Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
| Dusty Rhodes | |
|---|---|
Rhodes circa 2008
|
|
| Birth name | Virgil Riley Runnels |
| Born |
October 12, 1945 Austin, Texas, United States |
| Died | June 11, 2015 (aged 69) Orlando, Florida, United States |
| Cause of death | Stomach cancer |
| Spouse(s) |
Sandra Runnels (m. 1965; div. 1975) Michelle Runnels (m. 1978; his death 2015) |
| Children | 4, including Dustin Runnels, Cody Runnels |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Dusty Rhodes Dusty Runnels The Midnight Rider Uvalde Slim The American Dream |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Billed weight | 275 lb (125 kg) |
| Billed from | Austin, Texas Diablo Canyon, Colorado |
| Trained by | Joe Blanchard |
| Debut | 1967 |
| Retired | 2007 |
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 most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, Jim Crockett Promotions, and the World Wrestling Federation, later known as the WWE. 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".
Rhodes was a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and during his time in Jim Crockett Promotions, later known as WCW, 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 six men inducted into each of the WWE, WCW, Professional Wrestling, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Halls of Fame. His sons, Dustin and Cody Runnels, both pursued careers in professional wrestling and performed for WWE.
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