Dustin Rhodes praises Ricky Steamboat and says the art of selling is lost in the wrestling business today.
Rhodes has been wrestling for over three decades, and he has performed for WWE, WCW, TNA, and AEW, among other companies. Rhodes' first WCW run came in the early years of his career, and he was a member of the roster alongside legends like Steamboat, Arn Anderson, and many others. This experience, in addition to his background as Dustin Rhodes' son, gave him an education in the art of wrestling that few can match.
Speaking with Chris Jericho on Talk Is Jericho, Rhodes was asked to name some of the veterans he learned from earlier in his career. He pointed to Arn Anderson and Ricky Steamboat, among others, and credited "The Dragon" with showing him the importance of selling. Rhodes described how Steamboat masterfully used his hands to sell and make the fans feel his pain.
"It wasn’t until about WCW when Arn and Bobby Eaton and Barry Windham, because me and Barry had known each other since [we were] kids. Me just being around them and driving around them and learning their ways and the way they handled business and things like that, and just listening to Arn, because we worked a lot. Like I said, they were my teachers, and I learned the most probably from Arn and Steamboat. Some nights, I would wanna sell, and Steamboat said, 'No, I want you to sit and watch this.' I got the best seat in the house. I learned his selling, the way he used his hands. Even if his face was covered up, he’s using his hands to sell and shake, and you feel it. He’s the greatest salesman in the business, the greatest arm drag in the business, so you learn those two things, you’re gonna be really good," Rhodes said.
Rhodes then noted that he believes selling is an important element of storytelling in wrestling. He stated that the art of selling is somewhat missing today, as wrestlers often prefer to keep going and doing moves during their matches.
"That’s why I started really liking to sell because I think you can tell a really good story by selling. So many guys don’t wanna sell anymore. It’s like nah, let’s do this and get up and do this. Please let me sell. Even if you’re going over, I still like to sell, but I’m gonna get my stuff in, but it’s like I’m gonna sell. I have to. I think that’s kind of what’s missing today, the art of selling," Rhodes said.
In the same interview, Dustin discussed Cody Rhodes' departure from AEW. Check out his comments here.
Rhodes recently explained why he was upset with Jeff Jarrett using the nickname "The Last Outlaw" . Click here to see what he had to say.
Steamboat returned to the ring at Big Time Wrestling: Return of the Dragon. More information is available here.
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