Virgil Runnels

Virgil Riley Runnels Jr better known as The American Dream Dusty Rhodes was an American professional wrestler bookerwriter 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 threetime NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion and during his time in Jim Crockett Promotions MidAtlantic Championship Wrestling later known as World Championship Wrestling WCW he was a NWA United States Heavyweight Champion and multitime NWA World Television NWA Tag Team and NWA World 6Man 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 onair appearances on WWE television and payperviews and worked as a backstage bookerwriter and producer in WWEs NXT developmental territory Billed as the son of a plumber Rhodes did not have a typical wrestlers 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