WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page has reflected on a pivotal conversation with the late Dusty Rhodes that helped reshape the course of his wrestling career.

During an appearance on What Do You Wanna Talk About? with Cody Rhodes, DDP looked back on a period in late 1994 when he was battling self-doubt. At 38 years old, he felt overlooked in WCW and was convinced that those making decisions behind the scenes would never view him as a future main event star.

Recalling the discussion, DDP said:

“I am bitching up a storm in late ‘94. So, you know, I’m like 38 years old and I’m this booking committee is never going to, they’re never going to see it in me.”

At the time, Page believed he could never reach the level of legends such as Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, or Hulk Hogan.

“You know, Dream, I know I’m never going to be you or Ric or Hulk. I know I’m never going to be the world champion.”

That statement immediately drew a strong reaction from Rhodes.

“He said, ‘Enough. What the f* did you just say?’”

After DDP repeated himself, Rhodes challenged him directly.

“I’m never going to be the world champion. Then what the f* are you doing it for?”

Rhodes went on to stress that success begins with self-belief and that no one else would invest in him if he could not invest in himself.

“If you don’t believe, Dee, as hard as you work, as much time as you put in the business, if you don’t believe, how the hell is anybody else going to believe?”

The WWE Hall of Famer said Rhodes did not stop there, delivering a message that left a lasting impression.

“If you don’t believe, you need to get the f*** out of our business right now. I pulled the pad over and I wrote, ‘I will be the world champion in five years or less.’ It was four years, four months and 14 days.”

The advice proved prophetic. Less than five years later, DDP reached the top of WCW and went on to capture the WCW World Heavyweight Championship three times, cementing his legacy as one of the promotion's biggest success stories.