Hands On Loan: The Story of the Ronnie Garvin Heel Turn

On July 10th, 1988 in Baltimore, Maryland at the National Wrestling Alliance’s ‘Great American Bash’ pay per view…Dusty Rhodes challenged Barry Windham for the United States title. Dusty had the upper hand most of the match. When senior referee Tommy Young was knocked out during the course of the match, Rhodes had Windham pinned for several seconds. Rhodes got up from his pin attempt to see where the referee was.

That is when Dusty’s friend ‘Hands of Stone’ Ronnie Garvin ran to the ring. At first, it appeared that Garvin was going to help Dusty get Tommy Young back in the ring to make the three count on Windham. Instead, Garvin turned on Dusty by hitting him with his patterned right hand…knocking Rhodes unconscious. This allowed Windham to use his claw move and pin Dusty, thus retaining his U.S. title.

The announcers Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone and Bob Caudle played up the “shocking” heel turn by Garvin. A little while later, cameras caught Ronnie Garvin backstage with managers JJ Dillon and Gary Hart handing Garvin a briefcase. In that briefcase, was a bundle of cash which Garvin began kissing and rubbing all over his body. It became apparent, that Garvin sold his soul and friendship with Dusty Rhodes for money.

For many fans of the NWA and Ronnie Garvin during that time…his heel turn seemed random. It was done with no real rhyme or reason. Sure, there was a little hint he might turn heel when he was announced as showing up late for a TV taping, but other than that….nothing. Then came the big swerve at the Bash and suddenly…Garvin became a sell out who was now managed by Gary Hart.

A little less than a year before the turn, Garvin had one of the biggest pushes of his career, when he defeated Ric Flair for the NWA world heavyweight title. His title reign only lasted a couple of months with Garvin only defending the belt at the Starrcade ’87 pay per view and losing it back to Flair. Getting back to the heel turn at the GAB in 1988…what or who made that decision and why?

According to Garvin himself, it was all Dusty Rhodes’ idea. You see, during that period of time, Rhodes was the booker for Jim Crockett Jr. Garvin claims that he and Dusty were never really friends and the heel turn was all Rhodes’ idea to get himself over as a babyface. Simply put…it was all backstage politics and nothing more. Ronnie Garvin was never opposed to being a heel, he said the majority of his career was being the bad guy. It was the way Rhodes went about it.

Garvin claimed that Rhodes made sure the turn happened in Baltimore, which was a hot spot for Garvin. For whatever reason, Garvin was over big in Baltimore. Rhodes apparently wanted to steak that heat from Garvin and make himself the biggest babyface in that area. Garvin accused Rhodes of trying the same stunt with other “over” talent like teaming with Magnum TA, the Rock N Roll Express and the Road Warriors.

Garvin saw the writing on the wall. He did what was asked of him, but wasn’t happy about the idea. After the shocking heel turn, it was supposed to set up a major feud between Garvin and Rhodes…but the feud never occurred. Not one match between Rhodes and Garvin took place. Instead, Ronnie Garvin packed his bags and quit the company….leaving Dusty high and dry. To save face, Dusty Rhodes cut a promo saying he confronted Garvin at a bar and beat him up. Ronnie Garvin was supposedly so humiliated, he quit and ran off like a coward.

To be fair to Dusty, while the heel turn did seem pretty random…it could have led to a profitable feud between the two wrestlers. I would have to also argue that Dusty was a bigger star than Garvin was for Jim Crockett Promotions. Ron Garvin was more of a mid carder before winning the world title. Nevertheless, what might have been for Dusty and Garvin if the feud played out? Some of what Garvin said seemed like sour grapes…especially when he blamed Rhodes for being the sole person responsible for sinking Jim Crockett Jr.