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| Article: |
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| Sons Of The Father |
Charlie Benson |
Why Legacy could never have lived up to the standards set by Evolution
For Ted DiBiase Jr and Cody Rhodes, there was never a question of where their respective destinies lay. As scions of two legendary wrestling stars – ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase Snr and ‘The American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes – young Ted and Cody were always likely to find a path into the business that has provided their famous fathers with fame, notoriety and considerable wealth. The rise of a man’s son is, in many ways, the essence of human nature, and pro wrestling has long been associated with nepotistic and invariably uncomfortable attempts by the children of greatness to capitalise on the achievements of their elders.
This avarice-laden desire to see the son rise from the father’s shadow has generated some frankly painful episodes in wrestling history. Few who witnessed the pitiful contributions from ‘performers’ of the calibre of David Flair or Greg Gagne could argue that a legendary father invariably results in a favourable gene pool. Not that there haven’t been exceptions though; the late, great Curt ‘Mr. Perfect’ Hennig was an outstanding wrestler in his prime and a bona-fide star who wore championships and enjoyed considerable acclaim. Alas, not even perfection (in this case) is the example that proves the rule.
Thankfully, DiBiase and Rhodes have so far proven themselves worthy of the praise that’s been lavished upon them for the longest time now. The booking team – and, indeed, Vince McMahon - provided a compelling illustration of their collective confidence in the youngsters by pairing them with company darling Randy Orton and having them form the Legacy stable; a ‘sons of great wrestlers’ heel triumvirate conceived as an eventual top-line vehicle for all of its members, not just established headliner Orton.
In a time when WWE is desperately short on candidates for its much-needed new generation, the promise displayed by the Legacy duo has been a source of much delight and legitimate hope for fans and management alike. Not surprisingly, a major component in the development of Legacy’s members has been Randy Orton’s leadership. Though Orton’s ‘twisted viper’ persona hasn’t always played well with the perception of a team unit, the association of Rhodes and DiBiase with a legitimate main event performer of Orton’s standing immediately established credibility in the eyes of the WWE fans. Subsequent feuds with the entire McMahon family (Triple H included) and the umpteenth D-Generation X reunion have solidified the group’s standing in the eyes of both the WWE Universe and hardcore fans, and as a result, the group – and, specifically, Cody and Ted – are over and established. All things considered, that’s an impressive feat given the relatively meagre amount of mainstream experience of either man, not to mention the incongruous thrashings both were forced to endure at the hands of ‘Career Killer’ Shane McMahon last year...
For the rest of this feature, check out issue 53 of FSM - available at WH Smith and all good retailers. (For US readers we are now carried at Borders and Barnes & Noble, so check for local availability or click here to subscribe.)
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