make it into the 9s, The American Dream should be way higher then he is on here, people who sit at home and watch only the new stuff dont understand how important or skillful he was either backstage, on the mic, and in the ring. Just about everything going on with Kevin other than the cannon ball and swanton can be traced back to Dusty. Give this man his flowers and fix your ratings on him guys, just listen to the "Hard Times" promo and youll see your mistake."

[10.0] "The Rhodes family is one of my favorite families in wrestling and the patriarch is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. Dusty Rhodes had a few matches that were absolute stinkers but when he's in a great match with the right opponent, he shines like few have."

[6.0] "A brilliant promo and one of the most charismatic wrestlers of all time but his ring work was below standard and his booking was not great. He kept himself on or near the top for far too long which was to the detriment of the health of the promotion. A guy who you should watch and study his promos but you do not really need to watch his matches to understand his impact."

[8.0] "admittedly not the best worker of all time, but without a doubt for me the best promo of all time. truly feels like god wrote his promos because of how intense, passionate, and well-said they are."

[6.0] "Mostly a brawling style with some old school wrestling thrown in, but his charisma was through the roof and people couldn't help but cheer for the Common Man! Dusty is still one of the top 10 promo guys of all time. One of the best of the territory days."

[10.0] "Dusty Rhodes is a major legend in the wrestling industry. He is legendary for his promos, his feuds, his star power during the 1970's & 1980's between Florida & NWA Crockett Mid-Atlantic, the memories that he left, his booking ideas (such as War Games & The Dusty Finish). He is one of the greatest Babyfaces in pro wrestling history and his charisma was off the charts. Both of his sons are great in their own right as well."

[3.0] "A big fat slob who danced around in the ring doing silly nonsense instead of wrestling, probably because his skillset involved nothing other than punching (not wrestling) and hitting a guy standing up with his elbow. Sounds like behind the scenes he's given alot to the business and I get that. His icon statue is hilarious."

[9.0] "His rating is waaaay too low. He's one of the top baby faces of all time and had amazing feuds with Harley race and Ric Flair. Continued to contribute to the business after he stopped wrestling and helped create this generations WWE stars in NXT. No he wasn't the best technical guy but his charisma and passion and contribution to the business far outweighs that."

[9.0] "My 9 is for his amazing commentary, probably one of the funniest guys to hear talk. Not surprising, considering he was one of the best promo guys ever and his talking ability managed to get him very far away, considering he wasn't the best in the ring. As a booker he wasn't perfect, but still better than others. In 2013 he also had a great promo against Triple H that sadly got him in trouble with Stephanie"

[10.0] "One of the most influential wrestlers of all time and someone who was never afraid to ramp up the drama. Truly a genius."

[10.0] "The best, purest babyface that the television era of pro wrestling ever produced. He could work, man. He did things that got responses. He told stories. He possessed a level of technical competence that kept his matches believable while having a physique and personality that kept him relatable. This man was *remarkably* over as a main eventer for a decade-plus. He is a top ten US promo at the very, very worst. His polka-dot run isn't substantial enough to count against the rest of his resume... you ever watch him in Florida' Ever watch him as a heel' And why does the myth of Dusty as a greedy booker stay so strong to this day' I understand he positioned himself next to other hot acts for his own sake, but during his times as head booker of the NWA (83 to 89) he only had one NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign, and it lasted 14 whopping days. Put some more respect on this man's name. The upper crust of the upper crust in regards to talent, resume and legacy."

[6.0] "Breathe in and a sigh ? I started watching wrestling in 1992, so he was pretty much before my time. With some people I just do not see what the hype is all about. I know he was super popular, people loved him, he bled a lot, he lisped a lot of incoherent gibberish, which people seem to like him for. His booking is atrocious, his moveset is nothing to write home about, his physique is what it is. I guess you had to be there to appreciate it and I wasn? t. This might sound like I hate him, which I don? t, he is a legend and he is beloved, I just honestly do not see what others see and I would be lying if I said I believed he was one of the very best. Maybe I still haven? t seen the right stuff in over almost 30 years of watching wrestling (and mostly old school wrestling and mainly NWA/WCW and Mid South wrestling), so I will keep watching and maybe eventually I will stumble upon something that will change my mind."

[7.0] "Dusty came across as a "regular guy". He looked, and talked like a blue collar man of his time would be. Humble upbrining, not being in the best physical shape, and the way he talked to the fans, endeared himself to middle class, working America at the time."

[8.0] "His in-ring work was never the best in all honesty. And he completely embarrassed himself with several different runs in JCP, WWF and TNA between 1986 and 2004, long after his prime as a worker was over, causing him to become a regularly disliked figure among certain wrestling fans for many years until settling in to a legends role in the WWE from 2005 until his tragic death in 2015. Despite all his faults however, Dusty is easily one of the most charismatic individuals to ever set foot inside the squared circle, breaking out as an absolute wrestling. icon in the 70's and early 80's, and arguably no one has come close to connecting and resonating with audiences on the level he has, making him arguably the best babyface of all time. He also had reasonable success as a Booker in the mid-80's, bringing ideas to the table both successful and controversial, and played a large role in creating many next generation of wrestlers in NXT, many of whom he was a mentor to. Regardless of some of his faults, "The American Dream" has certainly left behind a tremendous legacy."

[8.0] "One of the most Charismatic and biggest stars of the 70s. Great at promos but 80s onwards he was just repetitive."

[10.0] "Obviously one of the greatest ever in my opinion. To say he was a good promo, or even a great promo, doesn't come close to capturing it, and his physicality was beyond electric, this is a man who exuded buzz from every pore of his body. His creative mind is among the greatest ever in wrestling."

[9.0] "Dusty was amazing in the NWA, especially with his program against the Horsemen. One of the pioneers of fast talking that could get anyone on his side. Didn't have the typical look that we're more accustomed to, but he only made that work for him. His time in WWE was less than stellar, but pre WWE he was one of the best around."

[8.0] "Whilst undoubtedly a Hall of Fame star, Dusty had too many negatives to him, primarily in relation to his booking, to warrant a higher rating."

[10.0] "He is so charasmatic. Such a great promo. So funny. Enjoyable to listen to. Dusty was a great on promos, a good break, a reletable character, a great human."

[10.0] "When taking everything in the wrestling business into account I think Dusty Rhodes sits at the very top. For 40 years in the ring and close to 50 in the business the "American Dream" impacted the business world wide like no other. There are many that list the detractors but even the most staunch of those people can not deny his impact throughout the decades, and the money he drew all across the world. As an in-ring competitor I'd say if you break wrestling into 2 eras pre Hulkamania, and Hulkamania and beyond, Dusty may have had the best balance of stardom on both sides of the barrier. I remember a time in the 80's where only Andre the Giant was a bigger travelling attraction than Dusty. Along with Ric Flair he is the only wrestler where his promo work could be the highlight of a really good 1 hour wrestling show. RIP big Dust!"

[8.0] "My favorite mic man in the business, Dusty was second to none when it came to cutting a promo. He wasn't good looking, he wasn't amazing in the ring but he was the epitome of entertaining. He made every match a must see because of the sheer amount of charisma he brought. He has a possible claim to be considered the best face of all time."

[6.0] "I never really liked Dusty Rhodes, he seemed to be way over-pushed for basically all of his career. Yet, Rhodes was easily one of the biggest draws of the 80's. His charisma and ring psychology were equaled by only a handful of people. He admits freely to copying Muhammed Ali on the mic, but in spite of this he was good enough at it, that no one cared. His feud with Flair in NWA in the 80's is stuff of legend but Rhodes was still pretty unconvincing in the ring. He could move a bit but later in his career, he was more or less terrible in anything that wasn't a brawl based match. He did great work in NXT before he passed and much like he was as a character, he seems to resonate with many."

[10.0] "Dusty the storytelling worker-8, workrate-7, charisma-10, making good babies-10, WCW booking-2, influence on the next generation training WWE wrestlers at the performance centre-10."

[10.0] "R. I. P. Dusty :( A good wrestler, a great trainer and an astounding father, his legacy will be present for a long time, he has inspired many to become wrestlers, some of them are Hall of famers in respective companies, at the time I rate him he only has a 7. 03 in total rating, which is really low for him, it's a sad time when a legend like him passes away, and it showed when a MITB PPV was started with a moment of silence for dusty, and seeing how he has affected every single person in the wwe, past and future, says a lot about his character."

[9.0] "Dusty Rhodes is a icon, and a top guy in his era. you can't go watch some YouTube videos and rate Dusty A six and not be a moron. He sold a lot of tickets."

[10.0] ""The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes lived up to his nickname. The "son of a plumber" and the hero of the common man became one of the most successful wrestlers ever both inside of the ring and behind the scenes. He was a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame. Outside of the ring, he was the booker for Jim Crockett Promotions and TNA Wrestling and is responsible for creating the War Games Match, An all time legend."

[10.0] "Some people love him, some people hate him. But for me, he's one of the all time greats. He is absolutely legendary. Now that he's gone, there is a large hole in the wrestling world that will probably never be filled again."

[10.0] "No brainer 10... obviously not a high flyer but wrestling is about connecting to the crowd. Dusty was one of the top 10 baby faces of all time. He was also a very hated heel early in his career. As far as in ring psychology goes, promotions kept giving him the book. Dusty stayed in a main event position almost to age 50 because the fans wanted him there. The guy is one of the top 20 wrestlers of all time and its shocking to see some of these ridiculous ratings for him here."

[9.0] "I can't read German, but I'm guessing that the reason why Dusty was rated so low was because of his workrate? Not good enough for you little NJPW fanboys? Oh, fuck off. Dusty has more charisma in his mysterious stomach discoloration then the anyone on the NJPW roster does. There's more to wrestling than just in-ring work, and Dusty was a fantastic promo. Legendary, even."

[7.0] "I have never been a real big fan of Dusty, mainly because my major knowledge comes from his WWE wrestling or his WCW commentary, neither of which offer a great look at what he could do. The more time that passes though the more I learn of his career outside of these two and I am starting to realise that I shouldn’t judge him based just on those small parts of his career and instead take a look at the whole of his career. He was a major star who proved that you did not have to be built like a bodybuilder or be athletically gifted to become a star, all you needed was a love for the business and the passion to do what it takes. He was a hero to the common man, an indicator that we too could really do something if we put our mind to it. But most of all he was someone we could cheer, a true working class hero. While Dusty has now left us his legacy will live on in the minds of those he touched both the fans and the wrestlers he fought and trained, and through his sons Dustin and Cody."

[10.0] "The best wrestler in the NWA of the 70's and 80's. He would have been world champion more if Flair hadn't been favored."