AEW Veteran Says The Art Of Selling Is Missing In Today’s Wrestling
An AEW veteran has lamented the lost art of selling in modern wrestling as they reflect on learning the skill from one of the masters.
The wrestling business is a family concern for Dustin Rhodes as he grew up the son of The American Dream Dusty Rhodes. Breaking into WCW in the early nineties, Dustin Rhodes was around some of the most iconic names in wrestling history, including Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat.
Speaking to Chris Jericho on his Talk Is Jericho podcast, Rhodes reflected on his ringside seat at learning the art of selling from one of the best:
“It wasn’t until about WCW when Arn and Bobby Eaton and Barry Windham, because me and Barry had known each other since [we were] kids. Me just being around them and driving around them and learning their ways and the way they handled business and things like that, and just listening to Arn, because we worked a lot. Like I said, they were my teachers, and I learned the most probably from Arn and Steamboat.”
“Some nights, I would wanna sell, and Steamboat said, ‘No, I want you to sit and watch this.’ I got the best seat in the house. I learned his selling, the way he used his hands. Even if his face was covered up, he’s using his hands to sell and shake, and you feel it. He’s the greatest salesman in the business, the greatest arm drag in the business, so you learn those two things, you’re gonna be really good.”
Dustin Rhodes then added that he feels selling has been lost in wrestling today and says he thinks a good story can be told by utilising the skill:
“That’s why I started really liking to sell because I think you can tell a really good story by selling. So many guys don’t wanna sell anymore. It’s like nah, let’s do this and get up and do this. Please let me sell. Even if you’re going over, I still like to sell, but I’m gonna get my stuff in, but it’s like I’m gonna sell. I have to. I think that’s kind of what’s missing today, the art of selling.”