Dusty Rhodes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 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 |
Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. (born October 12, 1945 – died June 11, 2015), was a famous American professional wrestler. He was best known by his ring name, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. He was also a booker (someone who plans wrestling storylines) and a trainer.
Dusty Rhodes was a big star in wrestling. He played a character known as the "American everyman," someone who represented the dreams of regular people. Many people think he was one of the greatest wrestlers ever.
He won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times. He also won many other titles, like the United States Heavyweight Championship and tag team championships. Dusty Rhodes is one of only seven people to be in four different wrestling Halls of Fame! His sons, Dustin and Cody Rhodes, also became professional wrestlers.
After he stopped wrestling full-time, he still appeared on TV sometimes. He also worked behind the scenes for WWE, helping to plan shows and train new wrestlers. Even though he was called "the son of a plumber" and didn't look like a typical super-muscular wrestler, he was loved for his amazing personality and interviews. Vince McMahon, the head of WWE, once said that no wrestler had as much charisma as Dusty Rhodes.
Contents
Dusty Rhodes: Early Life and Career
Growing Up and Sports
Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. was born on October 12, 1945, in Austin, Texas. After high school, he played baseball and football at West Texas A&M University. He even tried out for a professional football team, the Boston Patriots, but didn't make the team. He played for another team briefly before it closed down.
Starting in Professional Wrestling
In 1967, Dusty saw an ad for a wrestling company. Even without any experience, he managed to get a job there. He started wrestling under the name Dusty Runnels. Later, in Texas, he changed his name to "Dusty Rhodes." He teamed up with another wrestler, Dick Murdoch, and they became known as The Texas Outlaws. They traveled all over the country and even to Japan to wrestle.
The American Dream: Becoming a Star
A Hero for the Common Man
In 1974, Dusty Rhodes became a "hero" (called a face in wrestling). This happened after his tag team partner and manager turned against him during a match. He started wrestling on his own, mostly in Florida. He called himself "The American Dream," a hero for everyday working people.
Dusty didn't have the usual body of a wrestler, but he was famous for his big personality and exciting interviews. He wrestled for Vince McMahon, Sr.'s World Wide Wrestling Federation (now WWE) from 1977 to 1983. He even wrestled for the top championship twice in Madison Square Garden.
Planning Matches and Big Rivalries
Dusty Rhodes also started working as a booker for Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). This meant he helped plan the storylines and matches for the wrestling shows. He teamed up with Magnum T. A. as "America's Team." They often fought against a famous group called The Four Horsemen.
Dusty had many big rivalries, especially with Ric Flair and Harley Race. He won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times by beating these two wrestling legends.
One of his most famous moments was an interview in 1985, known as his "Hard Times" speech. In this speech, he talked about the struggles of everyday people. He said things like, "Hard times are when the textile workers around this country are out of work... that's hard times!" This speech made fans feel a strong connection to him, as if he understood their problems. People even cried and thanked him for speaking for them.
As a booker, Dusty was very creative. He helped create "supercards" (big wrestling events) and special types of matches. However, some of his ideas, like the "Dusty finish" (where a match would end confusingly, often with the referee knocked out), started to make some fans unhappy.
Dusty was fired from WCW in 1988 after a rule was broken during a match. He had planned a storyline where a wrestler caused a cut on his eye, which was against the company's rules about on-screen injuries.
Wrestling in Different Companies
Trying a New Promotion
In 1989, Dusty tried to start a new wrestling company called the Professional Wrestling Federation (PWF) in Florida. He wanted it to become a big national company. He even won the first PWF Heavyweight Championship. However, the people funding the company didn't want to spend enough money to make it a national brand. So, Dusty decided to leave and join the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which is now WWE.
The "Common Man" in WWF
When Dusty Rhodes joined WWF in 1989, he was given a new character: the yellow polka-dotted "Common Man" Dusty Rhodes. He appeared in funny videos where he did everyday jobs like a plumber or a pizza delivery man, and people would recognize him. Some thought this character was meant to make fun of him, but Dusty made it popular.
He had big rivalries with wrestlers like Ted DiBiase ("The Million Dollar Man") and "Macho King" Randy Savage. He even teamed up with a manager named Sapphire, who represented the "common woman." At WrestleMania VI, Dusty and Sapphire won the first-ever mixed tag team match in WWF history.
His son, Dustin Rhodes, also started appearing in WWF around this time. Dusty's last full-time match was at the 1991 Royal Rumble, where he teamed with Dustin against Ted DiBiase and Virgil.
Back to WCW and ECW
Dusty returned to WCW in 1991 to work on the booking committee again. He also managed Ron Simmons, who later became the first African-American WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Dusty also joined the TV commentary team, explaining the matches to viewers.
He wrestled occasionally, often teaming with his son Dustin. In 1994, they teamed up to defeat Terry Funk and Bunkhouse Buck in a tag team match. He also joined the nWo group for a short time in 1998, managing The Outsiders.
In 2000, Dusty left WCW and went to Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). He had a rivalry with Steve Corino there. His final match in WCW was in 2001, where he teamed with Dustin to defeat Ric Flair and Jeff Jarrett.
Other Promotions and Final Matches
After WCW and ECW were bought by WWE, Dusty started his own wrestling company called Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. He also wrestled in other smaller promotions, continuing his rivalries with wrestlers like Terry Funk and Kevin Sullivan.
From 2003 to 2005, Dusty appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He even became the "Director of Authority," which meant he was in charge of making decisions for the shows.
Return to WWE and Legacy
Hall of Fame and Retirement
In 2005, Dusty Rhodes signed a deal with WWE and became a creative consultant, helping with storylines. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 31, 2007, by his sons, Dustin and Cody. During his speech, he even asked Ric Flair and Arn Anderson to join him in celebrating. He also helped induct many other wrestling legends into the Hall of Fame.
Dusty wrestled his final WWE match at The Great American Bash in 2007, losing to Randy Orton. He officially retired from full-time wrestling at age 61. His very last match ever was in 2010, where he teamed with Cody and Dustin to win a six-man tag team match.
Training New Stars
Dusty became a head writer and creative director for WWE's developmental brand, NXT. He was a mentor and trainer to many young wrestlers, helping them develop their characters and interview skills. Many current WWE and AEW stars, like Kevin Owens and Becky Lynch, have said that Dusty's lessons were very important to their careers.
In 2013, Dusty appeared on Raw to help his sons, Cody and Dustin, get their jobs back in WWE. He even performed his famous "Bionic Elbow" on Dean Ambrose during a match. His final appearance on WWE TV was in March 2015.
Personal Life and Death
Family Life
Dusty Rhodes, whose real name was Virgil Runnels Jr., was married twice. He had two children with his first wife, Sandra: Dustin and Kristin. In 1978, he married Michelle Rubio, and they had two more children: Teil and Cody. He was married to Michelle for 37 years until he passed away. He had six grandchildren.
Passing Away
In his later years, Dusty Rhodes had kidney disease. On June 10, 2015, he fell at his home in Orlando, Florida, and was taken to the hospital. He died the next day at age 69 due to kidney failure.
After his death, WWE held a special ten-bell salute in his honor at a pay-per-view event. They also showed a video tribute on Raw. NXT, where he trained so many wrestlers, also honored him.
Legacy and Influence
Dusty Rhodes is remembered as one of the best wrestlers ever because of his amazing charisma and interview skills. His "Hard Times" promo is still considered one of the greatest wrestling speeches.
He helped many wrestlers with their careers when he worked backstage. Wrestlers like Diamond Dallas Page have said that Dusty greatly influenced them. The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, a tag team tournament, is held every year in NXT to honor him.
At All Elite Wrestling, the area where wrestlers wait before going out to the ring is called "The Dusty Position" in his memory. In the WWE Performance Center, where he taught promo classes, there's a puppet of Dusty hanging there, showing that his spirit is still watching over the students.
Championships and Awards
Dusty Rhodes won many championships and awards throughout his career:
- 50th State Big Time Wrestling
- NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Hawaii version) (1 time)
- Big Time Wrestling
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit Version) (1 time) – with Dick Murdoch
- Central States Wrestling
- NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (1 time) – with Dick Murdoch
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Florida version) (2 times)
- NWA Florida Bahamian Championship (1 time)
- NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Magnum T. A.
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (12 times)
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Dick Murdoch (1), Dick Slater (1), Bobo Brazil (1), and André the Giant (1)
- NWA Florida Television Championship (2 times)
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) (10 times)
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (2 times) – with Bugsy McGraw (1) and Blackjack Mulligan (1)
- NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2017
- Georgia Championship Wrestling
- NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA National Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- International Wrestling Alliance (Australia)
- IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dick Murdoch
- Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling/Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Buff Bagwell
- NWA United States Heayvweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with The Road Warriors
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (2 times) – with Dick Slater (1) and Manny Fernandez (1)
- NWA World Television Championship (3 times)
- Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament (1987) – with Nikita Koloff
- Bunkhouse Stampede (1985–1988)
- WCW Hall of Fame (Class of 1995)
- Pro Wrestling Federation (Florida)
- PWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- National Wrestling Alliance
- NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2011)
- NWA Legends Hall of Heroes (Class of 2016)
- NWA Big Time Wrestling
- NWA American Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Baron von Raschke (1) and Dick Murdoch (1)
- NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Texas version) (3 times)
- NWA San Francisco
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time)
- NWA Tri-State
- NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time)
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version) (2 times) – with André the Giant and The Spoiler
- National Wrestling Federation
- NWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dick Murdoch
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- Greatest 18 Club inductee
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Feud of the Year (1987) with Nikita Koloff and The Road Warriors vs. Four Horsemen
- Match of the Year (1979) vs. Harley Race on August 21
- Match of the Year (1986) vs. Ric Flair in a cage match at The Great American Bash
- Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1978, 1979, 1987)
- Stanley Weston Award (2013)
- Wrestler of the Year (1977, 1978)
- Ranked No. 193 of the top 500 wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2001
- Ranked No. 11 of the top 500 wrestlers of "PWI Years" in 2003
- Ranked No. 76 and No. 88 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Magnum T. A. and Manny Fernandez, respectively, in 2003
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
- IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dick Murdoch
- World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
- Slammy Award (1 time)
- "Say What" Quote of the Year (2013) – "One stipulation: I'm in my boys' corner and I'll be your huckleberry all night long".
- WWE Bronze Statue (2016)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Babyface (1980)
- Best Booker (1986)
- Most Charismatic (1982) tied with Ric Flair
- Most Embarrassing Wrestler (1990)
- Most Overrated (1987, 1988)
- Most Obnoxious (1988, 1989)
- Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler (1987, 1988)
- Worst Feud of the Year (1988) vs. Tully Blanchard
- Worst Gimmick (1988)
- Worst Television Announcer (1997)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
Media
- Books
- Autobiography: Dusty: Reflections of an American Dream (2005)
- DVDs
- The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story (2006)
- Movies
- Video Games
- Dusty Rhodes has appeared in many wrestling video games, including ECW Anarchy Rulz, Showdown: Legends of Wrestling, and several WWE 2K games.
Images for kids
-
Rhodes, circa 1982
See also
In Spanish: Dusty Rhodes para niños
