Virgil Runnels
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".
Acting (103 movies)
I Like To Hurt People
1985
The Greatest Stars of the 80's
2005
Dusty Rhodes: Celebrating the Dream
2015
Battle of the WWE Superstars
1990
WWE Hottest Matches
1990
Gold Raiders
1982
WWE Royal Rumble 1990
1990
WWE Royal Rumble 1991
1991
American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes
2023
NWA Starrcade '84: The Million Dollar Challenge
1984
The Unreal Story Of Pro Wrestling
1998
TNA Against All Odds 2005
2005
TNA Lockdown 2005
2005
TNA Destination X 2005
2005
TNA Victory Road 2004
2004
WWE WrestleMania VI
1990
WWE Survivor Series 2006
2006
WWE SummerSlam 1990
1990
WCW War Games: WCW's Most Notorious Matches
2013
NWA Starrcade '85: The Gathering
1985
NWA The Great American Bash 1985
1985
NWA The Great American Bash '86: Livin' in the Promise Land
1986
TNA Turning Point 2004
2004
TNA Final Resolution 2005
2005
NWA Starrcade '86: The Night of The Sky-Walkers
1986
NWA Starrcade '87: Chi-Town Heat!
1987
NWA The Great American Bash '87: War Games
1987
NWA Bunkhouse Stampede
1988
NWA The Great American Bash '88: The Price for Freedom
1988
NWA Starrcade '88: True Gritt
1988
WCW Halloween Havoc '91
1991
WCW/New Japan Supershow II
1992
WWE Cyber Sunday 2006
2006
WWE The Great American Bash 2007
2007
WCW Fall Brawl 1994
1994
WWE Battleground 2013
2013
WCW Greed
2001
WWE Survivor Series 1990
1990
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
2006
WCW Souled Out 1998
1998
WCW SuperBrawl VIII
1998
WCW Uncensored 1998
1998
ECW Hardcore Heaven 2000
2000
Fan Favorites
1989
WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story
2006
WCW'S Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches Volume 1
2014
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
2010
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
2013
A Future WWE: The FCW Story
2020
WCW WrestleWar 1991
1991
WCW SuperBrawl: Return from The Rising Sun
1991
Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1
2007
The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions
2012
WWE United We Slam: The Best of The Great American Bash
2014
Nature Boy
2017
WWE: The U.S. Championship: A Legacy of Greatness
2016
Macho Madness - The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection
2009
Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon
2016
WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995
2017
Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man
2018
Life In The Fast Lane
2007
TNA Wrestling: Enigma - The Best of Jeff Hardy
2005
The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story
2006
WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
2009
Jeff Jarrett: King of the Mountain
2009
ROH: Ring of Hardcore
2012
TNA: Best of the Asylum Years, Vol 2
2016
ECW - Unreleased Vol. 3
2015
WWE: Starrcade - The Essential Collection
2012
WWE: The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection
2004
Nature Boy Ric Flair - The Definitive Collection
2008
Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen
2007
The Rise & Fall of WCW
2009
Sting: Into the Light
2015
WWE Hall of Fame 2007
2007
ECW Living Dangerously 2000
2000
The Wrestler
1974
MLW King of Kings
2002
You Cannot Kill David Arquette
2020
The Super Bowl of Wrestling
1978
NWA Clash of the Champions II: Miami Mayhem
1988
NWA Clash of the Champions
1988
NWA Clash of The Champions IV: Season's Beatings
1988
NWA Clash of The Champions III: Fall Brawl '88
1988
WWE SummerSlam 1989
1989
WWE Survivor Series 1989
1989
NWA Boogie Jam
1984
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
1990
NWA Night of Champions
1984
NWA The Last Tangle in Tampa
1980
NWA Lords of The Ring
1984
NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Greensboro
1986
NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Charlotte
1986
ROH: The Epic Encounter
2003
The Second Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
1987
Paradise Park
1996
WCW Clash of the Champions XXVIII
1994
nWo: The Revolution
2012
WWE: The Attitude Era
2012
WCW Clash of the Champions XXV
1993