Virgil Runnels, Jr.

Virgil Runnels, Jr. (born October 12, 1945 in Austin, Texas) is an American professional wrestler working under the stage name Dusty Rhodes.

Career

Rhodes started his career as a rule-breaking heel, tagging with fellow Texan Dick Murdoch to form the tag team The Texas Outlaws. In the mid-70's, Rhodes broke out as a solo babyface superstar, primarily in Florida, referring to himself as the "White Soul King" and the "American Dream", and a working class hero. Rhodes ascended to the top of several National Wrestling Alliance promotions in Florida, Georgia, and eventually with Jim Crockett Promotions in the Mid-Atlantic – the forerunner of World Championship Wrestling. Here, he formed teams with Manny Fernandez, Magnum T.A. as "America's Team" and Nikita Koloff as "The Super Powers".

Rhodes had legendary feuds with stars such as Abdullah The Butcher, Kevin Sullivan, Blackjack Mulligan, Nikita Koloff, Harley Race, and most notably, The Four Horsemen (especially Ric Flair). Rhodes, Flair, and Race each fought each other many times over the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Rhodes also was a booker for WCW while they were competing with the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-80's. After being let go in that capacity, Rhodes briefly performed with the WWF (now known as World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE).

Rhodes later returned to WCW, where he briefly joined the nWo, and is now semi-retired. He appears on Total Nonstop Action shows as a "director of authority", and also runs Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, a small Georgia based promotion. Rhodes' son, Virgil Runnels III, known in wrestling as Dustin Rhodes, followed his dad into the business, most notably as the eccentric WWE character Goldust.

Championships/Accomplishments

National Wrestling Alliance

• 3-Time NWA World Heavyweight Champion
• 2-Time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion
• 3-Time NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Dick Murdoch, Dick Slater and Manny Fernandez)
• 2-Time NWA World Television Champion
• 1-Time NWA National Heavyweight Champion
• 2-Time NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champion (with Road Warriors)
• Winner of 1987 NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament (with Nikita Koloff)
• Winner of 1985 NWA Bunkhouse Stampede
• Winner of 1986 NWA Bunkhouse Stampede
• Winner of 1987 NWA Bunkhouse Stampede

Florida Championship Wrestling

• 1-Time Florida PWF Heavyweight Champion
• 7-Time Florida Southern Heavyweight Champion
• 10-Time Florida Heavyweight Champion
• 4-Time Florida Tag Team Champion (with Dick Murdoch, Dick Slater, Bobo Brazil and André the Giant
• 1-Time Florida Brass Knuckles Champion
• 2-Time Florida Television Champion
• 2-Time Florida United States Tag Team Champion (with Bugsy McGraw and Blackjack Mulligan)

Other Titles

• 1-Time Central States Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time Central States Tag Team Champion (with Dick Murdoch)
• 2-Time Mid-South North American Champion
• 1-Time Georgia Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 11 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003. He was also ranked twice in the best tag teams of the "PWI Years". He was ranked # 76 with Magnum T.A. and # 88 with Manny Fernandez.

• Dusty also won several PWI Awards over the years. He won Wrestler of the Year in 1977 & 1978 and Most Popular Wrestler of the Year in 1978, 1979 and 1987. He was involved in the 1987 Feud of the Year (Dusty & Nikita Koloff & the Road Warriors vs. the Four Horsemen). He was also in the Match of the Year in 1979 (vs. Harley Race) and 1986 (vs. Ric Flair).

Books

Autobiography: Dusty: Reflections of an American Dream 2005