All language subtitles for biography_wwe_legends_s03e09_the_iron_sheik

We are here in Dallas, Texas, of course,
for WrestleMania weekend.

And some breaking news while we're here.
Seth Rollins facing a mystery opponent

of Mr. McMahon. His opponent is going to
be picked by Vince McMahon.

Better be somebody good.

Look at Cody Rhodes right here. Anything
can happen, but who knows? He may show

up tonight. We have no idea. I think
this place would pop its ass off if he

out tonight.

We can only hope, man. We can only hope.
We can't get something that good at

WrestleMania. To see him come back home
would be a whole other thing, man. I got

to see the statue for his father last
night at the Superstore. It was

I've always loved Dusty Rhodes, man, so
hopefully we see his son here tonight.

Uh -oh.

Big Mama.

Hey. Up close and personal. Where are
you at?

I'm sitting outside where the rehearsal
dinner is.

Where are y 'all staying at?

Right now we're staying on the bus. I'm
going to stay here until they drag me

out of it because I have been
sequestered as a surprise for tomorrow.

I know you're going to do great, Cody. I
know you're going to do great.

I'm so proud of you, and I know Daddy
would have been so proud of you.

And I know...

watching you i just go away thanks mama
love you tell everyone i said hey all

right bye i

do

get asked about dusty and everything
that i do and i have uh avoided the

of dusty roads when he was living and
since he passed um because it's so big

How could I ever do anything like he
did?

But fate has it that I get this
opportunity to make the walk at

front of Sports Entertainment's biggest
crowd.

My dad would have loved that.

And the winner of the crowd now is for
the American Dream. It is for Mr. Dusty

Rose.

Dusty could make people feel.

He showed that.

The average son of a plumber could rise
up.

He could be your next -door neighbor. He
could be the guy you work in a factory

with. But he could go out there and kick
ass.

I came from nowhere, and it would take a
hell of a man to knock me off. He was a

dreamer of epic proportion and the
architect of what we now see as a

global empire.

God, he was entertaining.

Dusty looked at pro wrestling just like
a movie.

You don't know what hard times are,
Denny.

I've been hooked forever on Dusty Rosen
because what you got was real for me.

To get to the top, you have to
sacrifice.

In every aspect you can imagine.

Definitely became hard times.

Dev was a mentor.

He was a hero.

And the best downfall on the planet.

That's funky.

His real name was Virgil Riley Runnels
Jr.

Never, ever heard anybody call him
Virgil. Not even my mom or pop.

He got nicknamed Dusty because of the
street that he lived on.

It was in...

Dirt Road, Dusty Road.

Dusty Roads is born into an America that
is coming out of the Great Depression,

is coming out of World War II.

A kid from Austin, Texas.

Eastside. Black community, you know,
Mexican -American community.

Lucky to be part of that community.

I was running around just thinking I was
no different than anybody else.

My dad was a hard -working plumber,
disciplinarian, and not a lot of

just a hard -working guy.

We were very poor financially, but I was
not aware of the financial problem.

It was just life for us. It was the way
things were.

We never really felt sorry for ourselves
or felt like we'd gotten a bad shake in

life, a bad deal in life.

Growing up in East Austin, coming from
nothing, my dad created things out of

nothing. I've heard things about him
being teased as a child because he was

bigger, but the adversity part of it was
just him overcoming obstacles in his

life to get him to where he wanted to
be.

My mom was the driving force behind the
American dream.

Pursuing and reaching and trying to
obtain whatever you could. It was such a

deal with her.

My dad more or less was that if you're
going to do it, do it right.

If you're going to reach for it, then be
the best at it.

Friday night, my dad would catch a
check, we'd go to the restaurant.

He would yell and scream and go crazy.

I grew up really loving this industry.

What an opportunity if you could make a
living with this.

We'd come home and we'd wrestle. We made
fake masks.

We could just get as rough as we wanted.

With Dusty, one thing I would say about
him, you could not make things tough

enough for him.

My dad would tell you how great he was
at baseball, at football, and he truly

was a multi -sport athlete.

The New York Mets at that time had
scouted me. I played first base, and I

a little bit.

He also played for a semi -professional
football team in Connecticut called the

Charter Oak Buffaloes.

There's the athlete side of Dusty, and
then there's the thespian.

side of Dusty, something else was
calling him.

One of his greatest characteristics was
his ability to have a vision and know

exactly what he wanted to do in his
life.

He was always charismatic.

Even when he was young, he had a stage
presence. He loved acting. He would tell

me, I love it. And I'd say, no, man,
you're an athlete, not an actor.

You know what I'm saying? And luckily he
found a profession where he could

combine both of those passions.

He wanted to pro -wrestle.

He wanted pro -wrestling.

I remember him coming into Dallas.

He didn't have a place to stay. And he
wrestled Fritz von Erich that night.

Fritz just had his way with him.

I remember him kicking him right in the
teeth once. Looked like he actually had

lost some teeth.

And ended up putting a claw on him.

But I remember him telling me, I love
this business.

Someday I'm going to be the heavyweight
champion of the world.

I think he saw something in wrestling.

And there was a freedom in wrestling
that didn't exist in other spaces.

You know, Muhammad Ali, if you'd asked
him who his hero was as an 18 -year

he would have said Gorgeous George
Wagner. And what he loved about Gorgeous

George. was that Gorgeous George brought
the showmanship of professional

wrestling to a whole other level.

I have to think that for Dusty Rhodes,
it was a very attractive thought for him

to be able to be a character and develop
stories.

When my mom and my dad met, they hit it
off. They had a great time.

Sandy was gorgeous.

He loved her.

The war in Vietnam had began, and they
had a rule that they were not taking any

married men.

So even though he loved Cindy, and I
think they would have eventually gotten

married, it was probably sooner than
anyone expected, including himself,

all I could see was how important it was
for him to make a name in the business

and become a champion.

He had that vision of what he wanted to
do and where he wanted to be, and he

started his life on the road.

One of the discoveries of any wrestler
in terms of this job is it starts out

real fun.

It starts out, oh my gosh, I got paid
$300.

I'm going to have fun. I'm going to
partner with Dick Murdoch and the Texas

Outlaws. We're going to be the bad guys.
This is so much fun.

Dick Murdoch was a character from
Waxahachie, Texas.

Together, they were kind of of the same
mindset.

Rhodes and Murdoch first came to Florida
when I was a kid, and they had crew

cuts and big fat bellies hanging out,
and they were bad guys.

We're just a couple of old country boys
drinking beer, wrestling, fighting.

Dusty would say, we're not going to be
outraged.

We're going to be outrageous.

And they were.

We were traveling 340 days a year from
one town to the next. You had 700 miles

to go to get to the next town.

Yeah, there was a bar we'd stop.

And we had a good following, territorial
-wise.

Did a movie called The Wrestler.

That was not far -fetched by any stretch
of the imagination.

Murdoch would get in a fight every
Friday night.

It's fun.

And then you realize the layer of work
that it takes to get to the next block.

And that's where it goes from being just
this silly vocation to your life's

work.

A lot of people don't know that my
grandfather, dad's dad, died the day

was born.

I did not talk to him a lot about that.

There's absolutely no way that I can
imagine that.

For him to lose his father and then, oh,
my God, now I have a baby boy.

That would send anybody into overload,
man.

Dusty told me he was so excited about
having a grandchild, and Dusty

took some cigars that said, it's a boy,
and he put them in his pocket, you

know, in the coffin.

You know, I mean, that's... That's hard.

My dad never saw him wrestle.

But when my dad passed away, one of the
belongings he had in his wallet was an

old program for an event that my brother
had been in.

It's hard for me not to get emotional.

But Dusty was always able to kind of put
those things in perspective.

He could have all of those kinds of
things going on in his life and seemed

know, you know, what to do and how to do
it.

I think Dusty had a knack for knowing
when it's time.

Probably one of the hardest decisions he
made, and I think definitely the most

important decision he made, was when it
was time to leave Dick.

His tag team partner from Austin, Texas,
Blaine 200.

80 pounds, dirty, dusty road.

He loved the Texas Outlaws, and he loved
doing what they were doing, but I think

in Dusty's mind, he was scratching the
surface.

He felt like he had more tools.

He had more in the tank.

I don't think that the promoters
recognized the fact that I was a great

worker or performer.

They recognized that I had charisma.

I had to find a way to grow it into
becoming the American Dream.

I had that one element that you cannot
give anyone.

Charisma. The greatest rap master, the
greatest wrestler, the greatest super

heavyweight in the world. It's about
winning. You either have it or you

This is the Iron Man. January the 1st is
the new year. It's new rap materials.

It's new titles and such. You understand
what I'm saying? It's going to be

dynamite. This lady is going to feel the
American dreams.

I have studied all the tapes.

I think this was at my Christmas party.
I figured out right away I can sell more

tickets talking them in the building.

than actually what they were seeing in
the building.

Was it worth the damn pain? Was it worth
the pain?

When I look back at characters that were
developing for The American Dream,

Thunderbolt Patterson was one of my
guys. I like the finer things in life,

know, like diamond rings and Cadillacs.

Thank you. You following me? I dig it.

It seemed to be like music. There was a
rhythm to it. When I was growing up, I

sure didn't think 265 pounds of blue
-eyed soul would captivate a country

hell. The people drive me. He's somebody
that gives off complete comfort around

black people. I think he gets a bit
subversive in a way that I think brings

comfort to certainly me and I think a
lot of his black fans.

Dusty made everything about being Dusty
Rhodes cool.

And if you was from the neighborhood,
Dusty was like the only black wrestler

that we had to look up to.

Because of Dusty Rhodes growing up in a
part of Boston that was multiracial, I

see him as somebody in a line with an
Elvis Presley or a Jerry Lee Lewis.

People who were white, who were greatly
influenced by the Southern Baptist black

church. Everything I will be is up to

you.

He took a black experience and
translated it To a white audience. You

up in this building in a matter of few
hours when it's full and you can see a

black man and a white man eating out of
the same popcorn box.

That's funky.

Dusty's appeal was the fact that Dusty
was just like the audience.

I'm just one of you, baby.

I'm just like you.

So come help me because I need you.

And you felt when Dusty was in the ring
that you were right there with him.

It's about winning for my people, baby.

Until I heard him talk, I couldn't see
what the attraction was because, I mean,

I saw this guy didn't look like an
athlete, but judging a book by the cover

him would be a great mistake.

You can't judge a book by looking at the
cover.

Can't you see?

I'm a lover.

You can't judge a book by looking at the
cover. The greatest athlete, the

greatest rapper, the greatest singer,
the greatest sleeper. I can sleep cool,

brother. Go and cheer on the new year,
1977.

The Razzmatazz.

287 pounds of sweet soul.

You can't judge a book by looking at the
cover.

That was kind of like Pied Piper.

Dusty would just bring everybody and
they would follow him. Everything I am,

owe to the American way of life.

What is more of an American dream than
being able to make it on your own terms?

So you have a lisp, you're overweight,
your clothes are ill -fitting. You get

be you and you still get to make it.

There was a lot of patriotism and rah
-rah USA at the time and he's...

He is wrestling against, at that point,
the evil Korean, Pak Song.

Pak Song with one single purpose in
mind, to rid the wrestling world of the

American dream.

The Korean assassin versus the American
dream,

Dusty Rhodes.

And somehow, the son of a plumber
overcomes.

There's only one dream.

I am the man.

Go on with it, baby.

It's that rivalry between his self and
Pac Song that really branded him and

created the American dream.

I've been hooked forever on Dusty
Rhodes.

Mimicked him all through high school.

And then when I first had a little bit
of a breakup in Memphis.

You can hear in my promos. I'm going,
let me tell you something, baby.

Terry Boulder. I was trying to be Dusty
Rhodes.

I'm going to put the super southern
squeeze on you, daddy.

And I'm going to turn you over to these
people in Memphis and let them whip on

you a little bit after you're down and
out. And it was just such a poor

imitation of Dusty Rhodes. It's
embarrassing now.

Dusty Rhodes must have thought, oh, my
God, this guy is just.

This industry is very tough.

You have to sacrifice.

You have to sacrifice your body. You
have to sacrifice your mind. You

those that you love.

When I'm looking back at everything,
people would be like, oh, my gosh, I

believe your father is the American
Dream Dusty Rhodes. That's the coolest

ever.

Yeah, it's pretty cool.

But at the same time, you know, he was
just.

Our dad, we're having to share him with
the world.

Sometimes I thought about that, and I
just thought that was just kind of

But back in the day when he was first
starting out, I didn't see it that way.

was so young.

We saw our dad a couple times a year,
and when we did, it was the greatest

of our life.

But Justin and I have a completely
different perspective on when my father

first starting out.

Honestly, man, it just hurt, and I
wanted him.

And I wanted to be with him. And I
wanted it so bad, desperate, desperate

it.

My dad just had that vision and he went
after it.

And yes, he wasn't home a lot. Yes, he
was gone a lot. But there was no lack of

love there. My father was our father.

At the same time, my mom lost her
husband.

They divorced when Kristen was two years
old.

That was the way it was. If you wanted
to make a living, you had to go to the

different territories. You had to work.

I was young, and I didn't understand
what kind of a star he was becoming.

A boy needs his dad.

In 1977, he was in Florida.

The Imperial Lounge was where you could
go to listen to country music.

That was his favorite place to hang out,
and that's where I met him.

He was the American dream at that point,
very popular there.

I had asked Dusty for an autograph for
my little brothers and sisters, and he

said, well, if you come next week, I
have some photos. I'll bring you those.

I went next week, and I started
thinking, yeah, you know, I

like this guy.

So it wasn't love at first sight, but I
fell in love with him very quickly.

Just absolute madness comes with the
American Dream, Dusty Rhodes, and she

game.

A man who has figuratively set the
wrestling world on fire.

Mr. Soul.

Mr. Charisma.

Mr. Dusty Rhodes.

287 pounds of sweet soap. I have wined
and dined with kings and queens.

But I slept in alley and dined on pork
and beans. And everybody here has dined

on pork and beans one time in their
life.

I reached for a star. I reached for a
dream. Talk about the American dream.

Superstar Billy Graham.

The gold around your waist will be mine.

In the late 70s, Dusty had proven
himself as an attraction, and all

wanted to be able to bring that draw to
their town.

Dusty worked primarily in Florida, but
he had started doing different shows

around the country.

Do we have another capacity crowd from
22 ,000 people jamming Madison Square

Garden? You want to headline Madison
Square Garden.

Madison Square Garden is the map. Here
comes Superstar Billy Graham, the

reigning worldwide wrestling federation
heavyweight champion.

And the ruler of ground now is for the
American dream, and it's for Mr. Dusty

Rhodes.

Superstar Billy Graham and Dusty Rhodes.

Two of the most charismatic individuals
clashing for the first time in Madison

Square Garden. That was magic.

Grab has never seen moves like that
before.

The American dream, Dusty Rhodes, could
have a roly -poly time statue as

compared to Superstar Grab.

Oh, baby!

Physically and aesthetically, Couldn't
be more opposite.

However, they both played an integral
part in just the evolution of the

business, where it went to a little more
entertainment.

Dusty Rhodes was my only reason at the
time to want to be a wrestler.

But then when superstar Billy Graham
climbed on the second rope and hit that

double bicep, I went, whoa, I want to be
just like that guy.

I said, man, I wondered what the
possibilities would be to end up.

Looking like that, but wrestling with
Dusty Rhodes' charisma.

Hmm.

I wonder if that could be possible.

Hmm, it is possible.

The three matches with him there, so
special.

The matches were amazing.

Randy Warhol, Steinbrenner, Hoffman,
Cheryl Teague,

Peter Baird, all in attendance, in the
audience. Edgar Winters, Fred Medler,

in the audience.

Didn't want to leave the ring because of
the goosebumps and what I was feeling

at that moment.

After the matches, we went out to
celebrate with all of our new friends,

know, a lot of fun.

When you went to Studio 54, there was
just this crazy cast of characters,

artists, singers, and they loved us.

Back then, it was the rare soul who...

like pro wrestling, not only for who
would win or lose, but also for the joy

the spectacle of it. And it says so much
about Dusty Rhodes' talent and his

ability to connect with an audience.

Dusty met Andy Warhol a couple of times,
and, you know, birds of a feather.

I like the lifestyle.

I wasn't a conventional kind of girl, so
it appealed to me.

We dated for a while.

Then we moved in together about a year.

What was important to me wasn't the fact
that he'd been divorced.

I was more concerned about what kind of
father he was.

You can't love a man if he's a crappy
father.

We had gone out to Austin to visit
Dustin and Kristen.

And just out of the blue, he asked me to
marry him.

And I said yes because I did want to get
married.

But up until that point, I really hadn't
thought about it. I was happy with

things the way they were.

So we got married.

My mom is suddenly a stepmom.

And I think that that was natural for
her because in her family, there's lots

people.

When we got married, Dustin and Kristen
were very young.

We would see them whenever we could.

We would have them on holidays and in
the summer, but it was a long -distance

relationship.

Absolutely. That's how it went.

Getting there to Tampa, seeing the
horses, seeing the pool, swimming in the

pool, seeing Dad occasionally, not a
lot.

I didn't want to go somewhere else and
me not be around him anymore.

I wanted to go where he was going.

No, he wasn't home a lot, but in some
strange way, I had an understanding.

And I think, again, it goes back to me
just admiring the vision that he had and

what a great person that he was.

Dusty Rhodes has achieved victory here
at Madison Square Garden.

The notoriety that came from superstar
Billy Graham, Dusty Rhodes' match, it

helped me prepare myself for all the
race.

The National Wrestling Alliance World
Series title was the ultimate goal.

NWA World Heavyweight Champions held the
championship for several years.

And to defeat the champion and actually
lay claim to being a World Heavyweight

Champion was a huge deal.

Dusty, what was going through your mind
at that moment?

and become world's heavyweight wrestling
champion with that blow right there.

That is mystery.

In that moment, you're riveted, and you
do think that winning is possible when

all the odds tell us that winning is not
possible. That is activated by Dusty

Rhodes, being able to embody the
American dream.

He considered the world championship to
be the highest honor. You can't get him

to say that wrestling was fake.

You can't.

And it's because it's not.

That moment wasn't. And when you take it
that seriously, the fans take you

seriously. And they support you. They're
crying with you. They're cheering with

you. And that would parlay into the next
big step in his career.

This is an example for every man, woman,
and child. Dream of a dream.

Have a dream. Have a way to get it. Hold
on to it and shoot for the sky because

I have been to the mountaintop and it
will take a hell of a man to knock me

To my left, the American dream, Dusty
Rhodes, and it's most unusual that we're

here in an empty arena because Dusty
Rhodes fills arenas. The man of the

the man with the power.

The hit maker, the record breaker.

In the early 80s, he'd become a big
star.

Who are you hoping will win the world
title tonight? Oh, I want to see.

The little plumber son who come out of
the ditch and became so sweet.

Can you dig it? Became so sweet.

Yeah, it's on fire.

You better believe it's on fire.

When Vince was looking at his expansion.

Vince looked at Dusty Rove and saw Dusty
is the guy to make it what it

has become today.

That is electrified butt.

One of Dusty's biggest attributes, and I
don't know if this is the proper term

these days, but just balls.

Because for him to, they know, walking
away from that top spot, he just had a

gut feeling.

Dusty always wanted to produce
wrestling.

So he went to the Carolinas for Jim
Crockett.

This is the most down -to -home
situation in the world of Wrestling of

the national Wrestling of the Life. He
got to produce TV shows, promote

and got to wrestle. There was just more
opportunity for what Dusty wanted to do,

even though when we moved to Charlotte,
it was a wasteland.

At the time, Crockett promotions was
kind of like a mouthful of oatmeal with

sugar. There were some good quality
people there, but they didn't have

to spice it all up. And Dusty, he was a
dreamer of epic proportion.

He saw things on a huge scale.

This is the night for everybody to
remember wrestling history to be made.

really was a genius.

I've been here over the years, from the
war games to the Starrcade.

Starrcade 83, this is the wrestling
event of all time.

And then, of course, Great American Bash
on tour, man. And we hired everybody

from George Jones to Waylon James.

I'm looking forward to being a part of
the Great American Bash.

Went on the road, and it worked.

We sold out everywhere.

We were rocking and rolling.

The business started taking off.

And then they got on TVS. So their show
was going in more and more homes.

All of a sudden you're reaching a mass
audience.

So a kid in New York City like myself
could watch this very regional carnival

enterprise.

And I remember being 10, 11 years old
watching Dusty Rhodes versus Ric Flair.

and I'd never seen anything like this
before.

And this is the moment that we've all
been waiting for right here.

It's the New York Yankees and the
Brooklyn Dodgers. It's Muhammad Ali and

Frazier. It's one of the great rivalries
in the history of sports entertainment.

He doesn't like me getting ahead, and
that perks me right here for him to get

ahead. The ultimate bad guy and the
ultimate blue -collar guy.

We just had that magic, man. We loved to
interview against each other. It became

a real competition.

I don't put values in the same thing Ric
Flair does. The Rolex!

We're in!

Diamond ring wearing.

I'm the son of a plumber. I was raised
in Austin, Texas.

Can't steal it. Never had anything
unless I fought for it. Lemons being

Jet flying.

Son of a gun. Unless I got down on my
knees and went for it. It is so hard to

humble when you're looking like Ric
Flair.

Here goes Flair over the top rope.

But I want to be the number one
entertainer. The one -upsmanship,

definitely, it's there.

Well, it's smashed into that steel ring,
folks.

He has got a bad cut.

We can depict violence that is not
common today. It was very much a part of

craft of what we did for the most
theatrical effect that we can get.

He has stopped the man.

He has stopped it.

Because of a cut on the arm.

Wait a second.

Ric Flair, if you call this a victory,
you need to go home and kiss your mama.

This ain't no victory. This ain't over.

Dusty looked at pro wrestling just like
a movie.

It was cinema.

It was this long tale that didn't just
include the moment.

Look what Ric Flair is doing. He is
padlocking that cage. So Dusty Rhodes is

helpless. Not only that, he cannot be
helped by anyone from the outside.

Seeing the adult nature of these
conflicts, it felt like adults were

with their fists over big issues.

I was at ringside, Bob. I couldn't
believe what I was seeing. Down he goes

Dusty Rhodes.

And right now, you know, everybody is in
a panic right now because, see, Tony,

too, a lot of concern for this injury.

It was real.

And I believed in it. They broke my
dad's leg.

That's how they portrayed it. And they
weren't going to have anybody saying

was funny.

This is why wrestling in the 80s was so
awesome, because everything was real.

Dusty Rhodes brought that sensibility
that you needed to know not just what

happening in the ring, but what was
happening in the locker room.

What's happening in the parking lot?

It was like a reality series.

And you needed to see this week because
it explained last week. And then you

needed to watch next week because it
would explain this week.

So really, it sounds like, Dusty, if you
want to be ready, you're going to have

to do exactly what he tells you when he
tells you.

There's no doubt, David, that I have to
do what he tells me.

One day, I saw the cast in his closet.

And I'm like, what the?

And it's got a big slit down the middle,
and that's how you would get it on.

And wore it around the house, and he
kayfabed his own kids.

Ladies and gentlemen, you all know that
Dusty Rhodes has been injured. Well, we

want to welcome back tonight Dusty
Rhodes for his first interview since his

injury. Here is the American dream,
Dusty Rhodes. And Dusty, your fans

you back.

Think about that period in the 80s, what
was happening in U .S. society. The

biggest shows were Dynasty and Dallas.
But there was an underbelly underneath

that in U .S. society at the time. And
that was working class people, black and

white, particularly union, who were
seeing their lives and living standards

utterly immiserated, if not destroyed.

Hard times on Dusty Rhodes and his
family.

You don't know what hard times are,
daddy.

Hard times are when the textile workers
around this country are out of work.

They got four or five kids and can't pay
their wages, can't buy their food. Hard

times are when the auto workers are out
of work and they tell them go home. And

hard times are when...

and say, hey, a computer took your
place, daddy. That's hard time.

That's hard time.

We're at this point where companies are
thinking about how do they replace

unionized labor. And the reality is the
idea of achieving the American dream is

starting to slip away.

And Ric Flair, you put hard times on
this country by taking Dusty Rhodes out.

That's hard time.

Dusty was the son of a plumber. I was
the guy born with a golden spoon.

And it's basically the truth.

You know, my dad was a doctor. Dad was a
plumber.

Dusty was just saying you to me.

Nature boy, Ric Flair.

The world's heavyweight title belongs to
these people. I'm going to reach out

right now. I want you at home to know my
hand is touching your hand. What, me?

that promo so special, like it dips into
the anger and the disillusionment that

we feel, but it also asks us to reach
for something greater, to reach out to

him, but also to reach out to each
other.

Let me leave you with this.

One way to hurt Ric Flair is to take
what he cherishes more than anything in

world.

That's the world's heavyweight title.

I'm going to take it. I've been there
twice.

This time when I take it, daddy, I'm
going to take it for you.

Let's get up for it.

Don't let me down now. For an interview
to be amazing, the person giving that

interview has to believe it.

And that is really the secret to his
success, because he really was the

dream. I can't say that I'm going to
walk through my house and show the

all the fine, great things that I've
earned in this profession.

But there's one thing when I walk
through my house that I see every day of

life. She's about that high and she's
two years old. And I got two other ones

too.

Dusty had missed out on so much, Dustin
and Kristen's life.

He never talked about it, but I know
it's something that just weighed heavy

his heart.

When Teal was born, her birth was like a
second chance at fatherhood.

And when Cody was born, We never went
anywhere that we didn't take our kids.

Dustin came to live with us the summer
before his junior year of high school.

He just wanted to be around his dad,
period.

But he wasn't doing well in school.

I think Dusty saw Dustin as being like
this great football player.

He had been offered some football
scholarships, but you've got to have the

grades as well, and that bothered Dusty.
Dusty wanted his kids to go to college.

He was worried about what Dustin was
going to do and did not want Dustin to

in the wrestling business.

He was trying to keep me away from it
because it's a tough life.

You're looking at the greatest wrestlers
alive today.

Three.

What do we got here, huh?

Ric Flair versus Dusty Rhodes.

This was years of struggle.

By Dusty Rhodes.

Look at the World Heavyweight
Championship.

1986 Great American Badge.

Ric Flair is legitimately the man.

The man. And Dusty, throughout their
rivalry, it's loss

after loss after loss.

But from a wrestling perspective, those
weren't losses. That is the definition

of the chase.

Dusty was like an open nerve.

Dusty was your pain.

Dusty was vulnerability.

People needed to see him come

out on top.

They needed to feel like they were
coming out on top, finally.

People are losing their mind because
they were in on the chase with him.

They love Dusty so much.

To have him finally beat Ric Flair, to
have him do it in a steel cage, I mean,

it did amazing things for Dusty Rhodes'
legend.

To see them work in these huge arenas
and huge stadiums and selling them out,

they're on top of the world.

So it was very important that the NWA
stayed in lockstep with what the WWE was

doing.

Depending upon which side you're on is
how you view things.

In the South, looking at it from that
point of view, it's like, man, we're

great. We've got a hell of an
opportunity here.

Then when you get up to New York and
looking at the scope of that, you

oh my God, they don't have a chance.

There's a whole other world out there
that...

had never heard of Jim Crockett
Promotions. And what Jim Crockett

failed to recognize was that other
audience.

It was a family -owned business, and we
were running around like rock stars and

should have had a much greater
accounting principle.

Crockett sold the business to TBS, and
Dusty got the call from Vince to come

work for him.

It was a little difficult at first
because Dusty saw himself as Hulk Hogan.

Dusty looked in the mirror and saw Hulk.

We didn't have that eyesight Dusty had.
We looked at him and went, be the common

man. One man's strength is another man's
treasure.

At that juncture in his career, he was
no longer a spring chicken. He wasn't on

the top of his game, so I wanted to go
with more fun.

We did some vignettes of Dusty.

So entertaining.

Have no fear, the sun will plummet.
What's going on, baby? Thank God you're

here. Woo!

Hey, aren't you?

This man is America, Dusty Rhodes!

He's just a common name.

Right behind Whitney's name.

And he's got the pole.

That's, uh, polka dots.

What?

He needs polka dots.

Yellow polka dots. It's everywhere.

We think he's nuts.

What can I say? I'm into polka dots.

The dream gets down.

It was the difference between seeing
somebody I looked up to and respected

seeing a cartoon.

We lost an authentic, working -class
voice. That ended.

The day the yellow polka dots came on.
You know, I'm just a common man.

I was mixed about seeing Dusty Rhodes
and the polka dots. I was kind of like

heartbroken because I wanted the
American dream Dusty Rhodes with the

all over his head, bleeding like a pig
every night, doing the hard times

He didn't care.

He was so glad.

to get the call to come to the WWE, he
would have worn a diaper. As long as he

was getting a big check, polka dots are
great.

There are fans to this day who will try
to convince me that they made a mockery

of the American dream.

Maybe it was even punishment for having
been the opposition or not coming the

multiple times that he had been
presented the opportunity to go. I don't

that at all.

Whether it started out as a rib, I was
from that school that I want to make

work.

I want to put this back in somebody's
face.

It was a time that WWE was really
breaking through major pop culture.

And Dusty was absolutely part of that.

He was always that guy.

Do you give it to me and I'll make it
something. And Dusty's role was to make

the people jump.

to make the fans get up out of their
seats.

When he was playing the polka dot role,
everybody still gravitated to Dusty

Rhodes. It was just 18 months of his
career, and it was likely the most money

he'd ever made. And I don't think it was
a practical joke at all. And if it was,

he threw it back in their face, and they
were smart enough to let him throw it

back in their face and run with it. He's
got more than Sapphire in this corner.

He's got his son Dustin right there.

I was there for all these moments, man,
and yes, of course I want to be a pro

wrestler, and I really want to do this,
and I'm going to do this whether you

like it or not, Dad, right?

And he did not want that for me. He
wanted me to go to college, but you know

what I wanted more?

I wanted to be like my dad.

And he said, Dustin, you want this
business? I'm going to let you do it.

my son.

And the legacy of the American dream
lives in this kid's heart.

And what he don't know, we're going to
teach him. Because Dustin Rose right

is getting ready to get funky like a
monkey in Florida.

He breaks me into the business. This is
the first time that I am hearing what

pro wrestling is from the inside.

Dustin had been in Florida and felt that
Dustin had the chops.

At that point in his career, young,
still had a lot to learn.

But why not? Let's give him a shot and
bring him in as Dusty's son. It was

Wait a minute. What is this? We've got
Ted DiBiase on one side.

We've got Virgil on the other side,
liking Justin Rhodes.

Wait a minute. Whoa!

Whoa! Did you see that?

Oh, no. Oh, no.

No. Look what they're doing to Dusty
Rhodes' son.

My first thought was, like, this could
get very interesting very quickly.

Will Dusty Rhodes be granted the freedom
to tell the story of his odyssey with

his son, Dusty Rhodes?

He swings it like this, straight onto my
head, and the two corners

hit me in the head and busted me open. I
mean, wide open.

But I felt so alive.

Oh, no!

I'm just underneath him. Oh, my boy. And
he's acting it out. He's crying, right?

And people are feeling it in the arena.
And he's right there with me, you know?

He missed a lot of Dustin's young life,
and there were things he needed from his

dad that he didn't get.

For the first time, I think, in my life,
I felt

connected to him.

It was probably some of the most fun I
ever had because I went outside the box.

But as time went on in that year and a
half, I got tired of it at the end

because it wasn't me.

It is great to be back with WCW. I'm
talking about tonight. 91, 92, 93,

the head of creative. He wrote the
stories. He hired the talent. He set the

direction of the company from a creative
perspective.

He had just stepped out of actively
being a full -time wrestler, and he was

of an executive producer.

And it meant he was with me a great deal
of my childhood.

He was our football coach when I was in
middle school.

He supported me in everything.

He made me feel like the most special
girl.

It was an easy relationship.

But there's no balance to having the
world and having a family.

We didn't suffer for it, but I think on
that climb, my sister Christian and

Dustin, I think that they did.

My father loved us all, and he loved his
kids first and foremost.

You know, it's the time and space
between all of us that's the enemy.

Come here, Dustin.

I want everybody to bear with me just
for a minute.

I want to talk to my son.

My favorite Dusty Rhodes interview I
cannot watch

without.

being too deeply affected, is the
interview he had with my brother.

He lays it on me with this promo that is
just hair

standing on your arms type stuff to make
you feel something was real.

I'm terrified. I mean, you're thrown
into national television. You're young,

you're greener than you do.

Yeah, terrified.

My dad's been doing this for 20
-something, 30 years.

It's easy for him, but, you know, all
these people are staring at me now, and

dad's talking to me, and I'm listening.

How do I act? I don't know what to do
except just listen.

When you walk behind and you're not a
leader, then the view never changes,

The view never changes, baby. The view
never changes.

You have the ability to be the world's
heavyweight wrestling champion. There is

not a greater athlete at your age in
this sport.

To bring that to life within the context
of a story and the real emotion

that manifests because of it.

Wow. I'm asking you if you can carry
this old out of shape, old bent out,

old spindly legged man. I want to be
your partner.

To offer to be his partner.

That's like every kid wants that.

And Dustin deserved that.

He did. I can't watch it, but it's very
special. The roads are blood.

I don't need a handshake. What I need
now from you is just a hug and a kiss to

fill the deal, baby.

I had a ton of people over at the house,
and I felt like he was going to cry.

And I could, like, hear it in his voice,
and I thought, this is bad.

I don't think I want to watch.

I don't think I can watch this, you
know? And I had to, like, leave the

And I remember them being like, it's not
real. You know, it's not real.

You know, it's fake.

I'm like, okay, buddy, I got it.

I mean, it's really just beautiful.

There were plenty of people in that
crowd who had problems with their dad

Their dad had problems with the son, and
I don't think there was anything my dad

was ever that proud of.

Here he comes!

Here we go!

Dustin will tell you, I always wanted to
be like my dad.

Those were hard shoes to fill, and I
think he always felt a tremendous amount

pain and pressure that just built and
built and just stayed with him.

Dustin got married to Terry.

Dusty thought it was a very bad decision
and was very vocal about it, which I

think is where they went their separate
ways at that point.

I think that Dustin had a lot of
resentment from when he was growing up.

wife just played into all of that.

I was made to choose a woman over my
father.

And I chose the woman.

I was mad and I was angry. I didn't want
anything to do with my father.

I didn't talk to my dad for five years.

It was heartbreaking because he suffered
greatly because of it.

During those five years, I wanted
nothing else than to do something

I was tired of being Dustin Rhodes.

We're sitting there watching Dustin.

And Dusty's just floored because he
didn't have a clue.

All he knew was that Dustin was going to
go to work at the WWE, and we all just

looked at each other. Yeah.

Dustin was Goldust.

What does American Dream think of
Goldust? Well, I really don't have any

You know, it's been about two years, two
and a half years since I've talked to

him. Because of some mistakes he made
with Dustin, Dustin was right.

And being upset with that, he was. But
where he wasn't right was letting the

entire world know. I know you guys
haven't talked. It might be not a bad

opportunity to say what you got on your
mind.

Say what at least you want to say.

About what?

I can't, uh, there's lots to say.

My initial impression of that character
was that it was a slap in the face. It

was an insult to Dusty and to Dustin.

It's the dream!

The danger going into a real life
backstory is they go into a

story and everybody's willing to pull
back the curtain this much.

Everybody's cool with that. But after a
certain amount of time, you want the

audience to lean in with you. You go
from that much of the story to that much

the story.

And now you're exposing things and
talking about things that you never

thought you would.

or intended to, and you don't realize
how much it's going to affect you or the

other people involved until after you do
it, and by then it's too late.

Oh, here we go!

Woo -hoo! Here we go!

Those things were way too fun.

It was not easy, because in deep down I
wanted him.

And I know he did too.

But we're both hard -headed.

And we both didn't pick up the phone.

My dad was depressed. He seemed really
low.

I'd find him sitting out on our porch,
just like so down.

And he'd say, you know, I was never a
good father to Dustin.

I should have done this. I should have
done that.

You know, it was a really painful time,
very painful time in our life.

During that time, my mom just kind of
instinctively knew that she wasn't going

to get to see Justin's daughter, Dakota.

I remember the last time we saw her, I
remember she cried on the way home.

This falling out, he also cut me and
Teal out.

And that creates the same resentment
that you were fighting against.

This young fellow, when he was eight
years old, was digging ditches for his

who was a plumber out in Texas.

And he told our next inductee, there is
and can be an American dream.

The American dream, Dufty Rose.

I remember as a kid, we would have a
conversation where he treated me like

of the boys.

In wrestling, and when you're the
biggest fan of your dad, I mean, that's

the ultimate gift on earth to have that.

Cody was dressed in the boots and the
jeans and the western shirt, and it was

important to Dusty to hand that to him.
That was his boy.

I'm just standing there holding this
Hall of Fame trophy, and I thought it

the greatest thing ever in my life.

Part of the reason I went on this vision
quest with amateur wrestling and had

such success.

I loved that we were together with
wrestling.

Eventually, I fell in love with pro
wrestling.

There was nothing else that I would ever
want to do.

I want to thank my children, Peel and
Cody, Kristen and Dustin Rhodes.

You want me to elaborate?

It wasn't on my radar.

Honestly, I just, I wasn't there.

And then you grow up, you see what truly
is important to you in your life.

After not speaking to my dad for five
years, I go with Barry Windham to

Jacksonville, and I pull up in the
parking lot, and Barry says, your dad is

here, you know that, right? And I'm
like, okay, whatever.

He walks up to me, and I don't know what
to expect.

And he walks up, and then at the last,
like, six feet, he walks a little

And he puts his, he basically tackles me
and he hugs me.

And I hugged him.

And we hugged and didn't say a word.

And immediately, everything that was on
his shoulders and mine

dropped.

I was little.

So I know that there were issues with
Pop and Dad, but there was never

bad that I knew of. I didn't learn about
that until I was much older.

But he was so happy that he was back,
and I don't think that either of them

wanted to think too much about what
happened.

They just wanted to be over that.

He loved us all the same.

He really did, and that was a hard
lesson for a young, going into his

years, me to learn.

My dad wanted his son back.

That was it.

This is where the big boys play, and let
me tell you something. There is no

better anywhere in the world than WCW.

As a head of creative, he saw something
bigger than most people saw when he

looked at the wrestling product.

He worked for Ron Simmons to be the
first black champion.

He was pretty true to the decision that
made it possible for us to expand this

idea of the American dream.

And that right there just tells you a
whole lot about Dusty Rhodes. Dusty was

the guy to step up front and say, no,
this is the guy who should be our

champion. Opportunity knocks for WCW,
the showcase of professional wrestling.

But Dusty had a hard time adjusting to a
corporate environment.

Dusty just really didn't do the best
with not being his own boss.

And he had his hands in cuffs a lot
because of the corporate structure of

and World Championship Wrestling.

But Dusty was a part of the team that
was finally beating WWE from 96 until

about the end of 98.

That was a fun ride.

And then Vince McMahon started to turn
it around again.

That was less fun.

And ultimately led to the end of WCW.

I think at that point, Dusty was kind of
just done.

One of the things about growing up in a
culture of poverty, it instills within

you a value of being really present
oriented.

He never had that ability.

To look to the future, to plan for the
future, to prepare for the future.

My dad's motto was always, if I have one
dollar in my pocket, I'm spending two.

Spend your money, you'll make more
later.

You don't need to do that. Don't do
that.

My dad always said, you come through
life one time, you might as well pass by

a Cadillac. And buddy, I passed by on a
Cadillac.

Overspended, got behind the IRS.

I'm talking about a dollar in my pocket.

We were very broke.

And he did everything in his power to
make it so that we didn't know.

I do know it was incredibly difficult on
him and my mother. I know that they

almost didn't make it.

My mom had gone back to school to be a
nurse and to get a job and to work in a

hospital. And I thought at the time she
just wanted a career. Her kids were

older. I didn't realize how dire it was.

Paul Heyman gave me a job when I was
broke, and he knew I was on my ass.

The worst part is where a wrestler

loses the business completely.

He's used to being out in front of a
crowd.

He's used to making a consistent living.

It's not an easy ride when you're down
in wrestling. It's really hard to pull

the nose back up on it.

He did some work for Hall's promotion.

He did independent promotion.

And things were just getting worse and
worse and worse financially.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to
induct the American Dream Dusty Rose.

Please welcome his two sons, Dustin
Reynolds and Cody Rose.

He didn't need a pitch, he didn't need a
parlor, he didn't need a shop. All

Dusty Rhodes needed was a mic.

And one thing that he passed to myself,
my brother, and my family is that

nothing or nobody is bigger than this
business.

I do remember Cody at the Hall of Fame
and realizing right then and there that

we had a future superstar.

Stay away from my dad.

You got a feisty one here. What's the
matter, dream? You can't stick up for

yourself? Even back then, you could see
that he had the Rhodes family magic.

You know, there is this respect factor
for this lineage.

At that point, I was not ready for the
mantle of responsibility that comes with

being a member of this family.

But he knew I was going to make it on
the level that...

He had made it on.

Too often than not, some of our old
-timers, some of our Hall of Famers,

get a bad rap for not necessarily being
the best family men. And I am here to

tell you, that is a grave
misunderstanding.

And if there was a Hall of Fame for
fathers, you could bet he would be in

one as well.

Our father, the American dream, Dusty
Rhodes.

When you go back and you look at our
industry, you look at driving down the

night after night, trying to make a
town, getting $25.

That's hard times.

But it's our duty to make it good times
for the fans that pay their money to see

us perform each and every night.

Wrestling industry is about people.

Brought really high and then brought
really low.

In that regard, Dusty Rhodes' story is
not exceptional, but that he was able to

have another act after that, that was
incredible.

At the time, we were trying to find the
next generation of talent, and we knew

that Dusty could be very helpful with
that.

It was so surreal.

Here's Dusty Rhodes interviewing with
me.

Of course you should have a job here,
Dusty.

He was really excited to develop and
train our talent, not only to be able to

perform in the ring, but to be able to
cut a good promo, to be able to tell a

good story.

Dusty's really the first person to ever
talk to me about promos. There is an

escape, and I will find it, no matter
what it takes.

We cultivated like a different side of
my personality that I didn't know that I

had.

Dusty was always about being himself.

He made me understand from the get -go
that you're fine, you're perfect the way

you are.

I didn't feel like I belonged, but Dusty
loved his broken toys, as he called

them, and really took the time to really
nourish me.

When you think of the great women's
wrestlers who have changed the times,

have to talk about the American dream,
Dusty Rhodes, and his ability to mold

this generation of talent. A lot of
people deserve credit for it without

question, but Dusty Rhodes is one of the
people who made that happen.

He loved that job.

He loved working with those kids.

When he was coaching at NXT, him and my
mom both seemed so much happier, so

much... More settled.

Later in life, when I look at their
relationship, she brought him to a place

that I never thought he would ever be.

Just a deep appreciation for family.

And I think he saw an opportunity to
right some wrongs.

What was important to me was the
relationship that I had with him at that

moment. He would call me every single
day.

He didn't like being an old man, but he
really did like being a grandpa.

Being grandparents, you just do all the
fun stuff, which was kind of his lane

anyway. Whatever you want, all the time,
Christmas every day.

That was kind of his brand.

He was a great man who circumnavigated
through life and found his path and

his way and figured it out.

But no matter what, he still wanted to
go out and conquer the world.

Having two sons you are proud of, two
sons

that you love with all your heart is
what's best for business.

We recognize that we have this amazing
opportunity to have Dusty and Cody and

Dustin all in the ring, you know, at the
same time and have a storyline that

really did pit two families against one
another. I mean, it doesn't get much

more real than that.

To your glorious baby boy, the one who's
always done everything absolutely

right. Or you can give this job to the
son that you neglected all those years

traveling on the road.

Stephanie, you can go straight to hell!

I was worried about him. He was starting
to look really frail.

But he was excited to be in the ring
with both his sons.

It was a dream come true.

There is no length I will not go to
protect this family's future.

And yeah, we're not the perfect family.

Tonight, we fight for our lives.
Tonight, we fight for our family.

My dad didn't like being seen on camera
when he got older because he didn't want

to be remembered as a fat old man.

He wanted to be young.

It was the first wrestling moment I'd

had in years where I was like, this is
great. This is so good. It was magic.

It was crazy, crazy loud.

The people were all about it, and the
match was fire, man.

Me and Dustin are in there trying to
have the five -star classic, and it is.

can feel the tension. You knew it was
special.

But the crowd literally comes up off
their feet when he threw his hat at

Dean Ambrose.

He did what he does best.

He drew people in and made them feel.
And he's the best at that.

I played it back in my head, and I
wasn't feeling really well. I was

with some issues, fighting them off.

But, my God, it was just amazing.

It's something that I will never forget.

It was a very huge moment.

It was like watching this great
performer have one last stand,

you know?

One last moment.

That was the one and only time the roads
were a hole.

And I didn't know that that was it.

He loved this bike.

He definitely did.

Yeah. Oh, look, we have some friends
today.

Always the Longhorns.

I never told you this story, but he got
me a cattle chart.

And I studied it. It was probably this
big, and it had every charlay. It had

whole skins. Oh, my gosh, I think I
remember that.

And I had to learn every breed of
cattle. Oh, my gosh.

And he tested me on it constantly. I
think secretly he wanted me to be like

bull riders.

Yes.

I miss him, honey.

I know, sweetie.

I know.

I go to this event in New York, and
everyone's there.

And when I seen Dusty, I couldn't
believe it. Probably lost 60, 70

pounds at that time from what I knew him
as.

Something was going on, but he never
told me what it was.

He was having these mysterious signs of
illness, but he hated doctors.

And he felt like if he didn't go to the
doctor, he wouldn't get sick. You know,

it's like he hadn't aged in forever, and
then it was like all those years,

beating his body, just didn't catch up
with him.

Tonight I winded and dined with kings
and queens and slept an alley and dined

pork and meat. Dusty, thank you so much.
To see him kind of fall apart in front

of us was hard.

I didn't know yet just how bad it was
about to get.

One day he woke up really early in the
morning. He said, something's wrong.

And he collapsed. He just collapsed.

I was frantic.

Doctor comes in and says that he has an
infection.

And it was just eating his liver up.

I remember talking to the kids. I said,
y 'all need to come.

You know, I got there, and it just all
went downhill so fast.

He called Dustin and I into the room,
and he asked if he could sit up.

And I couldn't pull him up by myself,
and my brother stood on the other side

pulled him up. And as much as I'm hard
on Dustin, there's not a better son.

I knew what that moment was.

And he was awake.

So I said, are you okay, Dad? I love
you. And, you know, I said all my things

that I needed to say to him, and he said
them back, right? And I go get Kristen

at the airport, and I drive back, and he
had already closed his eyes.

When I got to the hospital, he was
already in that state of...

He had already, I mean, I didn't get to
speak to him. So, no, I didn't get to

make it there to have words with him.

So, yeah.

He died.

It was 30 hours from the time I called
the ambulance until he

died. It was awful.

It was just awful.

This week, this industry lost a legend.

The American dream, Dusty Rhodes.

He gave everything he had.

It was his passion.

To everybody on this stage, we lost
family.

He hated funerals.

But I do think he would have been
touched by all the people that came.

You know, these giants that you grew up
with and you haven't seen them in so

long, and they're all there.

I've always been impressed with how
revered he was, even from the old days.

I would go to events and I would just
watch wrestlers and ask him for his

advice.

Internalize every word.

I miss him terribly.

But I know he is not in pain now.

And now I guarantee it, he is getting
funky like a monkey with the angels in

heaven.

It's professional identity. It claims so
much of...

who we think he is, but no.

It's a minuscule part.

He's a cowboy of the old republic.

He's a master orator who spit fire, but
if you pose the question to him, fame

or family is always family.

I was there at the end, and the last
thing he said,

On this earth was my mom's name.

And I'm glad they got that.

The important parts of our lives were
not the wrestling or any of that. We had

family. We had a life. And Dusty gave us
a good life.

Come on, baby.

God, you just sounded like Dad when you
said that.

I love this.

There's a special place out there where
he visited.

It's just a field with a lot of
longhorns.

And we thought it would be the perfect
place to lay his ashes.

What happened to the little cross that
was here? It was right there. We had to

hang it up high.

Oh, yeah.

I'm good.

I, of all the siblings, spent the least
amount of time with my dad. And when you

don't get that closure and when you
don't get that time, it's not easy.

But there was no question in my mind
that I loved my father and that my

loved me.

He knew. He knew. He knew.

We had differences, but I always loved
him.

It is very important to me that we... as
a family, come together and uphold

our father's legacy.

Because it means something to this
world. It does.

Just one mystery remains.

Who will stand across the WrestleMania
ring from Seth freaking Rollins? We know

it's an opponent.

My dad.

It's more difficult because he won't see
it.

But... His thumbprint is all over.

Who's it going to be?

My dad taught me so much.

And at this stage in my life, 53 years
old, it is all about giving back.

What's up, kids?

And I'm proud to teach the future
superstars.

Son of a blumber is grinning from ear to
ear.

I had the best education in wrestling.

I can confidently say it's because I was
Dustin's son.

When I see a change in them and they get
it for the first time and they see it

on their face, that's a payoff.

It's a payoff for me.

He would love that.

He would be so proud. I know he would.

I, in this moment, feel really connected
to my dad.

That, I know he's there.

This is a great one, too.

It's that face.

It's rubbing right there.

Look at the stirrups. He was trying to
prove to his dad.

No, wait, what's this story?

Big Virgil cut him from Little League?
The story is that his dad cut him from

his own team. I don't believe that. The
reality is, I think. Maybe benched him.

Maybe benched him, yeah. Yeah, I mean,
you've got to put your best hitters in.

Always a little bit of drama. I've seen
this one. That was your coach. Yeah,

this was my coach, yep. So how was that
with dad coaching you? Great motivator.

But motivator, sure.

However, his defensive scheme was
genuinely very good.

So he had that second defense with all
the really overweight kids.

The Jumbo World Order.

And he made them their own shirts.

That one is definitely one of my
favorites.

Well, I know we need to pick one. For
the foundation.

Do we need to pick one?

As we do the website.

I like the Little League film.

I mean, I like that one.

Dusty Rhodes Foundation.

Something that my mom started.

And it's perfect because one of the
things that encapsulated Dusty was youth

sports. We've already given some money
away to a baseball program in North

Carolina, which is an underserved
community, and we want to continue to

with them. But we want to do all the
places that Dad lived and hopefully

I mean, and it all stems back to here,
in here. It's what he didn't have, what

he wanted.

The rules are everyone needs to be
involved.

We'll all do it together.

Maybe his last wish, in a way, that
everyone get along and everyone carry

legacy forward.

When I was a kid, they one day said,
you're going to be the American dream.

You're going to field build, and there's
going to be millions come to see the

American dream, the greatest sports
attraction in the world today. And

true, and you know it's true.

I am number one at what I do, and it's
going to be a good while.

A long time that I'm going to stay
number one.

From Austin, Texas, weighing 280 pounds,
Dirty Dusty Rose.

The fact that Dusty Rose is still
influential says something about his

resonance.

As long as people are struggling, they
will look to the American dream, Dusty

Rose.

Dusty Rhodes did it better than all of
us before us.

When I went down, grew chin up, the
finger went up.

It's Dusty Rhodes all day long, brother.

When I was nine years old, I saw him do
it. I stole it then.

I used it for 30 years in the ring.

I learned a lot about having fun.

From Dusty Rhodes.

You know what? You can kiss if you don't
like what I'm saying.

Dusty had a way with people. Dusty had a
way with creating.

Dusty had a way of talking to you that
would kick you off guard, but also teach

you a lesson.

That's hard time.

That's hard time.

Raise the wall time.

We sold out everywhere.

He had a lot of respect for a lot of
people and deserved it.

The greatest, most attractive in the
world today.

The little plumber son who come out of
the ditch and became so sweet.

When you measure the whole work, I don't
think there'll ever be anybody to

even come close to what he accomplished.

Do I think I have lived the American
dream is the question.

I would say I have.

How do you demand not to be remembered?

In the end, a good father.

That's the most important thing to me,
is a good husband and a good father, and

that's the way I feel.

Peace out.