Today would have been Dusty Rhodes' birthday. A little over 2 years ago (on June 11th, 2015), the American Dream died. And to a lot of people, Dusty was just a fat guy who wrestled. Which he was and he did. But, for those who really followed his career, Dusty truly embodied what it was to live the American Dream.

Dusty was the son of a plumber. A standout, multi-sport athlete. He could have played baseball professionally. He could have played football in the NFL (in fact, he was offered a contract with the Miami Dolphins and several other teams). But he wanted to become a professional wrestler. And not only did he become a professional wrestler, but at his peak, he was the second most recognizable athlete in the world. Second only to Muhammad Ali.

Sure he was a fat. But he was a fat guy who happened to rise to the top of a business run by muscle heads with perfect bodies. He captured the attention and adoration of fans the world over like no other. He transcended the wrestling business. Before wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and the Rock became movie stars and were hugely popular in the main stream, damn near everyone in the world knew who Dusty Rhodes was. For a guy with his build, he shouldn’t have been able to accomplish anything. But he did.

He put in the work to achieve his dream. And by doing so, he became the ‘American Dream’.

Whether you are a wrestling fan or not, we could all take a page out of Dusty’s playbook. Work hard, never lose sight of what you accomplish and if you REALLY put in the work, you can accomplish anything. Don’t let hard times get you down, daddy.

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