WCW Region, Third Round, Last Man Standing Match: (1) Lou Thesz vs. (8) Dusty Rhodes

[klunderbunker]

This is a third round match in the WCW Region. It is a last man standing match. It will be held at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. Assume one week has passed since the second round match.

Last Man Standing Match Rules: The match is won when a man cannot answer the ten count. Anything goes.

#1. Lou Thesz

Vs.

#8. Dusty Rhodes

​

Polls will be open for four days following a one day period for discussion. Voting will be based on who you feel is the greater of the two competitors. Post your reasons for why your pick should win below. Remember that this is non-spam and the most votes in the poll win. Any ties will be broken by the amount of posts of support for each candidate, with one vote per poster.

Also remember that this is a non-spam forum. If you post a response without giving a reason for your selection, it will be penalized for spam and deleted.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Lou Thesz takes this one. Much better wrestler overall and as good as Dusty Rhodes is, the sheer energy it'll take to beat Thesz isn't possessed by many people, and Rhodes isn't one of them.

Thesz wins.

 

[tarp]

In eight out of ten styles of matches Thez takes this matchup. However this is up Dusty alley. People who grew up on wrestling in the eighties like I did kow how Dusty dominated the Bunkhouse Stampede matches. Thez may be more durable but Dusty will use the weapons to his advantage. I have to go with Dusty here.

 

[Brewski]

Last man standing matches are all about toughness and I would say Thesz has the advantage there. The man is a real hell of a man. Not saying the son of a plumber isn't a hoss himself but Thesz comes from an era where men were men and women were men. As far as wrestling goes the man pretty much laid the foundation, built the house, had Dusty's daddy plumb the toilet, then Lou took a dump in it. Weapons? Fuck weapons. Boots work good enough for Lou Thesz. He held the NWA belt for over a decade total, was champion on his 40s, and wrestled his last match at 72. Seventy fucking two. Go look at Undertaker. Pretty tough dude right? He's in his 40s and he moves in slow motion while Thesz was kicking ass when he could get an awesome deal at denny's.

I can't wait to get that senior discount.

Thesz kicks Dusty's ass around this arena while drinking a fith of rye and finishing a pack of Marlboros. Then he takes Dusty's wife home to knock her up (with Cody not Goldust, No way his genes make that crap up) before the 10 count is over.

 

[PsychoBlack]

hahahahaahhahaha The one match Dusty can go over in. Dusty is a bad man once you get a weapon in his hand and has showed time and time again that once the great mat wizards step into this realm with him they fail miserably and lay in a pool of their own blood.

Vote goes to the Dream

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

Thesz biggest pitfall is that he's not somebody who you associate with being proficient with weapons. However, Dusty is and has been in some very tough, bloody matchups in his time and come out on top. Thesz wins this if the two men get close enough to lock-up, but if Rhodes can keep Thesz at a distance and get the first strike in, he may have a good chance of coming away with the victory.

Good draw for Rhodes though.

 

[Dirk]

Wow, this is a toughie! If it was just a plain-rules last-man-standing match, it would be Thesz nine out of ten times. He's the picture of manly toughness. Sure, he wasn't as cut as some of today's guys, but it wasn't about the look back then.

Dusty would never have the stamina. Sure, he could do short bursts and apparently he has the weapons advantage, but does he have a big enough tank to put Lou down? I think it's Thesz's to lose, if he can't handle the weapons.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

How hard is it to handle a weapon?

Pick up chair.

Hit person with chair.

Repeat over and over.

I don't think Thesz will have a problem with weapons. He has sat in chairs. He probably used a sledgehammer every now and then. He is not foreign to the concept of a table. I think he'll be just fine.

 

[Dirk]

How hard is it to handle a weapon?

Pick up chair.

Hit person with chair.

Repeat over and over.

I don't think Thesz will have a problem with weapons. He has sat in chairs. He probably used a sledgehammer every now and then. He is not foreign to the concept of a table. I think he'll be just fine.

Not like that, ass. Take a sledgehammer. HHH's house. Chairs? Edge. Both of those guys are currently in other matches with their proficiency in weapons as a prime reason why they'd win. But fine, let's give it to Thesz and if this comes back to bite me in the ass, I'm blaming you.

Vote for Thesz

 

[PsychoBlack]

Not like that, ass. Take a sledgehammer. HHH's house. Chairs? Edge. Both of those guys are currently in other matches with their proficiency in weapons as a prime reason why they'd win. But fine, let's give it to Thesz and if this comes back to bite me in the ass, I'm blaming you.

Vote for Thesz

You just let an Ole Miss student influence your vote, as if that wasn't bad enough, he was wrong.

Thesz can't win this match. Dusty is a rather smart guy inside the ring and knows that he wouldn't be able to trade holds with Thesz, as soon as the bell rung Dusty would have been looking for anything he could to hit Thesz with. This is foreign Territory for Lou and he more than likely wouldn't know what to do seeing as how most of his moves took place on the mat and Dusty would spend hardly any time in the ring. Not to mention, Lou doesn't exactly have an arsenal that can leave a man laying for a 10 count.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

You just let an Ole Miss student influence your vote, as if that wasn't bad enough, he was wrong.

Yawn again.

Thesz can't win this match.

He can.

Dusty is a rather smart guy inside the ring and knows that he wouldn't be able to trade holds with Thesz, as soon as the bell rung Dusty would have been looking for anything he could to hit Thesz with.

So Lou won't be able to do the same to Dusty?

This is foreign Territory for Lou and he more than likely wouldn't know what to do seeing as how most of his moves took place on the mat and Dusty would spend hardly any time in the ring.

Like I've said before.

Pick up chair.

Hit person with chair.

I imagine Lou knows how to do that.

Not to mention, Lou doesn't exactly have an arsenal that can leave a man laying for a 10 count.

Lou can weaken Dusty and slap the STF on him until he passes out.

I don't quite see Lou laying down for a 10 count due to a Bionic elbow.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Not like that, ass. Take a sledgehammer. HHH's house. Chairs? Edge. Both of those guys are currently in other matches with their proficiency in weapons as a prime reason why they'd win. But fine, let's give it to Thesz and if this comes back to bite me in the ass, I'm blaming you.

Vote for Thesz

I guess you don't realize how stupid you sound or missed my point. I'm going with both anyway.

What does HHH or Edge have to do with this match? So there aren't going to be chairs around because it is Edge's house? I'm sure you were trying to come up with something else and typed that instead.

You go ahead and vote for Dusty because you want to.

 

[Dirk]

What does HHH or Edge have to do with this match? So there aren't going to be chairs around because it is Edge's house? I'm sure you were trying to come up with something else and typed that instead.

Wow, you are a tiresome troll. Proficiency in weapons can be used as an advantage in this match if it can be used in those two matches, is the point.

 

[wrestlingfan]

If the match is anything goes, that also includes interference. Cody & Dustin interfering on Dusty's behalf (who already has amazing endurance himself), can beat Lou Thesz.

 

[Thriller Ant]

If the match is anything goes, that also includes interference. Cody & Dustin interfering on Dusty's behalf (who already has amazing endurance himself), can beat Lou Thesz.

If you have to count on interference to say someone will win, then they probably shouldn't win. Thesz wrestled in a time where matches were longer and closer to shoots, meaning he has the stamina and toughness to make it through this type of match. Add in the fact that any idiot can use most weapons, and Thesz wins it for me.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

If the match is anything goes, that also includes interference. Cody & Dustin interfering on Dusty's behalf (who already has amazing endurance himself), can beat Lou Thesz.

There's no interference in these matches. Anything goes is between the two foes in the ring.

hahahahaahhahaha The one match Dusty can go over in. Dusty is a bad man once you get a weapon in his hand and has showed time and time again that once the great mat wizards step into this realm with him they fail miserably and lay in a pool of their own blood.

Vote goes to the Dream

Dusty Rhodes didn't use that many weapons. And he would need them here because he couldn't be more overmatched against Thesz, the man who innovated such awesome moves as the STF, the Powerbomb, and the belly to back suplex. Rhodes may need to bring a kitchen sink, too.

Thesz biggest pitfall is that he's not somebody who you associate with being proficient with weapons. However, Dusty is and has been in some very tough, bloody matchups in his time and come out on top. Thesz wins this if the two men get close enough to lock-up, but if Rhodes can keep Thesz at a distance and get the first strike in, he may have a good chance of coming away with the victory.

Good draw for Rhodes though.

It's not a good draw for Rhodes. When did Rhodes become a hardcore legend? He used a chair sporadically and used a baseball bat after matches were over, but never during matches. In Bunkhouse matches and Street Fights, he used his elbow, fists, and boots. Thesz specialty is getting people down and 'hooking' them. And Dusty couldn't take the stretching Thesz would put on him. He'd break a limb on Rhodes to keep him from standing, something Tully Blanchard and Flair were able to do with ease.

I guess you don't realize how stupid you sound or missed my point. I'm going with both anyway.

What does HHH or Edge have to do with this match? So there aren't going to be chairs around because it is Edge's house? I'm sure you were trying to come up with something else and typed that instead.

You go ahead and vote for Dusty because you want to.

This is why it's tougher for me to argue for my choices in this tourney. Stop it, LJL.

 

[HBsam31]

This is a good draw for Dusty and I think it will be close, but I still say Thesz takes it. The argument that Dusty would be better with weapons seems a bit absurd. Thesz is a strong man and I could easily see him slapping Dusty into a submission till he passes out for the 10 count. Gotta vote Thesz here.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Have to give my vote to Thesz just on basic hardness, you don't get multiyear reigns on a number of occasions and you certainly don't give a Japanese great like Chono a run for his money when you're 74 without being one tough SOB. Anyone who hung with Race and Flair has grounds for never being discounted either but against an innovator like Thesz any weapons experience would soon become a factor that wouldn't favor Dusty and might actually be a plus for the more imaginative Lou.

All things considered, I have to believe that Lou Thesz is bigger than Dusty Rhodes and the stip is only being used as a tool of convenience because that wasn't the way things worked in Thesz's day but a guy renowned for developing moves would integrate this advantage into his arsenal.

 

[deem]

Bockwinkel should of went over Dusty

I'm finding this kinda close and havn't voted yet. Some are mistaking a couple of basic points here - just because Thesz never used weapons/wrestled in hardcore matches, it doesn't mean he would suck at them. Inexperienced, yes. Ill-suited, it's anyones guess. On the flip side, just because Rhodes DOES have experience in these matches doesn't mean he's particularly an expert with them. Someone like Harley Race I can see making that point about as he did excel with weapons - not Rhodes.

This isn't clear cut though - winning a Last Man Standing match is usually about high impact moves. Thesz's offense was predominantly mat-based, which wouldn't be entirely effective unless he broke a limb. Which he might. Innovating the Powerbomb helps him out a lot in this regard, I could totally see it getting the job done after a gruelling match.

Also, Rhodes is too smart to try to outwrestle Thesz. He was booked as the fighting common man - he'd have no allusions of grandeur here and would know he needs to introduce weapons to stand any chance. Doesn't mean it's enough.

I'm on Thesz's side here but not quite ready to vote as yet.

 

[Tastycles]

Gerald Brisco debuted in the 1960s and never had a history of weapons matches. Then, in his fifties he won the Hardcore Championship. Twice. And actually has a combined reign time a day shorter than Tommy Dreamer. A hardcore specialist.

What has that got to do with anything? Well, it shows that anyone can pick up a weapon and use it effectively, no matter if they were familiar with it or not. Thesz is clearly a better wrestler than Dusty, and has more than enough stamina to last it out here.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

Lou Thesz wins here. The only way that I would vote for Dusty is if this was a Bunkhouse Match. If it was such...or a cowbell match, etc...Dusty would have the advantage. Not in a match where stamina is as important as relentlessness.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

There aren't too many matches I vote vote for Dusty in ahead of one of the greatest champions who ever lived but this is exactly the kind of match that The Dream was successful in.

It doesnt require any great technical ability, its just brutality and beating the crap out of your opponent with weapons. I am not going to be stupid and say Lou Thesz wouldn't be able to adapt, of course he would be able to swing a chair...but this is Dusty's comfort zone and he will have plenty of tools in the bag to surprise Thesz with.

If this was a normal match, I'd give to to Thesz straight away but in a brawl like this Dusty has the upper hand in my opinion

Winner: Dusty Rhodes