Pro Wrestling Legend Dusty Rhodes Dies at 69

Pro Wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes dies at 69

Posted by TBN_News On 06/15/2015

(October 11, 1945 – June 11, 2015)

Virgil Riley Runnels Jr., better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler and trainer who worked for WWE. He made occasional on-air appearances on WWE television and pay-per-views and worked as a backstage booker 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 a working man, and he was known for his charisma and his interviews, such as his "Hard Times" promo.

Rhodes was a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and during his time in Jim Crockett Promotions (the forerunner of World Championship Wrestling), he was a United States Champion, and multi-time Television, World Tag Team and Six-Man Tag Team Champion. He also won many regional championships, and is one of six men inducted into each of the WWE, WCW, Professional Wrestling, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Halls of Fame. He is the father of Dustin "Goldust" Rhodes and Cody "Stardust" Rhodes, who both currently wrestle for WWE.

Rhodes divorced his first wife, Sandra, and later married Michelle. He had four children: Dustin, Cody, Teil Runnels Gergel and Kristin Runnels Ditto. He had five grandchildren; Dakota, the daughter of Dustin and his ex-wife, Terri Runnels, Dalton and Dylan, children of Kristin and her husband Don Ditto, and Kellan and Maris, children of Teal Runnels Gergel. He also had a brother, Larry, and a sister, Connie.

In his later years, Rhodes developed stomach cancer.

On June 10, 2015, paramedics responded to Rhodes' home in Orlando, Florida, after getting a call reporting he had fallen. They drove him to a nearby hospital where he died the next day. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported Rhodes was dehydrated and in kidney failure.

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