Dusty Rhodes
Aliases - Stardust
Athletic background - Football (Semi-Pro), Baseball (College)
Teachers - Joe Blanchard, Eddie Graham
Professional history - Texas(`68), Boston(`68), Texas(`68-`69), Australia(`69-`70), Tri-State, Florida(`70-`82), AWA, WWWF, Hawaii, Georgia(`74-`81), JCP/NWA(`83-`88), Florida(`88), WWF(`88-`91), WCW(`93-`99), ECW(`00), TCW(`00-), WCW(`01), Indies(`01-) NWA-TNA(`02)
Peak Years - `70-`81
Career Highlights -
- Teams with Dick Murodoch (The Outlaws) to form one of the best heel teams ever throughout the South
- Defeats Harley Race to capture his first NWA World title
- Becomes the head booker from Jim Crockett and makes them a national powerhouse with many successful concepts
- Regains the championship from Race and has a very successful run
- Wins the NWA title for a third and final time from Ric Flair
Finisher(s) -
- Bionic Elbowdrop
- Figure-Four Leglock
Favorites -
-
- Bionic Elbow
- Dropkick
- Double Punch
move set - 5
science - 3
aerial - 3
power - 6
strikes - 5
Intangible Rating -
entertainment - 10
selling - 8
bumping - 5
carrying - 6
heat - 10
legacy - 8
Place in History - At a young age doctor thought it was doubtful Virgil Runnels Jr. would ever walk after being faced with osteomyelitis. He fought through the surgery and rehibilitation and went onto to become a stellar athlete in the years that followed. Dusty Rhodes stepped into the limelight with partner Dick Murdoch as the hated team, the Texas Outlaws. Afterwards, Rhodes became the flamboyent babyface "Stardust." Constant touring and some of the best interviews in wrestling put Rhodes in the top three preformers at that time. Dusty got his payoff in the summer of 1979, when he defeated Harley Race for the NWA World title, though the reign lasted under a week. He captured the belt again in `81 and had a good run that was a short, but filled with many matches per week. The NWA, specifically Jim Crockett Promotions, grew into a national powerhouse under Rhodes and others. As the booker, he created one of the hottest territories to date with a good creative touch writing great storylines. After his departure, Rhodes' image was tarnished by him staying in the ring past his time. He returned to WCW and returned to book, produce, control talent, and do color commentary on several TV shows and pay-per-views, before being let go to work indies and start his own. Dusty Rhodes is often frowned upon because of the political games he played and his questionable workrate, but his place in history is undeniable. Despite his shortcomings, the son of a plumber became a working class hero of the likes wrestling had never known before and probably never see again.