Folks, we’ve got another inspiring tale of glory and resilience straight from the squared circle! The one and only Dustin Rhodes, a man who’s been in more rings than a prize-fighting kangaroo, has just added another shiny belt to his already impressive collection. That’s right, at 55 years young, Rhodes and his partner Sammy Guevara clinched the ROH World Tag Team Titles on the August 17th episode of “AEW Collision,” toppling Matt Taven and Mike Bennett like a couple of Jenga blocks at a family barbecue.
Now, you’d think a guy who’s been wrestling longer than some of his opponents have been alive would be ready to hang up the boots, but Dustin had other plans. After the match, in a promo that could make a statue tear up, Rhodes took to AEW’s social media channels to reflect on his career, shedding light on why he’s still going strong.
“Never in a million years would I think that at 55 years old, with two titles and just pulling this out tonight, it’s… So long I’ve been fighting, so hard, just to keep proving myself and I don’t know why because it seems that I’ve proven myself enough. And my past sins, always paying for them. The last 16 years, I’ve just been busting my a** and trying my best to be an inspiration and to do things not a lot of people my age can do.”
There you have it, folks. Dustin Rhodes is like the Rocky Balboa of professional wrestling, still chasing dreams, still pushing the limits, and still rocking the face paint like it’s 1995. He credited his success to his partners, the Von Erichs and Sammy Guevara, who’ve helped him snag gold when most folks his age are snagging early bird specials.
And as for retirement? Well, he’s been teasing it for five years now, but with moments like these, it seems like the only thing Dustin’s retiring is the notion that age can slow him down.