- Born
- Died
- Birth nameVirgil Riley Runnels
- Nicknames
- The American Dream
- The Bull of the Woods
- Dirty Dusty Rhodes
- Height6′ 0½″ (1.84 m)
- "The American Dream" has been one of the most popular and colorful professional wrestlers in history. Rhodes began wrestling in the 1960s and gained a reputation as a fast-talking, hard-rocking wrestler. He teamed early in his career with fellow Texan, the late Dick Murdoch, and, for more than 20 years, they wreaked havoc in on- and off-again tag team appearances. Rhodes, always a tough brawler with a few "scientific" moves, finally won his first NWA World heavyweight championship by beating "Handsome" Harley Race in 1979. Although his first title reign would last less than a week, Rhodes managed to capture the NWA title on two more occasions. Today, Rhodes runs a small promotion called "Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling" and continues to wrestle. His son, Dustin Rhodes, appears as "Golddust" on Spike TV's WWE Monday Night RAW (1993) series.
- IMDb mini biography by: anonymous
- SpousesMichelle Runnels(August 17, 1978 - June 11, 2015) (his death, 2 children)Sandra McHargue(August 26, 1965 - March 27, 1975) (divorced, 2 children)
- Children
- ParentsKatherine TrefellVirgil Runnels Sr.
- RelativesConnie Rhodes(Sibling)Larry Rhodes(Sibling)Dakota Runnels(Grandchild)Liberty Runnels(Grandchild)
- Always wears cowboy boots when wrestling
- Finishing move: The Bionic Elbow
- Using a cowbell as a weapon
- The Dusty Run-in: coming to the ring out of the blue to aid an ally who's being overpowered by an opposing group
- Was good friends with John Belushi.
- Professional wrestler.
- Inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame of May 21st, 1995.
- Father of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) performer Dustin Rhodes, (aka "Goldust").
- Has performed onstage with such singers as Willie Nelson and David Allan Coe.
- I've wined and dined with kings and queens and I've slept in alleys and dined on pork and beans.
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