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Dustin Rhodes On What Shocks Him & What He’s Realized After Five Decades in Wrestling

Dustin Rhodes couldn't be Dusty Rhodes in the ring, but is following his legacy now as a teacher.

Rick Ucchino

Dustin Rhodes at ROH Honor Club #84
Dustin Rhodes at ROH Honor Club #84 / All Elite Wrestling - Lee South

Dustin Rhodes has a wealth of wrestling knowledge and he's doing his part to pass it along to the next generation of men and women in the sport.

At 55-years-old, The Natural has shown no signs that he's slowing down when it comes to professional wrestling. In addition to currently holding by the ROH World Tag Team and ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championships, Rhodes has also reportedly been working behind the scenes in AEW as a coach and as a member of the creative team.

Rhodes also owns and operates the Rhodes Wrestling Academy in Texas, and now the all new independent promotion Rhodes Wrestling Association.

In a recent interview with TexasMonthly, Rhodes said is was always a goal of his to open a wrestling school and that he's proud of the students who have walked through the doors during the first three years in operation.

The native Texan says it brings him great joy getting to work with so many young wrestlers and watching them improve in the ring.

“I’ve realized I’m a really good teacher, and I’m proud of myself for that,” Rhodes said. “I love when I see these young kids, like in our women’s division, who work with me every single week. Before we’re even supposed to be at the building, they’re training with me. And when I see them go out and do something in a match that I taught them and it works, that’s the greatest payoff. To see them succeeding and getting better is truly amazing. It has nothing to do with money. This is me giving back to the business.”

One of the first lessons that The Natural himself learned when he first started in the business back in the late 1980's, is that he wasn't Dusty Rhodes. At the beginning of his career, Dustin wanted to be just like the American Dream.

“He was a God to me,” Rhodes said. “It took me about six years in the business to figure out that I couldn’t fill my father’s shoes. It’s impossible. But what I can do is take my new pair of shoes, and create something from what my dad created.”

Staying true to his father's body of work, Dustin Rhodes is now helping create the wrestling stars of tomorrow. During his time as a Coach in NXT, wrestling fans would always hear about 'Dusty's kids'. It's very possible in the not too distant future we start hearing about 'Dustin's kids.'

As far as his own in-ring career is concerned, Rhodes says he isn't ready to leave his boots

“I always think I can give a little bit more, because I’m still passionate,” he said. “Here I am, fifty-five years old, and I’m hanging with the kids and putting on some tremendous matches. I don’t think I’ve had a bad one since I’ve been in AEW, to be honest. It’s shocking to me that I’m still able to do it and that I’ve had a plethora of meaningful matches here in my fifties. Yes, my body is beat up, and I hurt, but I rehab all the time. I’m in the gym every single day, no matter what.”

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino has been covering professional wrestling since 2019, but his broadcast career has spanned over 15 years. He can be heard every weekday morning on 700WLW radio in Cincinnati, OH. You can also read his work over on SI's Cincinnati Reds Talk. Follow Rick on X and Instagram: @RickUcchino