Texas might become a hotbed for wrestling school-promotions as Dustin Rhodes has his eyes on Austin as a home for a promotion based around his Rhodes Wrestling Academy. Former tag partner and WWE Tag Team title holder Booker T who founded and operates the popular Houston-area promotion Reality of Wrestling which is fed by his own wrestling school.
Retiring AEW Star Dustin Rhodes Announces Rhodes Wrestling Association for Later in 2023
For our puroresu fans and historians, the approach is like Ultimo Dragon’s Toryumon Mexico dojo which trained future wrestlers in Mexico before sending them to Japan for Toryumon Japan, Toryumon 2000 Project, and Toryumon X. It all existed within the same system with the same instructors prior to the Toryumon-Dragon Gate split in the early 2000s.
The approach is likely to be more like Booker T’s ROW which is based in the same state. Also, while Booker T’s promotion was originally formed in part to continue the Houston Wrestling tradition, this will be Dustin’s step into the booker role similar to how his father booked or co-booked Championship Wrestling from Florida, Pro Wrestling Federation, WCW, Jim Crockett Promotions, Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, and his role with NXT.
What Dustin has working for him is that he’s planning to retire before starting up the promotion. If anything, he might come out for special stories or matches but Dustin seems like the kind of wrestler who knows that he shouldn’t take the spotlight when the promotion’s focus is on the present and future.
On running the pending Rhodes Wrestling Association in Austin, Dustin Rhodes told Sports Guys Talking Wrestling:
“I can more do of those things so that they can work in front of a crowd here in Austin, and hopefully we’ll build up an audience.”
Rhodes also noted that Austin “love their wrestling” and believes that RWA could dominate the market and boost it. If things go well, Rhodes’ promotion might end up with a broadcasting deal similar to ROW’s. We’ll be watching to see how Dustin’s promotion develops.
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