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Post by RowdyRobbyPiper on Oct 4, 2013 14:25:46 GMT -5
His career as an active wrestling was nearing the end, so why not have a little fun in the ring? I'm sure it beat having to book NWA title matches AND main eventing them.
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Post by Hit Girl on Oct 4, 2013 14:55:43 GMT -5
Sapphire eventually said "screw this polka dot shit....Imma getting a fur coat, baby!!!"
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Post by jason1980s on Oct 4, 2013 15:02:01 GMT -5
Most memorable IMO is the WrestleMania VI pre-show ad for the merchandise.
"Ultimate Way-ah suuuukup. You can put milkinit, juiceinit, anything, whatevahyouwant." "The dubah dubah eff merchadousand catalog. da stuff dweams aw madeof"
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NOwave
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,735
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Post by NOwave on Oct 4, 2013 16:43:17 GMT -5
I've also read/heard the story that Dusty was put in Polka Dots as some sort of jab or revenge against NWA/WCW. I was never convinced it was true.
Not that rival wrestling promotions haven't taken shots at each other, but it just doesn't seem like that in this case. So he got polka dots that exposed his flabby gut....So what? In NWA/Crockett he wore black trunks that exposed his flabby gut, and he was hugely over. Those in charge at WWF at the time certainly knew how talented Dusty was, and that he could get over in almost any situation. He was given good entrance music, a good "persona"-(common man) and Sapphire, who was popular as well. Why would they push him like that if they were trying to punish him somehow?
I think they put him in polka dots just to make him stand out a bit more. The "blue collar" guy who has the guts to do what he wants and wear what he wants. I suspect there was nothing more to it than that.
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mcd
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,283
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Post by mcd on Oct 4, 2013 19:13:44 GMT -5
His career as an active wrestling was nearing the end, so why not have a little fun in the ring? I'm sure it beat having to book NWA title matches AND main eventing them. Thats a great point!I don't remember where I heard this but I believe Dusty himself mentioned he liked actually just being a performer for that time, instead of a promoter, booker, and owner. It's something I can relate to so it was nice to hear.
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Toxik916
Hank Scorpio
Sacramento Proud
Posts: 6,208
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Post by Toxik916 on Oct 4, 2013 19:24:45 GMT -5
That was the only Dusty I knew as a kid and I loved him. I've watched his earlier stuff and he's good in that role too, but I love the American Dream WWE version with the polka dots.
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Post by Hit Girl on Oct 4, 2013 19:25:23 GMT -5
I heard the polka dots were his idea.
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Post by molson5 on Oct 4, 2013 20:00:44 GMT -5
I've also read/heard the story that Dusty was put in Polka Dots as some sort of jab or revenge against NWA/WCW. I was never convinced it was true. Me neither. And the thing his, he was really protected booking-wise. I don't know what happened off the top of my head as far as house show results, but just from remembering watching it as a kid, he was always pushed as a big deal, a top 2-3 guy in the company. And it was the late 80s/early 90s, our collective fashion sense was completely whacked out, polka dots really weren't that crazy. He basically had the same character he always had, blue collar, son of a plumber, man of the people - it worked, he was over.
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Post by RowdyRobbyPiper on Oct 4, 2013 20:35:15 GMT -5
As much crap as he took for being a Verne Gagne/Triple H-esque mark for himself during the Crockett years in terms of how he booked himself, I can't remember him winning very many of his WWF feuds. Macho Man beat him as did DiBiase (and Ted stole his lady friend to boot!).
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Post by cabbageboy on Oct 4, 2013 22:21:57 GMT -5
Let's also not forget that Dusty beat Honky Tonk Man as well circa 1989. I think Dusty's problem was that he was maybe the #3 babyface in the company and as such had to build up heels for the top 2 guys (Hogan, Warrior). Hence finally jobbing to Savage and Dibiase. The Bossman stuff never had a clear payoff that I can recall mainly because Bossman turned face soon after. Maybe Akeem cost him a match with Dusty or something?
Dusty was already in his mid 40s at that point, so was he really going to main event? Look, his late 80s/early 90s WWF run isn't what he probably wants to be remembered for, but I'd hardly call it this utter embarrassment and burial that it has been painted as over the years due to the polka dots or whatever.
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Post by RowdyRobbyPiper on Oct 4, 2013 22:25:26 GMT -5
Like I said, this was probably an opportunity for Dusty to just have a little fun. Would he have wanted the pressure for having to main event at that age? If I was him, I'd say "eh, Hogan and Warrior can main event".
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Post by Joe Neglia on Oct 5, 2013 0:15:32 GMT -5
One thing that really helped Dusty in the WWF was that once the bell rang, he was the same old Dusty (minus the blood), and that was something WWF fans who weren't privy to the other shows hadn't really had anything like since, what, JYD's first year there - a fun-loving "regular guy" who could still kick some ass. It was thrilling to see him show up; for me he was akin to being the "NWA"s version of Hulk Hogan. That level, at least. I cooled off on him after a while, didn't appreciate some of stuff there until later, but I do remember liking that Dustin showed up, only because of how alien and out-of-place the kid felt during that time period.
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Juice
El Dandy
Wrong? Oh he can tell ya about being wrong.
I'm the one who raised you from perdition.
Posts: 8,172
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Post by Juice on Oct 7, 2013 8:30:20 GMT -5
I started watching wrestling in 1990, so polka dot Dusty is my Dusty. I was born in 87, so so this is the dusty that I remember best too.
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Post by happhazzard on Oct 7, 2013 18:44:17 GMT -5
How he was booked in WWF was how he should have been booked in the NWA in 1987 and 1988, rather than as a bad-ass capable of taking the Four Horsemen or Road Warriors on almost by himself. He simply was not a main event talent post 1986, after his brief world title run he should have voluntarily phased himself down the card into more of a Jimmy Valiant type role instead of the #1 babyface and focal point of the promotion.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 28,273
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Post by chazraps on Oct 7, 2013 19:01:54 GMT -5
I think it's like this:
If you grew up on 80s NWA Dusty - You hate the polka dots.
If Polka Dot Dusty was your first exposure - You don't really see the issue.
If both were way before your time and you're learning about both simultaneously - You may have a preference, but it comes off as a relatively small blip in the legacy of Dusty Rhodes.
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Post by Joe Neglia on Oct 7, 2013 19:14:48 GMT -5
I think it's like this: If you grew up on 80s NWA Dusty - You hate the polka dots. If Polka Dot Dusty was your first exposure - You don't really see the issue. If both were way before your time and you're learning about both simultaneously - You may have a preference, but it comes off as a relatively small blip in the legacy of Dusty Rhodes. Not really. I was well-exposed to Dusty before his WWF run, but I actually enjoyed it more than his Crockett work in the years previous. He was a more fun character who was still pretty high on the card.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2013 19:21:03 GMT -5
I remember reading about (and seeing a picture of) Dusty but with red polka dots instead of yellow. Anyone know the story? I thought I had heard it was after sapphire ditched him.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2013 19:53:03 GMT -5
My only issue with it, is that I never really *got* Sapphire. Was she his manager? His girlfriend? I'm saying this from the point of 14 year-old me watching it at the time. The thing is, at the time, I was a total Flair/Horsemen mark, so I only enjoyed Dusty when he was being a punching bag for the Horsemen, prior to his WWE run. In WWE, with polka dots, I actually liked him. And in retrospect, it was a pretty good run. Bonus points for someone *finally* putting a shirt on the man.
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Post by happhazzard on Oct 8, 2013 19:18:06 GMT -5
He only wore a shirt for his entrance, he took it off when he wrestled.
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Professor Chaos
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Bringer of Destruction and Maker of Doom
Posts: 16,332
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Post by Professor Chaos on Oct 8, 2013 20:04:56 GMT -5
I always wanted to see him and Hogan either team together or fight. They never interacted then as far as I know though.
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