Virgil Runnels
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- October 12, 1945
- Died
- June 11, 2015 (aged 69)
- Birthplace
- Austin, Texas, USA
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
Photos
Filmography
Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal
Movie · as Self
American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes
Movie · as Self (Archival Footage)
WWE Rivals
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 1 ep
Biography: WWE Legends
TV · 1 ep
A Future WWE: The FCW Story
Movie · as Himself
You Cannot Kill David Arquette
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man
Movie
Nature Boy
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995
Movie
Fight Owens Fight: The Kevin Owens Story
Movie · as Self
WWE: The U.S. Championship: A Legacy of Greatness
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (archive footage)
Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (voice)
TNA: Best of the Asylum Years, Vol 2
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes: Celebrating the Dream
Movie
ECW - Unreleased Vol. 3
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Sting: Into the Light
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WCW'S Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches Volume 1
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE United We Slam: The Best of The Great American Bash
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Rivalries
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Wrestlemania Rewind
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 1 ep
WCW War Games: WCW's Most Notorious Matches
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Battleground 2013
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (Ringside)
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE WrestleMania 29 Kickoff
Movie · as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
ROH: Ring of Hardcore
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE: Starrcade - The Essential Collection
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
nWo: The Revolution
Movie
WWE: The Attitude Era
Movie · as Dusty
The JBL and Cole Show
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 1 ep
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
Movie · as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
WWE NXT
TV · 25 eps
Macho Madness - The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection
Movie
WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Jeff Jarrett: King of the Mountain
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
The Rise & Fall of WCW
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Nature Boy Ric Flair - The Definitive Collection
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE The Great American Bash 2007
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Life In The Fast Lane
Movie
Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Hall of Fame 2007
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Survivor Series 2006
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Cyber Sunday 2006
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s
Movie · as Self
TNA Lockdown 2005
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
TNA Destination X 2005
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
TNA Against All Odds 2005
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
TNA Final Resolution 2005
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
TNA Wrestling: Enigma - The Best of Jeff Hardy
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Hall of Fame
TV · as Self · 2 eps
NEW Renegades Rampage
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
TNA Victory Road 2004
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (Appearance)
TNA Turning Point 2004
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
WWE: The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
HUSTLE-3
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
TNA iMPACT!
TV · as Dusty Rhodes. · 3 eps
3PW Legends Collide
Movie
FIP Return Of The Dream
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
ROH: The Epic Encounter
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Major League Wrestling: Underground TV
TV · 35 eps
MLW King of Kings
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Greed
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
ECW Hardcore Heaven 2000
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
ECW Wrestlepalooza 2000
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (Appearance)
ECW Living Dangerously 2000
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
ECW on TNN
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 59 eps
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
TV · 3 eps
The Unreal Story Of Pro Wrestling
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Souled Out 1998
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (Ringside)
WCW SuperBrawl VIII
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Uncensored 1998
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Thunder
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 3 eps
WCW All Nighter 1995
Movie
WCW: Ric Flair - 2 Decades of Excellence
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Monday Nitro
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 262 eps
WCW Fall Brawl 1994
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Clash of the Champions XXVIII
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Burke's Law
TV · as Archie 'Mad Dog' McCray · 1 ep
WCW Clash of the Champions XXV
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (Ringside)
Raw
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 8 eps
ECW Hardcore TV
TV · 364 eps
WCW/New Japan Supershow II
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Paradise Park
Movie · as Deputy Johnny Morton
WWE Royal Rumble 1991
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Halloween Havoc 1991
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (Cornerman)
WCW WrestleWar 1991
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (Commentator)
WCW SuperBrawl 1
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (Commentator)
Battle of the WWE Superstars
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Hottest Matches
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Royal Rumble 1990
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE WrestleMania VI
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE SummerSlam 1990
Movie · as "The Common Man" Dusty Rhodes
WWE Survivor Series 1990
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: June '90
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
Movie · as "The Common Man" Dusty Rhodes
Fan Favorites
Movie
PWF Homecoming
Movie · as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
WWE SummerSlam 1989
Movie · as Himself
WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes (Ringside)
WWE Survivor Series 1989
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Bunkhouse Stampede
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash 1988
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Starrcade 1988
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
The Third Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
Movie · as The Midnight Rider
NWA Clash of the Champions
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Clash of the Champions II: Miami Mayhem
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Clash of The Champions III: Fall Brawl '88
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Clash of The Champions IV: Season's Beatings
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash 1988: Greensboro
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Clash of the Champions
TV · as Dusty Rhodes, Dusty Rhodes (Ringside) · 5 eps
NWA Starrcade 1987
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash '87: War Games
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Super Towns on The SuperStation
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
The Second Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
Movie · as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
NWA Wrestling The Danger Zone
Movie
NWA Starrcade 1986
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash '86: Livin' in the Promise Land
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Superstars on The SuperStation
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
The First Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Charlotte
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Greensboro
Movie · as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
WWF Wrestling Challenge
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 24 eps
WWF Superstars
TV · as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes · 23 eps
I Like To Hurt People
Movie · as Self
AWA/NWA Night of Champions II
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Starrcade 1985
Movie · as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash 1985
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Pro Wrestling USA Star Wars: December 1984
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Mid-South WrestleFest '85
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 3 eps
NWA World Championship Wrestling
TV · as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, Midnight Rider · 90 eps
NWA Starrcade 1984
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Boogie Jam
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Night of Champions
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Lords of The Ring
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Arena Shows
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 3 eps
Gold Raiders
Movie
NWA Sam Muchnick Retirement Show
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
Mid-South Wrestling
TV · as Dusty Rhodes, 'The American Dream' Dusty Rhodes · 6 eps
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 30 eps
NWA The Last Tangle in Tampa
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
The Super Bowl of Wrestling
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWF All-Star Wrestling
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 4 eps
The Wrestler
Movie · as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Old School
TV · as Dusty Rhodes · 6 eps