Dusty Rhodes wearing polka dots.

[agent817]

I had read from a lot of sources that Vince McMahon had Dusty rock the polka dots as a means to make him look like a joke. But it backfired because Dusty not only had a great career before that, but the man was that over and charismatic that he made it work. Hell, his theme song was damn catchy.

I wonder what you thought about this run. I might have to check out some stuff from this era. I mean, yes, Vince wasn't going to book him to be WWF champion, but he had quite the career in the NWA and I am certain that a lot of fans who watched both the WWF and the NWA/WCW knew that Dusty was just that damn over that he could make that gimmick work.

What did you think of this run?

[Mozenrath]

Honestly, I've heard it presented that Dusty himself picked the polka dots because, well, he probably wanted to soften up his image for WWF with the heavy family-friendly lean of the company. The bubblegum scarred-up forehead makes me wonder if that's why he went with a headband, and if you're doing that, then you may as well overhaul the whole presentation.

If Vince just wanted to embarrass the guy, he definitely seemed to book him pretty strongly. If WCW hadn't enticed him back by offering him a booking position, I honestly could have seen him and Dustin sticking around, maybe winning the tag belts or something.

[repomark]

I have often wondered about the whole “Vince putting him in polka dots was an attempt to embarrass him” rhetoric.

Dusty by his own admission made more money during his run with WWE than he had ever made in the NWA, and Vince would not have given him such a high paid deal just so he had the opportunity to humiliate him. Through out his run he was extremely over and booked strongly in upper card feuds. He very rarely lost, and his feud with Randy Savage was one of the most heavily promoted in 1990.

It was not the joke run it was made out to be, and that entrance music remains an absolute banger.

[Mozenrath]

Additionally, Cody and Brandi, and I think Dustin (outside of the time when he was parodying him because Dusty and Dustin weren't on speaking terms at the time, around 1998-99 or so) have worn polka dots with some of their gear when they're intentionally evoking him. I feel like they'd probably avoid it if it was stigmatized.

[dirtyoldman]

I was about to type why would Vince employ someone just to humiliate them...then I thought..'ah, it's Vince'.

[Deleted]

Oct 27, 2021 3:34:37 GMT -5 repomark said:

Dusty by his own admission made more money during his run with WWE than he had ever made in the NWA, and Vince would not have given him such a high paid deal just so he had the opportunity to humiliate him.

He may have said that said on a WWE doc but headlining B/C shows at the time WWF business was starting to drop isn't coming close to matching let alone beating his Crockett money ($585,000 a year at the time he left).

[Mozenrath]

Oct 27, 2021 5:37:50 GMT -5 @dcr said:

Oct 27, 2021 3:34:37 GMT -5 repomark said:

Dusty by his own admission made more money during his run with WWE than he had ever made in the NWA, and Vince would not have given him such a high paid deal just so he had the opportunity to humiliate him.

He may have said that said on a WWE doc but headlining B/C shows at the time WWF business was starting to drop isn't coming close to matching let alone beating his Crockett money ($585,000 a year at the time he left).

Yeah, guessing he was either exaggerating or talking about a specific stretch, but I feel like the only way he could have beat some of his top years would maybe be if Dusty was also counting merch or something, an area WWF always beat NWA in and honestly, beat WCW in more often than not. They just had an enormous advantage on that front, so yeah, maybe that tipped the scales.

[jason1980s]

As a kid who mostly knew 1980s wrestling from VHS tapes (and most stores not carrying JCP), I never knew Dusty as the more serious pre WWF version. I loved WWF Dusty, he was super into the gimmick and it was relatable to a lot of fans. He could be serious but end the match with the dance and get the crowd going. The theme was also awesome and one that could fit him no matter how serious or funny he was. I liked seeing him come out to it in 2000s WWE.

Most in position to know have said it wasn't a rib. I'm not sure what to believe. I think Akeem was the rib in 1988 since it was a large white guy talking like a black guy. And IIRC it was punishment for George Gray asking for time off. I know Vince always had to put his spin on guys coming from other promotions but it was in doing so that he made really great characters. I also am not sure 1980s Vince had such hatred for someone in power in another promotion like Dusty, I would think 1990s to present Vince would be like that though.

[tafkaga]

My favorite place for Dusty is doing color commentary, but as a wrestler I enjoyed his WWF run much more than his NWA work. I found serious Dusty supremely annoying and his matches boring.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

I never minded the polka dots but at the same time I didn't get the polka dots. Ignoring whether or not it was rib on by Vince or whatever but what were they supposed to mean and what did they have to do with Dusty Rhodes? They had nothing to do with his character at all. He was supposed to be the blue collar common man. What does that have to with polka dots? I guess maybe if they gave some kind of clown gimmick but they really didn't fit in with what his presentation was at all.

Oct 27, 2021 8:50:40 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

As a kid who mostly knew 1980s wrestling from VHS tapes (and most stores not carrying JCP), I never knew Dusty as the more serious pre WWF version. I loved WWF Dusty, he was super into the gimmick and it was relatable to a lot of fans. He could be serious but end the match with the dance and get the crowd going. The theme was also awesome and one that could fit him no matter how serious or funny he was. I liked seeing him come out to it in 2000s WWE.

Most in position to know have said it wasn't a rib. I'm not sure what to believe. I think Akeem was the rib in 1988 since it was a large white guy talking like a black guy. And IIRC it was punishment for George Gray asking for time off. I know Vince always had to put his spin on guys coming from other promotions but it was in doing so that he made really great characters. I also am not sure 1980s Vince had such hatred for someone in power in another promotion like Dusty, I would think 1990s to present Vince would be like that though.

According to Slick he was the one that came up with the Akeem gimmick. Him and George were friends and travel partners in real life and I guess he had heard somehow that Vince was going to release George as he was still sour on him for asking for that time off. Not wanting his friend to get let go Slick came up with the Akeem gimmick and pitched it to Vince knowing would like it. As silly as it was it ended up working out well for George and it got him a good main event spot for several months along with Boss Man against Hogan and Savage and bought him another couple of years in the company.

[Dub H]

Oct 27, 2021 3:34:37 GMT -5 repomark said:

I have often wondered about the whole “Vince putting him in polka dots was an attempt to embarrass him” rhetoric.

Dusty by his own admission made more money during his run with WWE than he had ever made in the NWA, and Vince would not have given him such a high paid deal just so he had the opportunity to humiliate him. Through out his run he was extremely over and booked strongly in upper card feuds. He very rarely lost, and his feud with Randy Savage was one of the most heavily promoted in 1990.

It was not the joke run it was made out to be, and that entrance music remains an absolute banger.

Vince Booked Butterbean,which probably wasnt cheap,just to humiliate Bart Gunn and the whole Invasion itself.

[J. Hova]

I don't think it was a rib on him and I don't think Vince held any ill will towards Dusty for booking JCP. Dusty was booked in a higher position than most and got some great pay out of minimal work when he was honestly, over the hill. Hell, VKM probably still loved Dusty for his shots he made for his old man against Billy Graham that did huge business in MSG. I think it was just a way for Dusty to stand out in the cartoon world of the WWF at the time.

If they wanted to rib him, they would have signed him for peanuts and had him job to everyone.

[Doctor Of Style]

I liked it, the common man vignettes were great and he looked like he was having fun out there. We didn't get cable until 1988, so I really didn't see his serious side beforehand.

[Doctor Of Style]

Oct 27, 2021 6:00:44 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Oct 27, 2021 5:37:50 GMT -5 @dcr said:

He may have said that said on a WWE doc but headlining B/C shows at the time WWF business was starting to drop isn't coming close to matching let alone beating his Crockett money ($585,000 a year at the time he left).

Yeah, guessing he was either exaggerating or talking about a specific stretch, but I feel like the only way he could have beat some of his top years would maybe be if Dusty was also counting merch or something, an area WWF always beat NWA in and honestly, beat WCW in more often than not. They just had an enormous advantage on that front, so yeah, maybe that tipped the scales.

He got a Hasbro action figure, and probably made a shitload of money from that.

[Magnus the Magnificent]

It wouldn't surprise me if someone threw the polka dots out as a joke during a brainstorming meating, and Dusty went "Brother, I can make that work!", and then proved that he indeed, could.

[thecrusherwi]

Oct 27, 2021 23:48:33 GMT -5 J. Hova said:

I don't think it was a rib on him and I don't think Vince held any ill will towards Dusty for booking JCP. Dusty was booked in a higher position than most and got some great pay out of minimal work when he was honestly, over the hill. Hell, VKM probably still loved Dusty for his shots he made for his old man against Billy Graham that did huge business in MSG. I think it was just a way for Dusty to stand out in the cartoon world of the WWF at the time.

If they wanted to rib him, they would have signed him for peanuts and had him job to everyone.

Yeah they brought him in in a featured spot and booked him really strong that first year. They had him on the house shows beating Dibiase, Bossman, and Savage every night, often clean. Other than Hogan and Warrior, there wasn’t a babyface pushed harder in that year. “We pushed him as a B Town main eventer, cut him giant merch royalty checks, and didn’t have him ever lose on TV, but goddamn pal, did you see those POLKADOTS!? HA HA HAAAAAA! This rib is UNNN-BEEE-LIEVE-ABLLLLE!”

[Deleted]

I would have liked to have heard NWA/WCW Dusty doing commentary about WWF Dusty's polka dots.

[ERON]

In hindsight, the polka dots weren't any more silly than what a lot of the other guys were wearing at the time.

[Allie Kitsune]

Oct 28, 2021 19:53:54 GMT -5 ERON said:

In hindsight, the polka dots weren't any more silly than what a lot of the other guys were wearing at the time.

And let's face it, Dusty made it look a lot better than some of the people who adopted them as a tribute to him did (I'm looking at you, Tommy Dreamer).