Rhodes drove to Boston, and despite not having any wrestling experience, bluffed his way into working for the company by using his real life friendships with Bobby Duncum and the Funk brothers. In 1967, Rhodes saw an advertisement in the newspaper for Tony Santos' professional wrestling promotion Big Time Wrestling, based in Boston. He then played for the Hartford Charter Oaks in the Continental Football League until the team folded. Turning professional, Rhodes tried out for the American Football League's Boston Patriots, but was cut. was born on October 11, 1945, in Austin, Texas.Īfter graduating from Albert Sidney Johnston High School in Austin, Rhodes played baseball and football at West Texas State (now known as West Texas A&M University). Professional wrestling career Early life and career WWE chairman Vince McMahon remarked that no wrestler 'personified the essence of charisma quite like Dusty Rhodes'. Billed as 'the son of a plumber', Rhodes did not have a typical wrestler's physique his character was that of the ' common man', known for the personality exhibited in his interviews. His sons, Dustin and Cody, both pursued careers in professional wrestling, currently performing for AEW and WWE, respectively.įollowing his retirement from wrestling, 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. 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. Rhodes was a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and during his time in Jim Crockett Promotions, later known as WCW, he was a United States Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time World Television, World Tag Team and World Six-Man Tag Team Champion. Rhodes is considered as one of the greatest wrestlers and talkers in the history of professional wrestling. (Octo– June 11, 2015), better known as 'The American Dream' Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation, later known as the WWE. 4, Dustin Rhodes, Kristin Runnels, Teil Runnels, Cody Rhodes

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