Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard on Dusty Rhodes as a Booker, Blanchard On Giving Rhodes Advice

Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard were guests on the latest Talk is Jericho and recalled their experiences with Dusty Rhodes as a booker. Rhodes’ work as a booker in Jim Crockett Promotions is legendary, and Arn and Tully both worked in the territory under Rhodes. Arn talked about Rhodes’ ideas as well as the roster he had to work with, while Tully looked back on when Rhodes initially took over as booker. You can check out highlights and the audio below:

Anderson on Dusty Rhodes’ success as a booker: “I thought just being in the ring with Dusty Rhodes was [great]. To me, I was – if he walked in this room right now, I would be as starstruck as the first time I met him. I think that he had a lot of great ideas. And I think the biggest thing, if you tell the truth. Besides having some of the ideas he brought up from Florida from Eddie Graham, is he had the best crew ever assembled in the history of the business … When you got Brad Armstrong in the first match, Tim Horner … you got Buddy Landell, you know. Who, his [career] demise was unfortunate. Which he brought on himself, he killed his own career. But the guy was red hot. When he came to [the] Carolinas, he jumped right on the Flair thing. And buddy, Flair was god at the Carolinas at that time. You got the Midnight Express and the Rock N’ Roll Express, and all these guys came in at about a month period. Just a flood of talent.”

Blanchard on Rhodes’ booking: “[To Arn] You weren’t quite there yet when Dusty first took over the book in end of ’84. You came in March of ‘85. So I was there, and had a short meeting with Dusty. And he said, ‘What do you think we have to do to get this thing going, you’ve been a booker.’ And I said, ‘You gotta put the best against the best. That’s the best rule. He said ‘Well, Wahoo [McDaniel] is wanting to work with me and blah blah blah,’ because Wahoo had switched heel a little but with me. And the first sell-out since I had been back there in ‘84 was me and Wahoo against Flair and Mulligan in an Indian rope strap match.

“And so I told Dusty — and this was the only time I’ve ever done anything career self-motivating — I said, ‘Well Dusty.’ I said, ‘I’d put Wahoo against Flair and let [them] beat the s**t out of each other. And I said, ‘I’d put me against you, because I’ill make you look great.’ And that’s what happened. And that started my relationship with Dusty, which was a very good one. And it just, when Arn came in to be part of the Andersons, and Ole came in. And then the whole thing at the end of — that was the end of ‘85 when the Horseman thing happened, and I was the odd man out because I wasn’t part of the Anderson family. But I was working with Dusty in that eight-man tag match. ‘Hallelujah, I’m in it!’”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Talk Is Jericho with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.