Dustin Rhodes was this week’s guest on Talk Is Jericho and “Dusty’s Favorite” was in the house to talk about his instant classic match with his brother Cody. The first five minutes of the episode Dustin talks about “being in the zone” for Double Or Nothing once the “Dusty” chants started and then goes into detail at gigging himself. Quotes are below:
Dustin Rhodes on getting that feeling he hasn’t felt in about 10 years during his match with Cody:
“We really, really fought hard to get this thing finally done and we were just always told, it’s not good enough to be on the big show. To me, that was bullshit. They were wrong. I focused so hard on this that I probably over focused cause I was so nervous cause I’ve been out of the ring for about eight months, but man, as soon as the chants started, it’s like we could do no wrong, man. I don’t know if you ever saw that movie, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Have you seen that movie?”
Jericho: “I haven’t seen it.”
Rhodes: “Okay, well the guy’s playing golf and he’s trying to teach him how to get him in the zone, right, and how to focus down the fairway and to not see the people. When they started chanting ‘Dusty’ this is the first time I believe probably in at least 10 years that have I felt this. Everybody in that arena I could see them, but I couldn’t see them. They all just kind of faded away and I saw Cody and I saw what needed to be done, I heard them, but I couldn’t hear them. I was so focused and in the zone.”
On all that dang blood:
“I bled like a stuck pig which it’s been a awhile since I’ve done that man, was a little excessive, but it was still okay. It was perfect in every way for me. Probably the greatest moment I’ve ever had in my 31 years in the business.
“I know a lot of people were worried, I was worried. You know, you do it and you see it start streaming out and it’s like, ‘Oh no, I went a little bit too deep,’ and then ten minutes go by and you’re like, ‘Now I’m kind of starting to worry a little bit,’ and the whole ring is just red I can’t see. It’s all in my eyes, I’m trying to wipe it out, but it just keeps shooting out to my heart beat. It gets scary, but then after 15 minutes, I’m like, ‘I’m gonna be okay. It’s gonna be fine. It’s gonna be fine.’ You saw the fans’ faces on the front row and in the arena and they’re just like horrified, but into it. They can’t take their eyes off it and it was incredible, man. It was so incredible, I was so happy, so glad to be apart of it and I hope I did Cody proud.”
On the importance of incorporating blood when a match warrants it:
“Yes and to me, ‘red on the head is green in the pocket.’ And I believe that to be true in an extent, you know, when it’s used sparingly, here and there. And it was just right in every way that night and it might have been a little excessive, but gosh, dang mamit, it added to that story. You felt the ge emotions, it was just incredible and God man, I’m still on a huge high from that match and Twitter has never blown up from me like that, and all social media. They’re just going crazy and to get the ‘Dustin, you stole the show,’ from the great legendary Chris Jericho, it means a lot to me and I appreciate that very, very much.” (Jericho laughs)
(Transcription credit should go to @DominicDeAngelo of WrestleZone.)
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Mores transcriptions to come but the interview audio is below