Wrestling brothers Dustin and Cody Rhodes recently shared heartfelt tributes to their late father, The American Dream Dusty Rhodes, celebrating his lasting influence on their lives and careers.
Dustin, a 37-year veteran of the industry, took to social media on February 26, expressing how much he wished their father could be there to witness their success. “I know he’s there with us, but I mean here,” he wrote, emphasizing how proud Dusty would be of his family.
Cody, WWE’s reigning main event star, responded with a vivid recollection of Dusty’s daily habits—his love for a Wheatley Vodka hoodie, an RWA baseball cap, and his passion for film and classic wrestling storytelling. He humorously described how Dusty would quote Anthony Hopkins to young talent and recommend must-watch movies before they could consider themselves true wrestlers.
Picture it everyday love
Wheatley vodka hoodie he got for free, RWA baseball cap, approaching talent telling them Anthony Hopkins quotes and telling them what movies they need to watch before they can call themselves a wrestler, asking for his own golf cart at the big shows
Dusty Rhodes, a WWE Hall of Famer, was not only a legendary performer but also an influential booker, trainer, and broadcaster. His legacy continues to shape professional wrestling, with his sons carrying on his impact in their own ways.
Dusty Rhodes’ contributions to WWE extended far beyond his legendary in-ring career, with his work as a trainer and mentor at WWE’s developmental system, NXT, leaving an indelible mark on the industry. Known as “Dusty’s Kids,” the roster of talent he helped shape includes some of the biggest names in wrestling today, such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Kevin Owens, and Sasha Banks.
Photo: WWE
Dusty was instrumental in helping these young performers find their voices, hone their characters, and develop their promo skills—a craft he himself had mastered. His unique ability to inspire confidence and creativity in his students has been widely celebrated, with many crediting him for their success. The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, introduced in NXT after his passing, serves as a lasting tribute to his mentorship and influence.
This legacy has even been woven into WWE’s storytelling. During the feud between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes leading up to WrestleMania 39 and 40, Paul Heyman emphasized Dusty’s role in mentoring Reigns, referring to him as “the son Dusty always wanted.”
This narrative added emotional depth to the rivalry, highlighting Dusty’s dual impact on both his biological sons and the broader wrestling world. Cody’s journey to fulfill “The American Dream” by capturing the WWE Championship—a title Dusty never held—has been deeply tied to his father’s legacy.
WWE’s incorporation of Dusty’s influence into this storyline not only honors his memory but also underscores the profound way he shaped the careers of those around him.
Paul Heyman sees Cody Rhodes for the star that he is and thinks he has paved a new road for the Rhodes family.
Heyman spoke with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports and gave some very interesting comments regarding one of pro wrestling’s royal families. Dusty Rhodes broke the mold of how one envisioned a top star in pro wrestling. He redefined how the business operated and how talent used a microphone to draw crowds. Now his son Cody has his own story to tell, hearkening back to the classic Boy Scout babyface and fans have latched onto him, both from a star power standpoint and a merchandising standpoint.
Heyman believes that Cody’s past three years of work as a top talent has allowed ‘The American Nightmare’ to surpass ‘The American Dream.’
“When Cody Rhodes first came back here, we all had the same sentence we gave in the press conferences. ‘How can you look at Cody and not think of Dusty? To Cody’s indescribably massive credit, I think now is the point in history that we’re realizing that Dusty Rhodes is Cody Rhodes’ father.
“Cody Rhodes is the bearer of the family name that drives the most interest and is now the most famous. If you would have told someone that three years ago, they would have thought you were nuts.”
Some older fans may take exception to such claims, but Rhodes’ merchandise sales could really make the case for Heyman’s viewpoint. Paul also said he has yet to see Cody have a ‘lackluster’ performance in WWE, further perpetuating Cody’s ‘Do The Work’ mantra.
Paul Heyman Calls Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 Win The Right Move
Heyman’s beliefs regarding Cody and his daddy Dusty weren’t the only validation he gave the current WWE Undisputed Champion. He firmly believes that pitting Roman Reigns against Rhodes for the WrestleMania 40 main event was the right move, moreso against the expected battle between Reigns and The Rock.
“That was the rightful main event of WrestleMania 40 because the audience had a two-year investment in that story and lived it… They lived it not only by witnessing and experiencing it, but they lived it many times through the eyes of the protagonist and the struggles he had to endure and survive and thrive through all with his chin up and a progressive move forward attitude.”
That’s a good deal of babyface talk from the former ECW proprietor and Heyman finds himself currently in a fresh babyface role on WWE programming.
Two eras. One legacy. Toy manufacturer FOCO has announced the release of a Cody Rhodes and Dusty Rhodes WWE American Dream-American Nightmare Dual Bobblehead. The handcrafted and hand-painted collectible portrays two of the most popular pro wrestlings in history wearing their ring gear in action poses looking ready to take on the competition.
“The American Dream” and “The American Nightmare” text were emblazoned on the front of the base of the display. The thematic, split-color base brings a double dose of WWE greatness. It’s the perfect addition to fans young and old.
The American Dream and the Tmerican Nightmare
This is the latest in a series of high-quality bobbleheads from FOCO, which prides itself on being the leading manufacturer of sports and entertainment merchandizing celebrating more than 20 years in the industry. So many have been immortalized in bobblehead form from nWo, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Roddy Piper to LA Knight, Seth Rollins, and AJ Styles.
Along with WWE, they have also licensed all major sports leagues including NFL, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, MLS, and over 200 colleagues and universities as well as other entertainment properties such as Nickelodeon and Peanuts.
Visit Foco.com to preorder the Cody Rhodes and Dusty Rhodes Bobblehead set and see their full line of wrestling merchandise.
Dustin Rhodes knows there’s more than one royal family and Bloodline in pro wrestling. “The Natural” has been busy not only in the AEW ring but also running his own wrestling academy for the past several years. Based in Austin, TX, the Rhodes Wrestling Academy has been a training ground for his two nephews, Wyatt and Wayne Rhodes, who have been learning the ropes from their legendary uncle.
Following their recent AEW debuts, a dark match prior to AEW Collision on August 17, Uncle Dustin proudly introduces them Wayne and Wyatt Rhodes as the new Texas Outlaws – a name that honors their grandfather Dusty Rhodes’ legacy.
“Behind the curtain are my nephews, Dalton and Dylan. They’re close with Dustin, and to see them go from playing around, to the point where, now I can see it. It’s one of those things where, once you start, you can’t stop…. They’re not ready to wrestle Jacob Fatu just yet, but they’ll get there.”
– Cody Rhodes
Texas Outlaws
The original Texas Outlaws, consisting of Dusty Rhodes and Dick Murdoch, began their journey in 1968 in the Kansas City territory, making their mark in promotions like NWA, AWA, and in Japan. Dusty eventually became a singles star, earning the iconic “American Dream” moniker.
Dustin, leading by example, has been actively involved in tag team wrestling, with the accolades to prove it. He currently holds the ROH Trios Tag Titles with Marshall and Kevin Von Erich, as well as the ROH Tag Team Titles with Sammy Guevara. All four competed in a massive multi-man tag match on the All In Buy-In kickoff show this past weekend in London.
Former WWE Superstar Kane thinks U.S. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz could benefit from a few ‘promo’ classes at the WWE Performance Center.
Kane (Glenn Jacobs) currently serves as the Republican Mayor of Knox County, TN. He’s an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump’s campaign, and was not impressed with what he saw at last week’s Democratic National Convention. While the Republican convention featured speeches from luminaries such as Hulk Hogan, Linda McMahon and Dana White, Jacobs feels Harris and Walz were a far cry from iconic ‘stick men’ like Dusty Rhodes.
“Harris/Walz are spitting out catch phrases faster than Dusty Rhodes with an open mic on a Saturday morning. Dusty’s were entertaining and iconic. Their’s, not so much.”
Jacobs also noted that Harris and Walz have avoided another aspect where Rhodes made his money in by stating, “Dusty also did interviews.”
While there’s at least three WWE Hall Of Famers not rooting for the Harris/Walz ticket in Jacobs, Donald Trump and Hulk Hogan the two do have two in their corner. Jesse Ventura, who like Walz was also the Governor of Minnesota, put his support behind Harris. Ventura has notoriously been against either major party in the past but explained in an interview that it was time to have a woman in the Oval Office.
The other legend backing the Harris/Walz campaign is Kevin Nash, who ran into Kane at SummerSlam. Nash, a noted Democrat, but made clear to Kane he had no problems with the ‘Big Red Republican.’ On a recent episode of The Kliq This Podcast, Nash echoed Kane’s political aspirations before the aforementioned interview took place and according to Big Sexy, Kane cited how dirty of a business the political game was.
Cody Rhodes’ connection to his father is no secret, and the Undisputed WWE Champion was given a heartwarming gift at a recent event in Japan. On WWE’s second night of their ongoing tour, their first in Japan since 2019, Rhodes defeated AJ Styles in the show’s main event. Not only did Cody get the win, but he was gifted a robe and hat worn by his legendary father Dusty.
The robe had previously been on display at the ‘Super Inoki Exhibition‘ a public exhibition celebrating the life and career of Antonio Inoki. Dusty and Inoki met NJPW Toukon Series 1979 in a match for the NWF Heavyweight Championship that Inoki retained by disqualification.
This robe has great sentimental value to Cody, whose relationship with his father has proven to be pivotal to his WWE run. It was Cody’s desire to win a WWE World Championship (an accolade his father got close to but never achieved) that resulted in Rhodes returning to WWE at WrestleMania 38.
Cody’s ‘story’ would finish with his victory over Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. Following his victory, Rhodes received a different, but equally sentimental gift: the watch his father had sold to help pay for Rhodes to take acting lessons.
Rhodes will be part of tomorrow’s live event, also in Tokyo, where he will defend against LA Knight, AJ Styles, and Shinsuke Nakamura. With a title match set for SummerSlam against Solo Sikoa, the American Nightmare continues to keep the spirit of his father alive as WWE’s very top Superstar.
Cody Rhodes honored his father Dusty Rhodes in a unique way after this week’s episode of SmackDown from Madison Square Garden went off air.
This was an emotional night for The American Nightmare. It was his first appearance as a World Champion, in the same arena where his father briefly held the WWWF Heavyweight Championship before it was taken away from him.
The SmackDown star addressed the crowd after the show went off the air. He mentioned how MSG is where it all began when Dusty Rhodes first traveled to New York from Texas.
The Undisputed WWE Champion went on to cut a short promo about his family’s history before he surprised the fans by bringing out the belt that his father had failed to capture all the decades prior:
Dusty Rhodes challenged Superstar Billy Graham for the WWWF Championship on September 27, 1977. He defeated Graham via a count out and celebrated with the title for a while. It was then announced, however, that the belt could only change hands via pinfall or submission, and the title was returned to Graham.
What Happened On SmackDown
Cody Rhodes was involved in the broadcast of the show. He along with Kevin Owens and Randy Orton attacked The Bloodline led by Solo Sikoa in the opening segment of the night. This came after Jacob Fatu made his debut and took out all three during last week’s SmackDown.
The babyface trio was escorted out of the arena by security and police so they could not interfere in the Bloodline Acknowledgement ceremony in the main event.
During the ceremony, Paul Heyman was brutally attacked by Solo and his cousins after the wiseman refused to acknowledge him as the new Tribal Chief. You can check out what happened with Paul Heyman after this segment here.
Cody Rhodes not facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania is at bare-minimum, bittersweet, but to a great deal of the WWE fanbase, it’s much more than that.
The Rock stepping the line to face his nephew had to feel like an “American Nightmare” scenario for Cody Rhodes fans on Friday. The full video clip of the segment on SmackDown has already become WWE’s most disliked YouTube clip of all time and so from a creative standpoint, that should give WWE a cause for pause if it hasn’t already. WWE clearly has a “Yes Movement Pt. Deux” on its hands. But as Cody mentor DDP once quipped, “that’s not a bad thing, but a good thing.”
Bryan Danielson was the fan-appointed favorite and for good reason. Just like Cody, the 2014 Daniel Bryan had synergy with wrestling fans and there was no denying riding with him was the move that should have been done. Poor Batista found himself in The Rock spot and he, along with Orton, became the unfortunate conduits for fan ire. Could that segment on SmackDown do the same for The People’s Champion?
The moment has gotten a lot of heat from fans, but how it was executed from all parties involved was beautifully done. Reigns immediately re-established the ability to hang with anyone behind the stick, but Cody became the main man to lay the groundwork for everyone involved. Sure, Roman went scorched earth on Rollins and his ‘Big Gold,’ but that can simply be chalked up to his manipulative ways. Plus, Seth did the same to Roman’s hardware on Monday, calling it a “Hollywood” championship.
It was Cody who helped bring Roman’s Title back to relevance, conjuring up the lineage from the Bruno Sammartino days. If WWE wants to make both titles feel equally desirable, a confrontation between Roman and Seth would do wonders.
Fans are hung up on Rhodes willingly calling an audible with The Rock usurping him in Philly, but Cody’s story ties perfectly into that match up that fans feel scornful of: the aspect of family.
Why does The Rock want Roman? His nephew has corrupted the Maivia and A’noai legacy and turned it into something self-serving. Cody knows all about legacy. The loving ties he has to his late father have been something fans have cherished throughout Cody’s story, so Cody would be the perfect man to understand The Rock’s intentions of wanting to end Roman’s reign. This is all the reason you need to have those respective matches at WrestleMania 40. Which leads me back to “Yes Movement Part Deux”
Can The Rock really be the recipient of boos in Philadelphia? The City of Brotherly Love have shown they aren’t above throwing batteries at Santa Claus, so yes, absolutely. However, it’s a match that has to happen and no matter what, despite what’s being said, it is the proper stage for it to go down on. The fans are who can ultimately change the course of what truly transpires at WrestleMania. Perhaps this feedback will force WWE’s hand in Cody really finishing his story, not just against Seth, but Roman too or maybe even The Rock.
At the very least, it will continue to add an unexpected chapter to Cody’s story: “‘The Thrill Of The Chase’ Continues” – a chapter Dusty originally penned. These hard times will pay off for The American Nightmare, because he has the fans on his side.
Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, the promotion founded by the late Dusty Rhodes will host an event next month, the first in over two decades.
PW Insider reports that TCW will host an event on February 8, in Atlanta, Georgia from the Nightmare Factory school in McDonagh. Rhodes’ daughter Teil and QT Marshall are said to be heavily involved with the promotion. Last month, Cody Rhodes and Marshall filed a trademark for the company’s name, which led to the belief that a revival was in the works.
Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling
Dusty Rhodes started making plans for TCW in 1999 and would establish offices in East Cobb County, Georgia. At the time, Rhodes described his idea for the new promotion as “old school but with modern ideas.” The first TCW event took place in July 2000 and saw Glacier win a tournament to become the first TCW Heavyweight Champion.
The following year, TCW would host its first pay-per-view, and would also begin airing on TV. In March of 2001, Scott “The Clap” Anton and “The Extreme Dream” Erik Watts became the first TCW Tag Team Champions defeating Glacier and Jorge Estrada.
With the demise of WCW and ECW, TCW welcomed talent that the WWF did not pick up. In an August 2001 interview with Greg Oliver, Dustin Rhodes had high praise for TCW.
“TCW is the alternative to the World Wrestling Federation. To me in my mind, my opinion, and my dad’s opinion, we are the World Wrestling Federation’s competition. We are not an independent, we are a company. We want to be treated as one.”
The original TCW saw several notable names compete, including Scott Hall, ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan, New Jack, Leilani Kai, Daffney, and Steve Corino. Years before he’d make it big as part of TNA Wrestling, James Storm would compete during the latter stages of the company.
Fans waited for a big announcement from WWE2K 24 today, and it was certainly delivered. Now, we have even more information about what to expect.
WWE 2K24 Promises New Experience
WWE Games announced their cover Superstars for the upcoming WWE 2K24 game, and fans have a reason to be excited. Cody Rhodes will grace the cover of the regular version, whereas Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley are sharing the deluxe edition. Now, we have more information about the upcoming game.
A trailer was also released as part of the information roll-out on January 22nd. This includes even more tidbits about the upcoming Forty Years of WrestleMania mode.
It appears that the 40 years of WrestleMania mode will allow gamers to re-live every past Mania event. This could be an incredible undertaking, and they included a bit of text within the trailer to paint this picture.
Re-Live Forty Years of WrestleMania
All-New Match Types
New Career Mode Experiences
WWE 2K24 Downloadable Content
The Nightmare Family Pack will also be included in this game. That will feature four playable Superstars, including Dusty Rhodes, Dashing Cody Rhodes (in facemask), Stardust, and Superstar Billy Graham.
This will also include new MyFaction cards, including Pharaoh as a manager. Stardust’s inclusion in the game is incredibly interesting, considering Cody’s reluctance to give it a huge spotlight since his return.
WWE 2K24 Release Date
The new game will have two waves for their release dates. On March 5th, WWE 2K24 Deluxe Edition and Forty Years of WrestleMania editions will drop.
The standard and cross-gen digital editions of the game will come out on March 8th. Pre-order is now open.
Cody Rhodes could be prepared to revive Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, the promotion founded by his father ‘American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes.
Recently, Rhodes and his Nightmare Factory partner QT Marshall filed a trademark for the term ‘Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling’ for entertainment services and merchandising. The filing specifically refers to “wrestling contests” and “exhibits” as applicable to the TCW term.
Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling
Dusty Rhodes started making plans for TCW in 1999 and would establish offices in East Cobb County, Georgia. At the time, Rhodes described his idea for the new promotion as “old school but with modern ideas.” The first TCW event took place in July 2000 and saw Glacier win a tournament to become the first TCW Heavyweight Champion.
The following year, TCW would host its first pay-per-view, and would also begin airing on TV. In March of 2001, Scott “The Clap” Anton and “The Extreme Dream” Erik Watts became the first TCW Tag Team Champions defeating Glacier and Jorge Estrada.
With the demise of WCW and ECW, TCW welcomed talent that the WWF did not pick up. In an August 2001 interview with Greg Oliver, Dustin Rhodes had high praise for TCW.
“TCW is the alternative to the World Wrestling Federation. To me in my mind, my opinion, and my dad’s opinion, we are the World Wrestling Federation’s competition. We are not an independent, we are a company. We want to be treated as one.”
The original TCW saw several notable names compete, including Scott Hall, ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan, New Jack, Leilani Kai, Daffney, and Steve Corino. Years before he’d make it big as part of TNA Wrestling, James Storm would compete during the latter stages of the company.
The Nightmare Factory
The Nightmare Factory is Rhodes and Marshall’s training school based in Norcross, Georgia. Training seminars often feature notable names in professional wrestling, including Rhodes, Marshall, and Jerry Lynn. The Nightmare Factory is currently accepting applicants for their 2024 class.
Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes are two very different kind of performers. Cody meticulously plans every part of his promo and he knows everything he is going to do in a match ahead of time. Kevin on the other hand is known for his spontaneous reactions. His ring awareness and the ability to adapt to things is one of the major reasons behind his popularity. This is probably also the reason why Owens reminds Rhodes of his father.
The American Nightmare recently had an interview with The AJ Awesome Show. He talked about the former Universal champion during the interview and claimed that Kevin Owens reminds him of the late great Dusty Rhodes:
“Kevin’s just a natural at everything. He’s one of those types that reminds me a lot of my dad. It’s funny cause I don’t remind myself of my dad at all but Kevin is one of those [that makes you go] ‘Yeah, he reminds me a lot of Dusty in a way’ and they had a little bond themselves.”
– Cody Rhodes via AJ Awesome Show
Owens and Rhodes are both involved in a multi-layered storyline with The Bloodline heading into WrestleMania. Cody won the Royal Rumble and he is set to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship in the main event of the show. Owens is working with Sami Zayn and they are expected to challenge The Usos for the Undisputed Tag Titles at the event.
Apart from this, Cody Rhodes also talked about his plans after WrestleMania 39 and more. You can check out his full interview below:
The emotional in-ring war of words between Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman has got everybody talking, including a member of the AEW roster.
During Raw, Cody Rhodes’ address to the WWE Universe was interrupted by Heyman, who spoke about the close bond he had with Cody’s father Dusty.
After some heartwarming reminiscing, Heyman spoke about the names Dusty trained, including Roman Reigns (Rhodes’ WrestleMania 39 opponent), and noted that the American Dream did not train his son.
Heyman (fighting back tears) recalled his final talk with Dusty, who said that Cody was his favorite son, but Roman Reigns is the son he always wished he had.
In response, Cody said that since Heyman has made this personal, he vows to dethrone Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania
Reaction
Cody may have been Dusty’s favorite son (according to Heyman) but the American Nightmare isn’t the only son of the American Dream.
Dustin Rhodes now works in AEW, and in a tweet, showed his support for his brother, and had a piece of advice for what Cody should do to Heyman.
Dustin Rhodes and his father would share the screen throughout the respective careers of both men.
As part of Dusty’s feud with the ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase, the father and son teamed at the 1991 Royal Rumble in a losing effort to DiBiase and Virgil.
After making appearances together in WCW and outside televised wrestling, the two reunited for Goldust’s green card wedding to Aksana on NXT in 2010.
The American Dream would also be present for his son’s tag-team match against The Shield (Reigns and Seth Rollins) at Battleground 2013, which earned a Match of the Year nomination at that year’s Slammy Awards.
Everybody loves a title change, right? The joy of seeing history being made, and another name being added to a litany of champions.
For wrestlers, title victories mean that long after their careers are over, long after their lives are over, what they achieved will live on in the annals of history.
But for some wrestlers, their title changes were not meant to be, and while they had the joy of winning, they also felt the pain of having that win taken away.
With Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal almost becoming AEW World Tag Team Champions this week, we’re looking back at six times titles changed hands, but then didn’t.
The Rocket’s Reign Fizzles Out
Owen Hart held plenty of gold in the WWE, but never held the World Championship, despite what this image may suggest.
Bret Hart is considered one of the greatest WWF Champions of all time, but despite an impressive career of his own, his younger brother Owen would never win the gold.
Well, not officially at least, as during the August 17, 1994 taping of WWF Superstars, Owen defeated his big brother to capture the gold.
The problem for the Rocket though, is that Jim Neidhart had been caught interfering on his behalf, and the match was restarted.
In another excellent collision between the two, Bret would defeat Owen to retain his title, but the image of the Rocket with the title remains an epic sight.
Y2J Plays the Game
Chris Jericho’s arrival in the WWF in 1999 was a huge deal, and it wasn’t long before one of WCW’s most popular stars was hanging with the top guys.
On the April 17, 2000 episode of Raw is War, Jericho’s insulted Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, and was able to goad Triple H into putting his WWF title on the line.
With the hired APA holding DX at bay, Jericho was able to get the win over the Game, thanks to a fast count from Earl Hebner.
Hebner had been bullied by DX for weeks, but even he knew the decision couldn’t stand, and Jericho would have to hand back the title.
With this stricken from the record, Jericho would have to wait until late 2001 until he became the WWF Undisputed title, a title he’d ironically lose to Triple H.
The Miz Goes Over the Limit
The Miz held nothing back in his efforts to make John Cena quit, even using a recording of the future Hollywood star.
Last year saw The Miz become a two-time WWE Champion, and while his reign was short, it was a long-time coming for fans of the A-Lister.
After losing the WWE title in 2011 to John Cena, Miz tried to win it back, and in a shocking turn of events, his I-Quit match with Cena saw Big Match John utter those two words.
As Miz celebrated, his NXT protege Alex Riley dropped an item, revealed to be a recording of Cena saying those words, and the jig was up.
With the match restarted, Cena made Miz quit for real, and the Marine star would wait a long time before he earned his real second WWE Championship.
The Wrong Rope Break
The Rockers held the WWF Tag Team titles for a brief moment, but a ring rope breaking snapped their run.
When you think of tag teams who never held gold in the WWF, few teams are more celebrated than The Rockers.
The pairing of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty would wow fans with their high-flying skills, and on one fateful night, would even win the WWF World Tag Team Titles.
During an October 1990 taping for Saturday Night’s Main Event, the Rockers dethroned the Hart Foundation in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match.
The ring-rope breaking mid-match did not stop the action, but it was this rope break that would cost them dearly.
Unsatisfied with the match because of the rope, WWF higher-ups planned for it to be re-taped, but that never happened.
Explaining rumors of a phantom title change, WWF President Jack Tunney reversed the decision because the broken ring rope meant the bout was partially contested in an unfair environment, and on this occasion, it was Shawn getting screwed out of a title that was back in the hands of Bret Hart.
Inoki Makes History
Inoki’s career would include an unofficial run as WWWF World Champion, making him the first Asian WWE Champion.
When Antonio Inoki died last October, fans reflected on his incredible career, which included a reign as WWWF Champion.
Unlike others on this list though, Inoki’s title win was not immediately reversed and would come in November 1979, with a win over Bob Backlund.
A title rematch between the two went to a no-content, and the decision was made to strip Inoki of the title.
Backlund would defeat Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death Match to fill the vacancy, but the title controversy was never acknowledged, and fans at the time wouldn’t learn about Inoki’s win until years later.
Dusty’s Dream is Shattered
The American Dream celebrated his NWA World title win, before learning his win was being reversed and the reign nullified.
We couldn’t have an article like this without the namesake of the ‘Dusty Finish:’ The American Dream Dusty Rhodes.
As a booker, Rhodes often used the trope of the face seemingly winning only to heel come out on top, but at Starrcade 1985, Rhodes got a taste of his own medicine.
The show’s main event, which pitted Rhodes against NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair was a match for the ages, and one that saw Rhodes win the gold.
It wasn’t until the next WCW show that the elated fans learned the truth that Flair was still champion, as referee Tommy Young had been knocked out during the title match, and that since the first ref was down, the pinfall wasn’t official.
Flair regained the gold in a crushing moment for the American Dream, as the master of the Dusty finish got a taste of his own medicine.
This past weekend, WWE hosted their 36th annual Survivor Series pay-per-view, with a special surprise. For the first time ever, the company premiered WarGames on their main roster. Though a popular attraction on the NXT brand in previous years, the dual-cage structure officially lent itself to the WWE Superstars of Raw and SmackDown on Saturday night. One of those superstars included former Universal Champion Kevin Owens, who paid a special homage to the original inventor of the WarGames concept.
Owens isn’t the only one pay homage to Dusty though. WWE instilled the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic on their NXT brand — which first debuted in 2015. The following year, the company debuted a bronze statue of the icon at their respective WrestleMania 32 AXXESS. In 2019, All Elite Wrestling re-named their “go position” backstage in remembrance of Rhodes, deeming it “The Dusty Position,” with the legend’s signature cowbell attached to it.
Cody Rhodes Responds
Cody Rhodes
Though Kevin Owens fell short in his efforts for his team at Survivor Series: WarGames, the tribute caught the eye of Dusty’s real life son, Cody Rhodes. “The American Nightmare” seemingly responded to Owen’s kind act, recognizing his late father’s lasting effect on the professional wrestling landscape.
“Ha at home, he was all ours. But in the sport, he’s got a lot more kids,” Rhodes wrote via Twitter. “So many folks he started/mentored & all the concepts he created still being used fought through a decade of bad press from some rags, but seeing his fingerprints and genius shine from the grave is special.”
Rhodes has remained off WWE programming following his in-ring bout against Seth Rollins at Hell In A Cell, where he sported a wild pectoral injury.
Former WWE Superstar Lana, known in the real world as CJ Perry, was recently interviewed on The Man Cave Chronicles to promote her new film and the reality TV series ‘The Surreal Life’.
Lana spent 8 years in WWE before being released in June 2021. The 37-year-old is married to All Elite Wrestling star Miro, who wrestled as Rusev in WWE. CJ Perry is in the recently released movie ‘WIFELIKE’ and you can check out the trailer below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRUixPv9Bro
Lana On How Acting Helped Her WWE Career & How She Impressed Dusty Rhodes
CJ Perry explained on The Man Cave Chronicles that she actually started off as an actor and as a dancer in her career before signing with WWE in 2013.
“I actually started off in acting. I started off in Hollywood. So, I think I have a different journey than 99% of people in wrestling. I started off as a professional dancer as a ballerina in Russia. I moved to Los Angeles when I was like 18 years old, coming back from Florida State and then Hollywood, I was just diving into it. Dancing on a lot of different shows and movies, like Pitch Perfect.”
CJ noted that acting helped her accelerate a lot quicker in WWE and shared how she was able to impressive Dusty Rhodes in NXT.
Acting really helped me accelerate a lot quicker in WWE because I was basically able to build characters with words. That is what acting taught me, and I got signed in 2013, started in July.
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen Glow, but one of the characters who plays the Russian, she would come in with like five different character pitches. That was literally what I was doing in developmental.
I would come to Dusty Rhodes and I’m like ‘here I have seven different character pitches, this is one poster with all the different ideas and catchphrases and costumes’.
In promo class, I would come with like five different people, we would have this huge elaborate scene that they had really never seen before.
Because most people in developmental come up there and just do a promo, you know? I’m like directing five people and just kind of doing the most. Dusty Rhodes was always really impressed with my creativity, ambition, and work ethic.
I was really lucky, a month later I was paired with my husband (Miro) at the time he was going by Rusev. And we got paired as ‘the big bad Russians’.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Man Cave Chronicles with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
A new foundation has been launched in honor of the legend, The American Dream, Dusty Rhodes.
The family of Dusty Rhodes has announced a new foundation named after the WWE Hall of Famer. The mission of the foundation is to honor and pay homage to Dusty Rhodes, who passed away in 2015, and his dedication to sports and young athletes.
Dusty Rhodes Foundation Mission
The foundation, via The Rhodes family, shared its mission statement on Instagram:
Our foundation was started in loving memory of one of the greatest and most influential professional wrestlers of all time: “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. Long before he entered the squared circle, Dusty’s dreams began on the playing fields of his youth. He was a gifted athlete in many sports and his baseball & football abilities earned him a full athletic scholarship which made him the first in his family to attend college.
Throughout Dusty’s storied career, he reached through the television and entertained millions, but a lesser-known passion was his role with youth athletics. Dusty gave this time, talent, and treasure to helping children play sports. He was a coach and mentor to many young athletes, some of whom went on to attend college on athletic scholarships themselves.
Dusty was an inspiration to all those who knew him. For his dreams to live on, we must inspire and support the next generation of athletes. Many children today do not have the opportunity to play sports because of the yearly rising costs associated with organized leagues & travel ball. Additionally, many underserved communities simply don’t have the ability to offer sports programs for children.
By supporting the Dusty Rhodes Foundation, you can help carry out Dusty’s legacy and dreams by helping children play sports who couldn’t otherwise. Together we can inspire and support youth athletics in disadvantaged and underserved communities and make a big difference in the lives of these amazing children.
Michelle & The Rhodes Family
Starrcast V Involvement
The Dusty Rhodes Foundation will be involved in the Starrcast V festivities on SummerSlam weekend. Ricky Starks, Preston ‘10’ Vance, Aaron Solo, QT Marshall, and Buttercup will be doing meet and greets in support of the Foundation. Starrcast V will be headlined by the final match of arguably, Dusty Rhodes’ greatest rival, Ric Flair.
My Mom & Sister will be bringing something special to @StarrcastEvents w/The Dusty Rhodes Foundation! (More info coming this week)
When Cody Rhodes entered a WWE live event in Trenton, New Jersey, he probably didn’t expect to see one heck of a Dusty Rhodes impersonator.
Cody has made it clear that he wants to honor his late father by becoming the WWE Champion. It’s a title that Dusty never won. “The American Nightmare’s” first stop on the road to the title has been Seth Rollins.
Clone Of A Plumber
At the house show in Trenton, Cody defeated Rollins. The two will mix it up at WrestleMania Backlash on May 8. Cody already scored a pinfall over Seth on PPV, marking a successful return at WrestleMania 38.
After his match with Seth in Trenton, Cody Rhodes got on the mic and he put a Dusty Rhodes impersonator on the spot. The fan certainly looked the part but did he have the vocal chops?
The answer might surprise you (courtesy of Angel Rivera):
With Cody Rhodes having been such an instrumental part of All Elite Wrestling, some may wonder if his dad—’The American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes—would have been interested in joining his son’s venture following Cody’s WWE departure.
Speaking with Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards on AEW’s official podcast, AEW Unrestricted, Cody Rhodes broached the idea. He stressed how, more than anything, his father had a high regard for loyalty.
Cody Rhodes On Dusty’s Loyalty
Cody explained how “Hunter gave him that cushy, one day a week job at the Performance Center teaching promos where half the time they were watching movies and it was more like a life class which is what promo class should be.”
He continued, “It was a pretty cushy gig that he had so I don’t know if my mom would let him come work here. I think she would. He was really loyal, and he might have remained loyal. Who knows?”
Dusty’s legacy in NXT continues since his passing in 2015, with the brand hosting an annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in honor of the wrestling legend.
Cody Rhodes has been rejected for his attempt to file a trademark that hits close to home for him.
The AEW Executive Vice President recently filed to trademark the name of his late father, WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes. However, that filing was turned down for an unexpected reason.
Pro Wrestling Sheet reached out to Cody’s legal team about the trademark filing being rejected. The team noted they are confident that this will not be a problem in the end.
Back in November, the trademark appeared to be done and Cody had ownership rights. That changed when the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) issued a refusal last week.
The reason for that is due to the name being too similar to Dustin Rhodes, a trademark already owned by Dustin. The filing states the following:
“Here, the marks share one term, “RHODES”, and a highly similar term ‘DUSTY/DUSTIN’, and share the same overall commercial impression of that of a surname and given name, respectively. Given the high similarity in appearance, sound, and meaning of the marks, the marks are confusingly similar.”
It also notes that both filings relating to the use description of “entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer” could be the case of confusion.
Next Step For Cody Rhodes Attempt
Per the report, the team told the media outlet that they are in talks to take next in order to acquire the trademark and are sure they will still be able to secure the trademark.
Cody has two options right now with the trademark, which is to file an appeal or get approval from the owner of the registration that is causing the trademark to be rejected.
Cody Rhodes posted about a nice surprise found backstage at AEW Dynamite last night. He noted on Twitter that a tribute to his father, the legendary Dusty Rhodes, was positioned in the spot backstage which is now named after him.
Cody posted the following on Twitter in regards to the tribute to his father:
What a wonderful surprise to find in the Go Position…
Chris Jericho’s feelings regarding Cody’s father play has played a role in the build-up to the AEW World championship match at Full Gear. Shortly after the match was announced, Jericho posted a video of him speaking poorly of Dusty.
“That son of a b*tch, promised me a lot of things that never happened. Fast-forward 25 years and now this son of a b*tch, you Cody, promised me a lot of stuff that also didn’t happen but I’ll promise you this, I don’t like you are or your family but I love being ‘le Champion’ and I’m going to beat the hell out of you and teach your entitled ass a lesson on November 9th in Baltimore, my birthday.”
“The greatest birthday present I could ever receive is beating the crap out of you, Cody. Welcome to my nightmare, I don’t think you’re going to like it. You’re welcome.”
Chris Jericho and Cody are scheduled to go one-on-one for the AEW World Championship November 9th at Full Gear. During a recent promo he filmed for YouTube, Jericho stated he has never liked any member of the Rhodes family, including Cody, Dusty, or Dustin.
“It’s not a secret, I don’t like you Cody,” Jericho says in the video. “I don’t like your brother, I don’t like your mother, I don’t like your sisters and I sure as hell don’t like Dusty Rhodes, your father.”
Jericho would continue to speak negatively about the late Dusty Rhodes, whom he worked with in WCW in the late 1990’s.
“That son of a b*tch, promised me a lot of things that never happened. Fast-forward 25 years and now this son of a b*tch, you Cody, promised me a lot of stuff that also didn’t happen but I’ll promise you this, I don’t like you are or your family but I love being ‘le Champion’ and I’m going to beat the hell out of you and teach your entitled ass a lesson on November 9th in Baltimore, my birthday.”
Jericho finished the promo with one last dig at the American Nightmare.
“The greatest birthday present I could ever receive is beating the crap out of you, Cody. Welcome to my nightmare, I don’t think you’re going to like it. You’re welcome.”
You can watch Jericho’s full promo embedded below.
Chris Jericho vs. Cody Rhodes headlines AEW Full Gear on Saturday night, November 9th from Baltimore, MD at the Royal Farms Arena.
Bayley recently attended the Ace Comic-Con, where she and Charlotte Flair took part in Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory.
During their conversation, Bayley revealed information about how Dusty Rhodes helped to inspire her character in NXT and his overall vision for the brand and its Superstars.
“We try to hide our true self because we don’t think that is good enough for our fans. We’re like, ‘no, they’re not really going to like me,’ but Dusty Rhodes would be like, ‘no, that is what makes you special.’ “
She talked about how Dusty compared her and Charlotte, helping her to embrace the differences that would help her not only stand out, but also connect with the WWE Universe.
“You are athletic; Charlotte is wrestling royalty. Bayley, you’re a fan, make it larger than life. We really are who we are, and he made us confident in ourselves, and that is when everything blew up. That is when NXT blew up, and it was because Dusty Rhodes made us. He believed in all of us, and believed in who we were and who we were afraid to show who we were.”
Bayley is scheduled to defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ember Moon. Their match takes place at SummerSlam on August 11th from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.
As we have previously reported, Cody has filed for a number of trademarks of late.
The most recent round of filings include a number of WCW pay-per-view event names, including Bash at the Beach, BattleBowl, and Bunkhouse Stampede.
Previous trademark filings include one for his late father’s wrestling name, Dusty’s nickname, and Cody’s “American Nightmare” moniker.
Cody took to Twitter to address the story directly. The American Nightmare says that no one should read too much into the trademark news.
I’d turn off the google alerts on trademarks. They’re personal and most aren’t intended for AEW. I’ve filed/claimed over 50 the last few months. I’m just trying to get some of Dad’s cattle back. That’s the story. https://t.co/NvzNgJnOGw
Cody Runnels has been busy with the US Patent and Trademark office recently. Last week, Cody applied to trademark the terms “American Nightmare” and “the American Dream”. On Thursday, March 14th, Cody filed documents looking to trademark the in-ring name of his father’s, “Dusty Rhodes”.
The day before Cody filed several trademarks, Marty Lunde filed to trademark his in-ring name of Arn Anderson. On March 10th, a company named Toot Toot LLC applied to trademark the term “4 Horsemen” for wrestling purposes. The creatively named company happens to share an address with 1st Family Mortgage in Alabama, the company features Starrcast promoter Conrad Thompson as its President.
The trademarks by Cody, Arn Anderson, and Toot Toot LLC were all filed by the same lawyer, Michael E. Dockins, as well.
Cody On Not Being Able To Use Name “Cody Rhodes”
Many fans were upset WWE chose not to allow Cody to use the last name Rhodes upon his exit from the company in 2016. Cody told SI.com, however, that he’s grown to appreciate going by just his first name.
“I’ll tell you this, and I’ve not told anyone this, but I don’t mind that WWE took away my last name. Deep down, in my bones, I definitely want it back – and I have plans to get it back – but there is something to being Cody. The longer I don’t have a last name, the more I’m OK with it.”
