Promo of the Day

Dusty Rhodes
December 1985
National Wrestling Alliance

It’s a bit tough to place this promo exactly, but it takes place right after Starrcade ‘85 where Dusty Rhodes took on the NWA Champion Ric Flair. Rhodes ended up winning the match and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship but had his victory and title taken away from him by a reversed decision by referee Tommy Young. Instead of having the match recognized as a pinfall by Rhodes, it ended up having Rhodes win by disqualification due to interference from Arn Anderson.

Two interesting things to note — this is the promo where Dusty comes up with one of his most quoted lines AND this entire feud would eventually lead to the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair forming The Four Horsemen stable.

No respect! No honor! There is no honor amongst thieves in the first place! He put hard times on Dusty Rhodes and his family. You don’t know what hard times are, daddy! Hard times are when the textile workers around this country are out of work. They’ve got four or five kids and can’t pay their wages, can’t buy their food. Hard times are when the auto workers are out of work and they tell em’ go home. And hard times, are when a man has worked  on a job thirty years. THIRTY YEARS! They give him a watch, kick him in the butt, and say HEY, a computer took your place, daddy. That’s hard times! That’s hard times!

And Ric Flair, you put hard times on this country by taking Dusty Rhodes out. THAT’S HARD TIME!! And we all have hard times together. I admit, I don’t look like the athlete of today is supposed to look. My belly’s just a lil’ big. My hiney’s just a lil’ big. But brother, I am bad and they know I’m bad!