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WWE announcer Byron Saxton recently discussed how Dusty Rhodes influenced him to become an announcer.
Byron Saxton has long been associated with WWE. The 40-year-old was a rookie in the fourth and fifth seasons of NXT. He then focused his energy as a commentator for NXT and then moved to the announcement team for the red brand. He is currently a part of the RAW commentary alongside Corey Graves and Jimmy Smith. Saxton also won the 24/7 Championship last year before quickly losing it to Drake Maverick.
Speaking with Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast, Saxton mentioned that Dusty came up to him in 2008 during his time in WWE's developmental promotion Florida Championship Wrestling. He recalled the Hall of Famer asking him to hone his craft on the mic while also performing some managerial duties.
Here's what Byron had to say:
"That was Dusty Rhodes. I got signed in September 2007 in FCW. We started doing TV in 2008 and that's when Dusty approached me. He was like, 'Hey baby, we're going to have you do commentary. We're going to have you manage a little bit. But I want you to really hone your craft behind the microphone if you will.' That's a terrible impression but the best I can do." (From 20:04 - 20:29)
Dusty Rhodes was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2007
The "son of a plumber" is considered to be one of the most charismatic wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots. Rhodes worked his way to the top of the business during the territory days and became a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
His stint in the WWE saw him feuding with the likes of Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and "Macho King" Randy Savage. His illustrious career spanning over four decades was capped off with a Hall of Fame induction in 2007. He was a prominent part of WWE's developmental promotion and trained several current day superstars.
Dusty's legacy is carried on by the stars he trained and his sons Cody and Dustin Rhodes. It is heart-warming for fans to see some of the biggest stars credit the Hall of Famer for their success in the business.
While using the quotes from this article, please credit Out of Character and add a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcript.
