Ric Flair Says Dusty Rhodes 'Right There' With WWE's Vince McMahon On Innovation

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair made a recent appearance on "This Past Weekend" hosted by comedian Theo Von, telling a wide range of stories from his time in wrestling and giving his perspective on the industry today. One topic of discussion was the legendary Dusty Rhodes, who Flair praised for his creativity.

"Great guy," Flair said when asked about Rhodes. "He was so lovable. ... [Dusty was] one of the most innovative, right there tied with Vince [McMahon]." Rhodes' innovations include the War Games match (also known as Blood & Guts within AEW), and the infamous "Dusty finish" — a somewhat controversial pro wrestling trope that features a downed referee and overturned match ruling.

In addition to his role as a professional wrestler, Dusty Rhodes was an accomplished booker behind the scenes. Rhodes became a booker for Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s, and went on to play an important backstage role in both WWE and WCW over the years. Rhodes is cited as a key figure for many of today's top WWE talent during their days in NXT developmental. Flair also complimented the athleticism of Rhodes, saying that his size was deceiving.

"You know, I wrestled him probably a thousand hours, broadway," Flair continued. "He could wrestle for an hour. ... He was in good condition. It's hard to wrestle for an hour."

Flair and Von discussed Rhodes' funeral, which took place back in 2015. The former NWA World Champion stated the funeral was handled well, and told a story about Dusty's son Cody Rhodes. According to Flair, Cody once asked his mother why she only had pictures of Dusty in the house and not any other wrestlers. Cody's mother allegedly asked him why she'd hang up pictures of any other wrestler when she was married to Elvis.