Mick Foley regularly takes to his official Facebook page to discuss a variety of topics, usually involving the wrestling world and today he remembered the late Dusty Rhodes who passed away earlier this year.
Along with a photo of Dusty, Foley posted:
DREAM WEAVER
Recent events have reminded me that in addition to being one of the most charismatic and entertaining performers in pro-wrestling history. Dusty Rhodes was also one its most creative; breathing life into, and instilling confidence in so many characters who crossed his path. I should know. I was one of them. Without Dusty Rhodes, my own dream ends in 1991. Because of him, and the opportunity he provided me, I was able to firmly establish myself on the national scene in 1991, and create some memories along the way. I recently re-read my 1999 book for the first time in many years – looking for stories for my one-man-show that I may have forgotten along the way. I picked up a few of them, but what I took away mostly from that reading experience is how instrumental Dusty had been in my career, and how, in one specific case, with the most important moment of my career only hours away (an epic showdown with Vader) he taught me to relax and speak from the heart; to forget about structural and grammatical mistakes in favor of real emotion. Throughout his career, Dusty was occasionally knocked for his ego – with the idea being that he was preserving his career at the expense of others. In fact, the opposite may have been true. Characters he created, using the ideas that sprung from his from his heart, and interviews he structured, sometimes including the very words from his lips, provided the backbone to a new generation that eventually pushed him out of the performing limelight. In so many cases (including my own) those whose careers had benefited from his generosity of time and spirit downplayed the importance of those gits, and in doing so, temporarily took away from the magnitude of his immense legacy. In death, he took his rightful place at the very top of the mountain; that Mt Rushmore of wrestling royalty, carved into the collective consiousness of every wrestler whose life was richer, fuller, and more productive for having crossed his path. The Dream lives on – and always will
I love this photo of the Dream, because it shows off that light in his eyes when he was onto an idea – a light I was fortunate to see many times.
