Virgil Runnels
- Acting
- October 12, 1945 · Austin, Texas, USA
- June 11, 2015
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
Filmography
- Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal · Self
- American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes · Self
- WWE Rivals · Dusty Rhodes
- Biography: WWE Legends
- You Cannot Kill David Arquette · Self
- A Future WWE: The FCW Story · Self
- Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man
- Nature Boy · Self
- WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995
- Fight Owens Fight: The Kevin Owens Story · Self
- Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon · Dusty Rhodes (Voice)
- TNA: Best of the Asylum Years, Vol 2 · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE: The U.S. Championship: A Legacy of Greatness · Dusty Rhodes (archive footage)
- Sting: Into the Light · Dusty Rhodes
- Dusty Rhodes: Celebrating the Dream
- ECW - Unreleased Vol. 3 · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE Tribute to the Troops 2014 · Executive producer
- WWE Rivalries · Self
- WWE United We Slam: The Best of The Great American Bash · Dusty Rhodes
- WCW'S Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches Volume 1 · Dusty Rhodes
- Wrestlemania Rewind · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE Battleground 2013 · Dusty Rhodes (Ringside)
- Legends of Mid-South Wrestling · Dusty Rhodes
- WCW War Games: WCW's Most Notorious Matches · Dusty Rhodes, Executive Consultant
- WWE WrestleMania 29 Kickoff · "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
- The JBL and Cole Show · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE: The Attitude Era · Dusty
- nWo: The Revolution
- The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE: Starrcade - The Essential Collection · Dusty Rhodes
- ROH: Ring of Hardcore · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time · "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
- WWE NXT · Writer
- The Rise & Fall of WCW · Dusty Rhodes
- Macho Madness - The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection
- Jeff Jarrett: King of the Mountain · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event · Dusty Rhodes
- Nature Boy Ric Flair - The Definitive Collection · Dusty Rhodes
- Life In The Fast Lane
- Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1 · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE The Great American Bash 2007 · Dusty Rhodes
- Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE Hall of Fame 2007 · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE Royal Rumble 2007 · Writer
- WWE Survivor Series 2006 · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE Cyber Sunday 2006 · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story · Dusty Rhodes
- The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE Royal Rumble 2006 · Writer
- TNA Wrestling: Enigma - The Best of Jeff Hardy · Dusty Rhodes
- The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s · Self
- TNA Lockdown 2005 · Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
- WWE Hall of Fame · Self
- TNA Destination X 2005 · Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.), Writer
- TNA Against All Odds 2005 · Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
- TNA Final Resolution 2005 · Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
- TNA Turning Point 2004 · Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
- TNA Victory Road 2004 · Dusty Rhodes (Appearance)
- NEW Renegades Rampage · Dusty Rhodes
- TNA iMPACT! · Dusty Rhodes., Dusty Rhodes
- HUSTLE-3 · Dusty Rhodes
- WWE: The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection · Dusty Rhodes
- FIP Return Of The Dream · Dusty Rhodes
- ROH: The Epic Encounter · Dusty Rhodes
- Major League Wrestling: Underground TV
- 3PW Legends Collide
- MLW King of Kings · Dusty Rhodes
- WCW Greed · Dusty Rhodes
- ECW Hardcore Heaven 2000 · Dusty Rhodes
- ECW Wrestlepalooza 2000 · Dusty Rhodes (Appearance)
- ECW Living Dangerously 2000 · Dusty Rhodes
- ECW on TNN · Dusty Rhodes
- WCW Road Wild 1999 · Writer
- WCW Bash at the Beach 1999 · Writer
- WCW The Great American Bash 1999 · Writer
- WCW Slamboree 1999 · Writer
- WWE Friday Night SmackDown
- WCW Spring Stampede 1999 · Writer
- WCW Uncensored 1999 · Writer