On Ric Aptitude’s first podcast, WOOOOO! Nation, he had his buddy Darius Rucker—a musician who first grew well-known fronting Hootie and the Blowfish—on the present, and one of many factors that got here up was the passing of Dusty Rhodes a couple of months earlier than they recorded. On a floor degree, it would come throughout as random that this musician can be buddies with one wrestler and mourn the lack of one other wrestler so profoundly. The dialogue spoke, nonetheless, to legacy of Rhodes and Aptitude alike and collectively. To be a professional wrestling fan from the Seventies onward, notably within the south—Rucker was born in 1956 in Charleston, SC—all however essentially meant following and being a fan of each these males, who had a decades-long relationship with each other.
Younger Ric Aptitude Seemed Up To Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes began wrestling about 5 years earlier than Ric Aptitude and rapidly achieved a level of stardom, rooted in his reward for gab. Certainly, it probably comes as a shock to fashionable followers that, as Aptitude obtained prepared for the big-time within the Seventies, he regarded as much as and aspired to be like Rhodes. Aptitude wrote about it in his e book, To Be The Man that he went as far as to ask about being forged as The American Dream’s kayfabe little brother, which was extra plausible again when Aptitude introduced as extra of a heavyweight himself. Wiser veterans steered him in opposition to the selection, recognizing his potential and that if he had been connected to Rhodes that means, he’d by no means be capable of match or supersede The Son of a Plumber’s stardom.
Certain sufficient, it didn’t take lengthy for Aptitude and Rhodes to feud with each other. By Starrcade 1984, the older wrestlers who’d seen huge issues within the nature boy had been confirmed proper, as Aptitude entered the largest present of the yr because the defending heel world champion, up in opposition to high babyface challenger Rhodes.
Ric Aptitude And Dusty Rhodes Had been Nice Opponents And Nice Associates
When Dusty Rhodes handed in 2015, he and his household met with an outpouring of affection and assist. Among the many voices that joined the refrain was none apart from Ric Aptitude. In an announcement to TMZ,The Nature Boy mentioned, “As we speak I misplaced one in every of my best opponents and best buddies. He was the definition of coronary heart and soul, and I’m honored to have shared the ring with him numerous occasions.”
Aptitude went on to allude to their chemistry and the ability of the rivalry between Aptitude as an smug heel with The 4 Horsemen faction up in opposition to Rhodes, representing the widespread man. Aptitude defined, Rhodes “turned the ‘American Dream’ as a result of wrestling wanted a hero they might respect, and he was the person for the job. Dusty Rhodes, I’ll miss you my mentor and buddy.” Aptitude has been identified to carry grudges with males he was as soon as pleasant with like Eric Bischoff and to have fallings out, momentary as they might be, with one as soon as shut associates like Arn Anderson and Triple H. It’s telling that The Nature Boy’s final ideas for Rhodes demonstrated nothing however love and respect.
The Legacy Of The Relationship Between Ric Aptitude And Dusty Rhodes
Along with Ric Aptitude and Dusty Rhodes having fun with a protracted friendship and mutual respect between each other, the connection between the 2 has lived on to the following era of their households. Aptitude is alleged to have had a really respectful relationship with Dustin Rhodes by extension throughout the many years. Furthermore, he’s identified to have spoken nicely of Cody Rhodes. That features commenting optimistically on Cody’s return to WWE in 2022. On Aptitude’s podcast (h/t Wrestling Inc), he mentioned, “I simply want him the most effective of luck and to all the time maintain his head excessive and keep in mind who he’s … we texted one another and I simply mentioned “Be who you might be, do not take any [expletive] from anyone,’ that is what I instructed him.”
In the meantime, it is also price nothing that Ric’s daughter, Charlotte Aptitude, got here up by way of the NXT system and skilled below the tutelage of Dusty, who famously taught promo class over a interval of years and was in any other case a beloved father determine to many. On Lillian Garcia’s Chasing Glory podcast (ht/ WrestleZone), The Queen credited The American Dream with serving to her work out her character–both embracing her identification as Ric’s daughter, but additionally amplifying her personal character to recover from.
Dusty Rhodes and Ric Aptitude had been two of wrestling’s best stars and most influential figures. On air, each had been embellished world champions who headlined main occasions. Behind the scenes, every hung out reserving main promotions and each turned inspirations to youthful generations of wrestling abilities. They placed on nice matches collectively as nicely. It is becoming that the 2 had been buddies proper as much as the top of The American Dream’s life.
