Opinion

Cook’s Top 5: Diamond Dallas Page Accomplishments

Steve Cook takes a look at the amazing list of accomplishments for Diamond Dallas Page.

Published

5 years ago

October 27, 2019

Steve Cook

Steve Cook takes a look at the amazing list of accomplishments for Diamond Dallas Page.

Diamond Dallas Page is 63 years old. I find this information to be mind boggling. Sure, DDP started his wrestling career at a later age than most. The height of his stardom was twenty years ago. And if you look at the guy, he doesn’t look much different than he did twenty years ago.

https://twitter.com/AEWrestling/status/1187194190310105088

People that have read my work for a long time know that I can be a bit of an ageist when it comes to pro wrestlers. I’m not big on people overstaying their welcome at the expense of kids needing to make a buck. DDP is an exception to my rule, as he still looks like he can drop somebody with a Diamond Cutter quicker than a hiccup. And frankly, he’s probably in better physical condition now than he was back in the WCW days.

DDP was looked down on by wrestling fans. Then they accepted him. Then some people tried to bury him for a minute. By now, almost everybody recognizes him as the icon he is. Today, we look at DDP’s Top 5 Accomplishments.

5. Three-Time WCW Champion

DDP was the People’s Champion throughout most of his time in WCW, and when he finally won the Big Gold Belt in 1999 most of us thought he was a deserving title-holder. It’s interesting how public opinion can be influenced by powerful names. Once Ric Flair buried DDP in his book, people decided that Page wasn’t a deserving WCW Champion. That’s some nonsense to those of us that watched the shows & aren’t easily influenced. Page worked his ass off for WCW and deserved anything they gave him, regardless of how close he lived to any executives.

4. DDPYOGA

I’m probably rating this too low because I’ve never bought into the idea of trying yoga. Maybe I should, and maybe it would help me. I know it’s been a life-changer for many people, including some older wrestlers. Chris Jericho has credited the program for keeping him in shape & doing what he does. Mick Foley even went into it and probably extended his life expectancy by a decade or so. Then there’s the countless testimonials, and DDP’s current shape. Tough to argue against it.

3. Teaming with Karl Malone & Jay Leno

There’s a lot to be said for being the guy that WCW trusted to work with newbie celebrities and help them have competent matches. WWE has spent a lot of time on Monday Night War related DVD & Network specials burying the involvement of the likes of Malone & Leno in WCW and blaming them for the downfall of the company. All I know is that when I was watching the stuff…it worked. Nobody ever compared Jay Leno to Lou Thesz, but the one match he had didn’t stink Sturgis out. As far as Karl Malone goes…that dude was damn talented. DDP got him into the game, and it’s a shame the Mailman never got more into it.

Of all the problems WCW had, the involvement of these guys teaming with DDP wasn’t as high on the list as certain people would have you believe.

2. Never joining the NWO

Everybody expected Page to join up with the NWO. For heaven’s sake, he’d managed Scott Hall, and he’d worked with Kevin Nash in a tag team. It seemed like the easiest choice in the world to make. Why wouldn’t DDP join up with his old running buddies, who happened to be among the biggest stars in the business? Instead, DDP remained loyal to the company that employed him. He teased joining one time, even wearing the shirt. Then he hit Hall with the Diamond Cutter, and everybody lost their mind. That was when DDP became the People’s Champion. He remained loyal to WCW throughout all of the NWO changes through the years. He would team with Nash again as the Insiders, but there was no NWO branding by that point.

If you wonder why the Rhodes family welcomed DDP into the fold, there’s one big reason. The man is loyal. Once he got adopted by Dusty, he was down with whatever Dustin & Cody wanted to do.

Honorable Mention: Kimberly Page

I might get yelled at for this. But let’s be honest. Kimberly was way out of DDP’s league, or anybody else’s league for that matter. The fact that Page won her over for any period of time is a tremendous accomplishment in my book. Come on now.

1. Saving Scott Hall & Jake Roberts

While we’re being honest, we have to admit that Scott & Jake should have been dead long before now. They would admit that. Both men had hit rock bottom when DDP invited them to come into his home. Scott had first, and he was part of getting Jake to come in. Both men had fallen victim to addiction, and somehow Page was able to create an environment that allowed them to overcome it. Those of us that have been around for years know how impossible that seems. And as a man whose first favorite wrestler was Jake “The Snake” Roberts, I’ll forever be grateful for DDP to helping that man get straightened out.

Maybe that’s part of the reason I’ll accept DDP walking tall over AEW heels when he’s 70. And he’ll probably look like he’s 40 then.

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