Dusty Rhodes Interview

[Guest Trivia247]

Thanks to Adam Martin of WrestleView.com for the following report:

 

This week's GIR Radio interview featured "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. Dusty discusses such topics as his upcoming book, the fall of WCW, his son's release from WWE, old school wrestling and so much more! You can listen yourself at www.getinthering.tv and every Sunday 540 AM WLIE @ 7pm in NY/NJ, and live off www.getinthering.tv.

 

- Dusty Rhodes joins the show. The Phantom asks Dusty if he is excited to see all of his old friends at the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Convention & Fanfest on Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1, 2004. Dusty said he is excited about seeing the fans and many guys that he came up with during his era with Mid-Atlantic. Sir Adam asks if he is looking forward to seeing any guys he hasn't seen in a long time. Dusty says not really since he sees most of them on the road and at personal appearances.

 

- The Phantom mentioned how he has been reading Ole Anderson's book and he wondered where Dusty's book is and if he has been approached by anyone. Dusty said he turned down an offer from WWE & Vince McMahon to do a book earlier due to a financial situation. Dusty said later the idea came up again and he wrote a few sections and sent some of it in. He mentioned he is writing the entire book himself and not having someone else do it for him. Dusty said he is hoping to get a publishing company for the book and go up against "the big dogs" in the wrestling book industry (Vince McMahon). The Phantom asked if it was more of a money thing instead of a content thing. Dusty said it really wasn't about content at first because he has been writing it himself for the past two years. He said it was more about a company hiring someone to help write the book who had no clue about the wrestling business and then run off with all the money if it turned out to be a big success. Dusty said it would have been great to do it with Vince McMahon to get the advertising for it, but told Vince he was going to get it done with or without him. He mentioned the book is pretty much finished and is currently looking to find a solid publisher for it.

 

- The Phantom mentioned that his son Dustin Rhodes was on the show earlier, but couldn't talk about the book due to legal reasons. However, since he was recently let go by WWE, Phantom asked if it had anything to do with him possibly not doing a book with WWE. Dusty said the situation was unrelated and his son's business with WWE is two entirely different things. Dusty said it was a shame that they couldn't think of anything new to do with Dustin with the amount of people WWE has in the creative department. Dusty said with the amount of talent he has, they could have simply promoted him as Dustin Rhodes as a new idea instead of just letting him go.

 

- Sir Adam asks Dusty if it still surprises him that WCW still isn't around. Dusty said it is crazy when you go around and see all the independents that are currently operating, some good and some bad, and see all the young talent that is still trying to come up. He said although some "old timers" are still working, a lot of the young guys have no where to go to learn their craft. He said he talks in his book about how the top guys on the independent scene (AJ Styles for example) will keep getting older and older as the years go by until he has nothing left to accomplish in a territory system that no longer exists as it once did back in the day. Dusty said it is amazing there is no WCW and said there probably won't be another one for quite some time.

 

- The Phantom asks Dusty if he has seen the new Ric Flair DVD set. Dusty said it should be called the Dusty Rhodes DVD. He wondered if Ric was going to send him any money from the DVD sales. Phantom asks how Dusty came up with a lot of the stuff in his promos and interviews. Dusty said one thing he tells young kids coming up in the business about promos is that when the red light comes on, study the history of yourself, your opponent and the area you are in. He said it's easy to go on the mic and say how you are going to kill a certain guy that night, but not make it look very convincing. Dusty said his goal in doing promos was to make the common person or casual fan understand what he was saying without having to be a die hard fan to get it. He mentioned that style helped Jesse Ventura during his political days in the state of Minnesota. Dusty said he is a big believer of interjecting things he hears into promos and making them work. Phantom reminds Dusty of a promo he said in the 1980's about how one day you go to work and find out you have been replaced by a computer, something that still stands true to this day.

 

- Sir Adam mentions how guys of the old era's seem so much more colorful. He asks Dusty if he thinks guys of this era are more straight edged due to them not getting as much mic time as guys once did 15-20 years ago or if there is just a new breed of wrestler right now. Dusty said that is a great statement and both apply. He said a lot of the young guys on the independent scenes really don't get the advantage of talking on the mic. Dusty mentioned the guys in WWE like Steve Austin and The Rock who have the ability and charisma to speak on the mic. He said the guys who have to read things verbatim are usually the ones who don't go over with the crowds at all.

 

- The Phantom asked Dusty on his opinion of Eric Bischoff and the political game he played in WCW. Dusty didn't want to say too much, saying many of his opinions and thoughts would be in his book. He mentioned how territories were set up back in the day, relating it to the a blueprint of a mafia. He said it was basically set up in a way where if you don't come in my territory, I won't come in yours. If you don't steal my talent, I won't steal yours. If the champion wants to leave, he gives a four week or two week notice. Dusty said by using that structure, a lot of the guys would work in different territories and learn their craft and style. Dusty said that fell apart when WCW came up, basically saying Eric Bischoff tried to destroy several people and drive them out if they weren't in the same mind set he was in. Dusty said if he was to ever run the show, it was going to be his way right down to the very last detail. He mentioned how he came up with the War Games idea of putting a giant steel cage on top of two rings. He also mentioned coming up with the names for various WCW Pay Per View events such as Starrcade, Halloween Havoc, Great American Bash and telling the WCW higher-ups that he would make them work and it all came true. Dusty said the only thing bad about WCW were those who didn't think or dream big, allowing it to fail. Dusty said Eric Bischoff has a very creative mind, but he will keep his opinions for his book for everyone to read. Dusty said he has a special section of the book called "Corporate Cowboy" where he discusses how the power in WCW shifted from himself to others.

 

- A caller comes in and asks Dusty if the Midnight Rider would be at the Mid-Atlantic convention, getting some laughs from the hosts. Dusty said the Midnight Rider character was on the greatest characters in pro wrestling and the way it was done. He brings up how the WWE tried the "Mr. America" gimmick with Hulk Hogan and he wondered where it came from.

 

- Sir Adam brings up his favorite interview involving Dusty where he was coming back after an injury and how he said Sting would bring him out in a wagon if need be. Dusty said it worked because the fans knew he would do anything. Dusty brought up the famous incident where the fans in attendance ripped apart a steel cage and physically took him out. He also talked about a story where he was busted open pretty bad and a girl in the crowd was crying and pulled him away from the action because she cared that much for him.

 

- The Phantom brings up the Ric Flair DVD, saying how it brings back the old school memories. Phantom asked Dusty if Barry Windham was ever penciled in for a title shot. Dusty said Windham had many opportunities and eventually did so in 1993. However, he said everything got messed up when the NWA merged with WCW and his input wasn't as valid as once before so to speak. Dusty stressed the difference between the NWA World Title and the belt that was used in WCW. Dusty goes on to talk about the old school mentality and how, although it shouldn't always be used, should still play a part of how wrestling is in the years to come.

 

- Dusty then goes on to talk about how young guys in NWA TNA come up to him, always respectful, and ask him how to tell a story in the ring. Dusty says even though they can put on great high flying matches, when they ask him how to tell a story he can't really tell them anything because they can't understand that what they are doing means absolutely nothing but an entertaining match with no story. He said most of the time they are wrestling move to move and not allowing the fans to take in that first big bump because by that time, they are already on to the next one.

 

- Sir Adam brings up how many people in wrestling today have the same look where as long ago everyone came in different shapes, sizes. Sir Adam asks Dusty if the lack of new personalities are hurting the business as a whole right now. Dusty says in the last seven years, the best performer he has seen in a WWE ring is Kurt Angle. Dusty mentioned how Angle is a legitimate package and how his character development is great. He also mentions Chris Benoit, saying no one can compare to him right now. Dusty said if he was to pick a new world champion right now for WWE, it would be Eddie Guerrero. He said he is a tremendous talent and from a family of the "old school" mentality. Dusty also mentions others who are from an old school family such as The Rock and Randy Orton. Dusty said these guy had great opportunities to do great things because they had a solid background.

 

- The Phantom plugs that Dusty will be teaming up with his son Dustin in a tag team contest in April very soon. Dusty mentions the April date might happen, but confirmed a March 7th date overseas in Japan.

 

- Dusty mentions he has cut a deal with RCA out of Nashville, TN about the possibility of doing a 30 minute to an hour audio book with him talking about stories from his past. Dusty said it would be a great thing to listen to if you are stuck in traffic and have nothing else to do.

 

- Sir Adam brings up how he has received numerous questions from listeners not having the balls to ask Dusty if what is on his stomach is a birth mark. Dusty said it was a birth mark. Sir Adam asks Dusty if people have asked him about that all his left. Dusty said a lot of people have come up with crazy things like its a burn mark or a piece of steak. Dusty jokingly added that it kind of looks like Africa. Phantom brings up how it is great that Dusty can have a sense of humor about himself. Dusty said he can't hide what he really is and that is why he feels he was successful.

 

- Sir Adam asks Dusty if it was hard for his son to follow in his footsteps. Dusty said he doesn't think so because he thought he was a natural in the ring. He said Dustin took the Goldust character in WWE and was able to make it a success for a very long time, especially recently as a tag team with Booker T when they won the World Tag Team Titles. Dusty said whenever you are the son of a very famous person, it can be very hard. He said in the end Dustin did his own thing and was able to be very successful with it.

[OldSchoolWrestling 0]

The Phantom plugs that Dusty will be teaming up with his son Dustin in a tag team contest in April very soon. Dusty mentions the April date might happen

Didn't NWA-TNA just announce their Sunday ppv would be in April?

 

I wonder if when he writes, do the words get written in Dusty speak?