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Dusty Rhodes' legacy goes beyond his in-ring accomplishments as the late great legend trained many current WWE stars during his time in NXT. Percy Watson recently appeared on Sportskeeda's UnSKripted and opened up about Rhodes' influence on his career.
Watson had two stints with WWE as he first signed a developmental deal in 2009. The former FCW star participated in the second season of NXT in 2010 and was under the tutelage of MVP throughout the show. Percy also had a brief run alongside Titus O'Neil and AJ Lee before his release in 2013.
The 41-year-old star returned to WWE for another three years in 2016, primarily working as a commentator for the black-and-gold brand.
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While speaking to Dr. Chris Featherstone on Sportskeeda's UnSKripted, Percy Watson revealed that he picked up all the fundamentals of wrestling from the iconic Dusty Rhodes.
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Watson particularly stood out for his microphone skills and credited Rhodes for teaching him how to deliver compelling promos on TV.
"Dusty Rhodes, The OG! That's the man who essentially taught me everything. That's the man who brought Percy Watson to life. Umm, taught me how to first cut a promo, to talk on the microphone. He was the kind of cat that let you be yourself, regardless of what that character was." [20:35 - 21:00]
That's an irreplaceable cat: Percy Watson on WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes played an essential role in shaping the futures of many top WWE stars as he closely guided them during their early days in NXT.
The WWE Hall of Famer was one of the most charismatic performers of his era and had a great understanding of wrestling characters, which he passed on to the new generation of wrestlers.
Percy Watson said that Dusty Rhodes knew how to present gimmicks to the fans and helped the talent grasp the art of character development. Watson believes Rhodes's impact on the business was so enormous that he could never be replaced in the wrestling world.
"He always found a way to refine who that character was and make sure that character was presented the right way to the audience to be accepted. He had that gift. That's an irreplaceable cat! Much love to Dusty Rhodes, man, super cool!" said Watson. [21:00 - 21:24]
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