Cody Rhodes recently spoke with Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about the passing of his father, Dusty Rhodes. Here is what he had to say…
What a bad summer for sports entertainment. When you lose The Dream and you lose “Hot Rod” (Roddy Piper). These are not arguably, just genuinely, in anybody’s top five or top ten. The word used now is they are icons, and there’s very few true icons of the industry. I was and I feel like I still am, very close to my dad. I haven’t really let him go. It’s hard when you see a ring, and I think about all the times you saw him in it. It’s great though that you ask, because the Dusty Rhodes tag tournament taking place in NXT is something he would really be proud of because of all the platforms it gives to talent, including independent talent that came in for a shot to win the Dusty Rhodes tag tournament. I will actually be there myself, (as) me — for the first time a while on WWE programming — Cody Rhodes and my brother will be there to present the trophy, which I’m looking forward to seeing. I had some help in preparing it for whomever is victorious in said tag team tournament. It’s a great way to honor him, and I think we continue to honor him. WWE just put it all out there. A lot of families lose a loved one and they don’t get the chance to see video packages and tributes. They have to do all that themselves and put it together. It was done for me, and I’m forever in their debt for that.
