Virgil Runnels

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".

Filmography (145 Appearances)

American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes

2023

WWE Rivals

2022

Biography: WWE Legends

2021

You Cannot Kill David Arquette

2020

A Future WWE: The FCW Story

2020

Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man

2018

Nature Boy

2017

WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995

2017

Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon

2016

TNA: Best of the Asylum Years, Vol 2

2016

WWE: The U.S. Championship: A Legacy of Greatness

2016

Sting: Into the Light

2015

Dusty Rhodes: Celebrating the Dream

2015

ECW - Unreleased Vol. 3

2015

WWE Rivalries

2014

WWE United We Slam: The Best of The Great American Bash

2014

WCW'S Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches Volume 1

2014

Wrestlemania Rewind

2014

WWE Battleground 2013

2013

Legends of Mid-South Wrestling

2013

WCW War Games: WCW's Most Notorious Matches

2013

WWE WrestleMania 29 Kickoff

2013

The JBL and Cole Show

2012

WWE: The Attitude Era

2012

nWo: The Revolution

2012

The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions

2012

WWE: Starrcade - The Essential Collection

2012

ROH: Ring of Hardcore

2012

WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time

2010

WWE NXT

2010

The Rise & Fall of WCW

2009

Macho Madness - The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection

2009

Jeff Jarrett: King of the Mountain

2009

WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event

2009

Nature Boy Ric Flair - The Definitive Collection

2008

Life In The Fast Lane

2007

Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1

2007

WWE The Great American Bash 2007

2007

Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen

2007

WWE Hall of Fame 2007

2007

WWE Survivor Series 2006

2006

WWE Cyber Sunday 2006

2006

WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology

2006

WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story

2006

The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story

2006

TNA Wrestling: Enigma - The Best of Jeff Hardy

2005

The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s

2005

TNA Lockdown 2005

2005

WWE Hall of Fame

2005

TNA Destination X 2005

2005

TNA Against All Odds 2005

2005

TNA Final Resolution 2005

2005

TNA Turning Point 2004

2004

TNA Victory Road 2004

2004

NEW Renegades Rampage

2004

TNA iMPACT!

2004

HUSTLE-3

2004

WWE: The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection

2004

FIP Return Of The Dream

2003

ROH: The Epic Encounter

2003

Major League Wrestling: Underground TV

2003

3PW Legends Collide

2003

MLW King of Kings

2002

WCW Greed

2001

ECW Hardcore Heaven 2000

2000

ECW Wrestlepalooza 2000

2000

ECW Living Dangerously 2000

2000

ECW on TNN

1999

The Unreal Story Of Pro Wrestling

1998

WCW Uncensored 1998

1998

WCW SuperBrawl VIII

1998

WCW Souled Out 1998

1998

WCW Thunder

1998

Paradise Park

1996

WCW: Ric Flar - 2 Decades of Excellence

1995

WCW Monday Nitro

1995

WCW All Nighter 1995

1995

WCW Fall Brawl 1994

1994

WCW Clash of the Champions XXVIII

1994

Burke's Law

1994

WCW Clash of the Champions XXV

1993

ECW Hardcore TV

1993

Raw

1993

WCW/New Japan Supershow II

1992

WCW Halloween Havoc 1991

1991

WCW SuperBrawl 1

1991

WCW WrestleWar 1991

1991

WWE Royal Rumble 1991

1991

WWE Survivor Series 1990

1990

WWE Hottest Matches

1990

WWE SummerSlam 1990

1990

Battle of the WWE Superstars

1990

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: June '90

1990

WWE WrestleMania VI

1990

WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI

1990

WWE Royal Rumble 1990

1990

WWE Survivor Series 1989

1989

WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89

1989

WWE SummerSlam 1989

1989

Fan Favorites

1989

PWF Homecoming

1989

NWA Starrcade 1988

1988

NWA Clash of The Champions IV: Season's Beatings

1988

NWA Clash of The Champions III: Fall Brawl '88

1988

NWA The Great American Bash 1988: Greensboro

1988

NWA The Great American Bash 1988

1988

NWA Clash of the Champions II: Miami Mayhem

1988

The Third Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament

1988

Clash of the Champions

1988

NWA Clash of the Champions

1988

NWA Bunkhouse Stampede

1988

NWA Starrcade 1987

1987

NWA Wrestling The Danger Zone

1987

NWA The Great American Bash '87: War Games

1987

The Second Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament

1987

NWA Super Towns on The SuperStation

1987

NWA Starrcade 1986

1986

WWF Wrestling Challenge

1986

NWA The Great American Bash '86: Livin' in the Promise Land

1986

NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Greensboro

1986

NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Charlotte

1986

The First Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament

1986

NWA Superstars on The SuperStation

1986

AWA/NWA Night of Champions II

1985

Pro Wrestling USA Star Wars: December 1984

1985

NWA Starrcade 1985

1985

NWA World Championship Wrestling

1985

Mid-South WrestleFest '85

1985

NWA The Great American Bash 1985

1985

I Like To Hurt People

1985

Saturday Night's Main Event

1985

NWA Starrcade 1984

1984

NWA Lords of The Ring

1984

NWA Night of Champions

1984

NWA Boogie Jam

1984

WCW Arena Shows

1983

Gold Raiders

1982

NWA Sam Muchnick Retirement Show

1982

Mid-South Wrestling

1981

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling

1981

NWA The Last Tangle in Tampa

1980

The Super Bowl of Wrestling

1978

WWF All-Star Wrestling

1975

The Wrestler

1974 Debut

WWE Old School

1973
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