Dusty Rhodes
Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. (October 12, 1945 – June 11, 2015), better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who worked for the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation, later known as WWE. Rhodes was considered a star wrestler and presented the persona of an American everyman, the American Dream personified.
| Dusty Rhodes | |
|---|---|
Rhodes, c. 1982 | |
| Birth name | Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. |
| Born | October 12, 1945 Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | June 11, 2015 (aged 69) Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Kidney failure |
| Alma mater | West Texas State University |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 4, including Dustin and Cody Rhodes |
| Family | Brandi Rhodes (daughter-in-law) Fred Ottman (brother-in-law) Jerry Sags (brother-in-law) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Bounty Hunter Dusty Rhodes Dusty Runnels The Midnight Rider Mr. Ichiban Uvalde Slim |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Billed weight | 275 lb (125 kg) |
| Billed from | Austin, Texas Diablo Canyon, Colorado |
| Trained by | Joe Blanchard |
| Debut | 1967 |
| Retired | 2010 |
Rhodes was a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and during his time in Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling, he was a United States Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time World Television, World Tag Team and World Six-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, currently performing for All Elite Wrestling and WWE, respectively.
Following his retirement from wrestling, he made occasional on-air appearances on WWE television and pay-per-views and worked as a backstage booker 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".