Virgil Runnels
Biography
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr., better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker/writer, and trainer who most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, NWA Championship Wrestling from Florida, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), and WWE. Rhodes is considered one of the greatest wrestlers and talkers in the history of professional wrestling. Rhodes was a three-time NWA World's Heavyweight Champion, and during his time in Jim Crockett Promotions' Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, later known as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), he was a NWA United States Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time NWA World Television, NWA Tag Team and NWA World 6-Man Tag Team Champion. He also won many regional championships, and is one of seven men inducted into each of the WWE, WCW, Professional Wrestling, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Halls of Fame. His sons, Dustin and Cody, both pursued careers in professional wrestling, performing for WWE and AEW. Following his retirement from wrestling, he made occasional on-air appearances on WWE television and pay-per-views and worked as a backstage booker/writer and producer in WWE's NXT developmental territory. Billed as "the son of a plumber", Rhodes did not have a typical wrestler's physique; his character was that of the "common man", known for the personality exhibited in his interviews. WWE chairman Vince McMahon remarked that no wrestler "personified the essence of charisma quite like Dusty Rhodes".
Known For(137 works)
Raw
1993Raw
1993
Raw
1993Raw
1993
WWE NXT
2010WWE NXT
2010
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
1985WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
1985
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
1985WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
1985
WWF Wrestling Challenge
1986WWF Wrestling Challenge
1986
Burke's Law
1994Burke's Law
1994
ECW Hardcore TV
1993ECW Hardcore TV
1993
WWE Pay Per View
1985WWE Pay Per View
1985
Mid-South Wrestling
1981Mid-South Wrestling
1981
Mid-South Wrestling
1981Mid-South Wrestling
1981
TNA iMPACT!
2004TNA iMPACT!
2004
TNA iMPACT!
2004TNA iMPACT!
2004
TNA iMPACT!
2004TNA iMPACT!
2004
WWE Rivals
2022WWE Rivals
2022
Biography: WWE Legends
2021Biography: WWE Legends
2021
WWE Old School
1973WWE Old School
1973
WWF All-Star Wrestling
1975WWF All-Star Wrestling
1975
Clash of the Champions
1988Clash of the Champions
1988
Clash of the Champions
1988Clash of the Champions
1988
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
1981Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
1981
Wrestlemania Rewind
2014Wrestlemania Rewind
2014
NWA World Championship Wrestling
1985NWA World Championship Wrestling
1985
NWA World Championship Wrestling
1985NWA World Championship Wrestling
1985
WCW Monday Nitro
1995WCW Monday Nitro
1995
WCW Monday Nitro
1995WCW Monday Nitro
1995
ECW on TNN
1999ECW on TNN
1999
WWE Rivalries
2014WWE Rivalries
2014
WWE Hall of Fame
2005WWE Hall of Fame
2005
Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon
2016Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon
2016
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
2006WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
2006
WCW Thunder
1998WCW Thunder
1998
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
2010WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
2010
You Cannot Kill David Arquette
2020You Cannot Kill David Arquette
2020
American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes
2023American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes
2023
WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
2009WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
2009
WCW Arena Shows
1983WCW Arena Shows
1983
The Rise & Fall of WCW
2009The Rise & Fall of WCW
2009
WWE: The U.S. Championship: A Legacy of Greatness
2016WWE: The U.S. Championship: A Legacy of Greatness
2016
WWE Survivor Series 2006
2006WWE Survivor Series 2006
2006
The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s
2005The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s
2005
WWE The Great American Bash 2007
2007WWE The Great American Bash 2007
2007
WWE WrestleMania VI
1990WWE WrestleMania VI
1990
Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal
2024Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal
2024
WWE Cyber Sunday 2006
2006WWE Cyber Sunday 2006
2006
Sting: Into the Light
2015Sting: Into the Light
2015
WCW'S Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches Volume 1
2014WCW'S Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches Volume 1
2014
WWE Survivor Series 1989
1989WWE Survivor Series 1989
1989
WCW SuperBrawl 1
1991WCW SuperBrawl 1
1991
WWE Battleground 2013
2013WWE Battleground 2013
2013
WWE United We Slam: The Best of The Great American Bash
2014WWE United We Slam: The Best of The Great American Bash
2014
WWE Royal Rumble 1991
1991WWE Royal Rumble 1991
1991
WWE SummerSlam 1989
1989WWE SummerSlam 1989
1989
The Unreal Story Of Pro Wrestling
1998The Unreal Story Of Pro Wrestling
1998
Macho Madness - The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection
2009Macho Madness - The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection
2009
NWA Clash of the Champions II: Miami Mayhem
1988NWA Clash of the Champions II: Miami Mayhem
1988
WCW Souled Out 1998
1998WCW Souled Out 1998
1998
NWA Clash of the Champions
1988NWA Clash of the Champions
1988
Jeff Jarrett: King of the Mountain
2009Jeff Jarrett: King of the Mountain
2009
WWE Survivor Series 1990
1990WWE Survivor Series 1990
1990
NWA Starrcade 1987
1987NWA Starrcade 1987
1987
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
2013Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
2013
WCW Greed
2001WCW Greed
2001
Nature Boy
2017Nature Boy
2017
The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions
2012The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions
2012
Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man
2018Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man
2018
Gold Raiders
1982Gold Raiders
1982
WWE Royal Rumble 1990
1990WWE Royal Rumble 1990
1990
TNA Victory Road 2004
2004TNA Victory Road 2004
2004
The Wrestler
1974The Wrestler
1974
ECW Living Dangerously 2000
2000ECW Living Dangerously 2000
2000
WCW Clash of the Champions XXVIII
1994WCW Clash of the Champions XXVIII
1994
WWE Hall of Fame 2007
2007WWE Hall of Fame 2007
2007
NWA Clash of The Champions III: Fall Brawl '88
1988NWA Clash of The Champions III: Fall Brawl '88
1988
WWE: Starrcade - The Essential Collection
2012WWE: Starrcade - The Essential Collection
2012
WCW Halloween Havoc 1991
1991WCW Halloween Havoc 1991
1991
WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995
2017WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995
2017
A Future WWE: The FCW Story
2020A Future WWE: The FCW Story
2020
TNA: Best of the Asylum Years, Vol 2
2016TNA: Best of the Asylum Years, Vol 2
2016
TNA Final Resolution 2005
2005TNA Final Resolution 2005
2005
WCW Uncensored 1998
1998WCW Uncensored 1998
1998
NWA The Great American Bash '86: Livin' in the Promise Land
1986NWA The Great American Bash '86: Livin' in the Promise Land
1986
NWA The Great American Bash 1988
1988NWA The Great American Bash 1988
1988
WWE SummerSlam 1990
1990WWE SummerSlam 1990
1990
WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story
2006WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story
2006
WCW Fall Brawl 1994
1994WCW Fall Brawl 1994
1994
Nature Boy Ric Flair - The Definitive Collection
2008Nature Boy Ric Flair - The Definitive Collection
2008
The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story
2006The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story
2006
WWE: The Attitude Era
2012WWE: The Attitude Era
2012
NWA The Great American Bash '87: War Games
1987NWA The Great American Bash '87: War Games
1987
TNA Lockdown 2005
2005TNA Lockdown 2005
2005
The Second Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
1987The Second Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
1987
NWA Starrcade 1986
1986NWA Starrcade 1986
1986
WCW War Games: WCW's Most Notorious Matches
2013WCW War Games: WCW's Most Notorious Matches
2013
WCW All Nighter 1995
1995WCW All Nighter 1995
1995
NWA Starrcade 1984
1984NWA Starrcade 1984
1984
WWE Hottest Matches
1990WWE Hottest Matches
1990
Life In The Fast Lane
2007Life In The Fast Lane
2007
WCW WrestleWar 1991
1991WCW WrestleWar 1991
1991
NWA Starrcade 1988
1988NWA Starrcade 1988
1988
NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Charlotte
1986NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Charlotte
1986
ECW Wrestlepalooza 2000
2000ECW Wrestlepalooza 2000
2000
NWA Clash of The Champions IV: Season's Beatings
1988NWA Clash of The Champions IV: Season's Beatings
1988
WCW Clash of the Champions XXV
1993WCW Clash of the Champions XXV
1993
ROH: The Epic Encounter
2003ROH: The Epic Encounter
2003
NWA Starrcade 1985
1985NWA Starrcade 1985
1985
Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1
2007Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1
2007
ECW - Unreleased Vol. 3
2015ECW - Unreleased Vol. 3
2015
TNA Turning Point 2004
2004TNA Turning Point 2004
2004
WCW SuperBrawl VIII
1998WCW SuperBrawl VIII
1998
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
1990WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
1990
NWA Bunkhouse Stampede
1988NWA Bunkhouse Stampede
1988
TNA Wrestling: Enigma - The Best of Jeff Hardy
2005TNA Wrestling: Enigma - The Best of Jeff Hardy
2005
NWA Night of Champions
1984NWA Night of Champions
1984
NWA Boogie Jam
1984NWA Boogie Jam
1984
Paradise Park
1992Paradise Park
1992
I Like To Hurt People
1985I Like To Hurt People
1985
NWA Lords of The Ring
1984NWA Lords of The Ring
1984
TNA Against All Odds 2005
2005TNA Against All Odds 2005
2005
Mid-South WrestleFest '85
1985Mid-South WrestleFest '85
1985
Dusty Rhodes: Celebrating the Dream
2015Dusty Rhodes: Celebrating the Dream
2015
NWA The Last Tangle in Tampa
1980NWA The Last Tangle in Tampa
1980
WWE: The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection
2004WWE: The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection
2004
MLW King of Kings
2002MLW King of Kings
2002
NWA The Great American Bash 1985
1985NWA The Great American Bash 1985
1985
TNA Destination X 2005
2005TNA Destination X 2005
2005
ROH: Ring of Hardcore
2012ROH: Ring of Hardcore
2012
WCW/New Japan Supershow II
1992WCW/New Japan Supershow II
1992
Battle of the WWE Superstars
1990Battle of the WWE Superstars
1990
Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen
2007Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen
2007
NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Greensboro
1986NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Greensboro
1986
nWo: The Revolution
2012nWo: The Revolution
2012
NWA Wrestling The Danger Zone
1987NWA Wrestling The Danger Zone
1987
Fan Favorites
1989Fan Favorites
1989
ECW Hardcore Heaven 2000
2000ECW Hardcore Heaven 2000
2000
The Super Bowl of Wrestling
1978The Super Bowl of Wrestling
1978
NWA The Great American Bash 1988: Greensboro
1988NWA The Great American Bash 1988: Greensboro
1988