Dustin Rhodes Makes A Commitment To Leave Wrestling While He Can ‘Still Walk’

Dustin Rhodes is a true veteran in pro wrestling, and he is currently in the last run of his in-ring career. Recently, Dustin said something about retiring that would surprise his pro wrestling fans.

On December 3rd, Dustin Rhodes made the announcement that 2023 would be his final year as an in-ring wrestler at the Blizzard Brawl tapings. On Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, Rhodes returned to the ring by participating in the Dynamite Diamond Ring battle royale.

Rhodes hadn’t competed in a wrestling match since August when he lost his attempt to challenge Claudio Castagnoli for the ROH World Championship. Dustin stated that his AEW contract had around a year left even though he had undergone a number of knee surgery.

In an interview with the Busted Open Radio podcast, Rhodes provided additional context for his choice and clarified that his AEW contract expires in July. Rhodes made a commitment to leave while he can still get around on his own.

“I remember seeing Ray Candy years ago when I broke into the business, and he wasn’t in the best shape, he was using a walker, and I was just getting into the business and I was green and excited and hungry and passionate, and I still am, but I made a promise to myself that I was going to get out while I can still walk.”

“I didn’t really think I was going to say anything about this, it just happened at Blizzard Brawl, and I thought, ‘I don’t think anybody is going to pick up on it,’ but they did and it caught fire. I just have to own it. I truly don’t want to go out in the business and do anything that tarnishes my career. I don’t want to slip up and fall. I have this in the back of my head every time I go out, ‘what if I do something stupid?’

Then they’re going to start chanting ‘please retire’ and I don’t want it to get to that. I know I’m doing really well right now and having some of the best work of my entire career these last four years, even though they are few and far between, Tony has done a good job treating me like an attraction, and I appreciate that and it does help my body, but on the flip side, it’s hard when you’re not working five days a week like the WWE schedule. Your body gets calloused and used to it, now I work once every two, three, four months, and if you go 100 miles an hour then you pay the price. It takes me a week and a half to two weeks to recover from one match. I’m starting to see those things.

My knees are pretty rough. My shoulders are pretty rough. I made the decision, the end of July, my contract is up and I’m going to be done in-ring, or at least tone way down. I don’t know if that’s going to be it because when we say we’re retiring, we always comeback and you never say never, but that’s what I’m looking for, an end date for my in-ring wrestling career.”

“It’ll be 35 years in the business, almost 36, and that’s a good round number. There’s nothing that I haven’t done, good or bad that I regret, I’ve loved everything I’ve done. The bad things have come to me and taught me lessons. I’ve become a better man because of those. I want to get out while I can still walk and still teach the kids and coach, hopefully, if God willing I’m allowed to do that, and occasionally make an on-screen appearance, I don’t know, but I don’t want to embarrass myself is the main thing. I’m starting to second guess my work rate. My stamina is not as good as it was. I was watching Mox [Jon Moxley] last night and I’m like, ‘I’m blown up, I can’t hang with that.’ I could, but it would have to be my style and very structured. I couldn’t do that every week.”

In September 1988, Rhodes made his professional debut. In addition to continuing to perform in-ring, Dustin works mainly with the women’s division as an AEW coach. For further updates stay tuned to Ringside news.

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