WWE News #2: Tommy Dreamer says Dusty Rhodes was “his guy”
ECW Legend Tommy Dreamer shared his emotional memories of Dusty Rhodes on his Facebook account. Below is what he posted:
“My dad was a teacher we had a winter break so my parents took me to Florida. I saw an ad in the newspaper that said Championship wrestling from Florida at the Hollywood Sportitorium. We drove to literally the end of the road, borderline swamp. I saw a different kind of wrestling than what I had seen living in NY and WWF. Guys I never heard of Barry Windham, Manny Fernandez, Jimmy Garvin, Mr. Florida. It was a great night. I remember making my way to the concession stand debating what to buy. Ivan Koloff & Dick Murdoch were in the ring & they had HEAT. Murdoch had sided w/ RUSSIA. Then here came Bugsy McGraw w/ a plastic garbage can & behind him the spotlight hit & I literally saw GOD walking on Earth. The way the spotlight hit his blond curly hair, the way the smoke & mosquitos parted for him. I was frozen. It was The American Dream Dusty Rhodes.
He had a giant push broom in his hands & he cleaned house. There was sweat, blood & the moment it ended. I knew what I had to be in my life.(I have goosebumps & tears rolling down my face, crying & laughing as I write this) I turned to the woman & I said I want that. It was a bloody Dusty Rhodes 8×10. I was so excited I talked about it to all my friends. My familly took me to Disney World but all I cared about was wrestling. My dad later bought me my 1st wrestling magazine. Inside Wrestling w/ Dusty dropping an elbow on Ole Anderson. Florida Championship Wrestling started airing on my black & white tv UHF channel at 1130pm Tues nights. I made a deal w/my parents to let me stay up & I would get up no problem the next day for school(hey going to bed at midnight at 10 years old was huge on a school night) but I always had to find out What happened to Dusty?
We all have our guys. He was mine. I had posters of him on my wall. I remember crying when Terry Funk broke his arm. Being deadly afraid of the Devil Kevin Sullivan. I stood by him no matter what & he never let me down. I tried patterning my own career after him. Hence the Dreamer name. I was blessed to tag w/ him in ECW & form a friendship. I travelled w/him to a bunch of shows, then got to be w/him in WWE all the time. We worked across the hall from each other. He was the 1 that pushed for the ECW ORIGINALS VS NEW BREED AT WRESTLEMANIA. (ALONG W/DAVID LAGANA) I can write for days about what he meant to me as a fan,friend, mentor. Thanks for making me realize my American Dream, Dusty I can never repay you for what you have done for me I love you & miss you so much.”
