Where Exactly Does Dusty Rhodes Rank Among the Greats?

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Greatest ever? Top 5? Top 10? Less?

Inspired by Roman putting Dusty down (though not too harshly) in promos. I remember one cheap heat line where Roman said something to Cody like, “You’ll never be the guy just like your dad.”

But Dusty WAS the guy at different points. In the NWA and Florida. Of course it’s modern WWE so if it’s not in their title lineage it didn’t happen.

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

It's tough for younger fans to rank him historically because so much of his best work was before things really became national and televised. So many folks know him from the mid to late 80s and he was still great but definitely on the tail end of his career.

[froggyfrog]

Top 15ish?

[chrom]

Easily top 10

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

It's already very subjective but the rankings get real polluted if you start including guys who were territory only. Most of their best work is gone forever and if one of the measures is drawing power a WCW midcarder might have drawn more money than a territory top guy. And that's just the US territories

[Bo Rida]

Feb 29, 2024 9:56:44 GMT -5 "Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik said:

It's tough for younger fans to rank him historically because so much of his best work was before things really became national and televised. So many folks know him from the mid to late 80s and he was still great but definitely on the tail end of his career.

Yeah I've barely seen any of what makes him so highly regarded so have no idea how to judge him. He'd be nowhere near my personal top 100 but I wouldn't dispute any list that had him near the top.

To me his legacy is out the ring as a major part of why nxt was so good, many of the people he influenced have dominated wrestling ever since.

[XIII]

Arguably the most charismatic wrestler in history. A really good wrestler and deceptively good athlete. I think the fact that his best run was the late 70s through the mid/late 80s puts a limit on his ceiling with most younger/newer fans though.

He was very good, probably in the top 10-12 or so.

[The Dark Order Inferno]

Charismatic as hell as a performer and probably a top 5 booker, problem with his legacy comes from his booking of himself as a top guy and using over acts to keep himself over.

[tafkaga]

Dude is easily top 10 if you're just rating his charisma and promo skills. It was completely off the charts.

As a commentator, he and Tony are up there pretty close to Gorilla and Bobby for me.

As an in-ring performer, he was never a favorite of mine.

[Bang Bang Bart]

If we count Dusty's legacy in the form of his two sons still killing it in the ring to this day -- with one of them being the biggest babyface WWE's had in recent memory -- he's in the top 15, easily.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

I think he’s top 10 easy. At one point he was behind only the NWA champion and Andre as a touring attraction, plus the actual runs in the southern territories and booking.

[Ultimo Gallos]

Grew up seeing Dusty's Florida run then him in Crockett.

Amazing interview. In ring he did nothign for me. Even as a kid I didn't care about Dusty.

He looked like all the fat blowhards my dad worked with.

But even with me not caring for him I still say he is top 10 if we are talking US wrestlers. Dude was a huge draw. Plus all the praise HHH gets for NXT should goto Dusty.

[msc]

Dusty had The Midnight Rider, a masked gimmick when he lost a loser leaves town match. Love those. "Hello mysterious stranger" goes all the faces and crowd knowingly. While the heels go nuts.

Anyhow this ties into my favourite Dusty Rhodes story.

His removal from the booking committee in the NWA.

Due to his respected reputation, Dusty asked for, and was given, the opportunity to find his own replacement as head writer.


So that next week, wrestlers and staff arrived to find their new booker sitting by Dusty’s old desk:


The Midnight Rider.


Don't tell me it's fiction and never happened, as far as I care stuff like that puts him on the A list of legends.

[Urn Anderson]

I would probably say within the top 100 in-ring workers if you consider storytelling and working a crowd as important as technical wrestling. Top five in charisma, if not top three (along with Hogan and Flair). Probably within my personal favorite top ten overall.

[A Platypus Rave]

Feb 29, 2024 12:43:39 GMT -5 The Dark Order Inferno said:

Charismatic as hell as a performer and probably a top 5 booker, problem with his legacy comes from his booking of himself as a top guy and using over acts to keep himself over.

and his over reliance on gimmicks and non finishes especially the finish named after him.

[David-Arquette was in WCW 2000]

Personally I wouldn't have him in a 'top' list, really, due to not being impressed by much of his work. To be fair, mid 80s onwards is all I've really seen of him. This goes for his booking too, and of course his commentary. I've always found him entertaining, but never must watch.

When I think objectively, for what he has done for the business as a whole, his overall legacy, he would be in a top 15.

[A Platypus Rave]

I never saw him in his prime, dude's definitely one of the most charismatic people ever in the sport.

Not sure where he'd be in my top 50 wrestlers... but he'd be pretty high on a list of biggest impact from his ring days, to backstage work, to on screen character, to trainer, and inspiration to other wrestlers he's probably like top 10 if not top 5.

[The Barber]

Right just behind 'Thunderbolt' Patterson.