The American Dream is Gone

[GatorGray]

Virgil Runnels, aka “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes — WWE Hall of Famer, three-time NWA Champion and one of the most captivating and charismatic figures in sports entertainment history — passed away today at the age of 69.

The Tower of Power, the man with the bionic elbow, The American Dream.

 

[Gator Fever]

Remember going to the civic center and watching him wrestle there when I was a kid.

 

[2blades]

RIP DUSTY

 

[2blades]

RIP DUSTY

 

[gatorshime]

RIP DUSTY

Very sad. I came to Fl. in the late 70's and grew up watching Championship Wrestling from Fl. Dusty, the masked Assassin, the Grahams, the Briscos the Funks, Harley Race, Ric Flair and many more. But, big Dusty was the best. Nobody cut a promos like him. He seemed in good shape but, thin for him not to long ago at Wrestlmania. He will be missed.

 

[93nole99]

RIP American Dream. I remember going to the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory on Tuesday nights as a kid. Big Dust was always good for taking a beating and coming back to win with blood streaming down his face.

Growing up in Tampa back then meant being a wrestling fan. Dusty was the Elvis of wrestling in his day.

 

[LizardGrad89]

Very sad. I came to Fl. in the late 70's and grew up watching Championship Wrestling from Fl. Dusty, the masked Assassin, the Grahams, the Briscos the Funks, Harley Race, Ric Flair and many more. But, big Dusty was the best. Nobody cut a promos like him. He seemed in good shape but, thin for him not to long ago at Wrestlmania. He will be missed.

Wrestling on Channel 44. Gordon Solie.

Anyone remember when he tried to wear a mask? Lasted about 5 minutes. Nobody was better known than Dusty, after about 2 words you knew who it was. That was when I realized how ludicrous the Clark Kent disguise really was.

 

[GatorGray]

Dusty was the Elvis of wrestling in his day.

Truth.

 

[passoverGator]

Dusty was the Elvis of wrestling in his day.

Truth.

That raises an interesting question. Who was the better showman?

 

[GatorGray]

That raises an interesting question. Who was the better showman?

Good question. I don't think Dusty's fans threw panties at him like Elvis' fans did. Advantage Elvis.
Of course most of Dusty's fans were male, so there's that.

 

[GatorGray]

Here's a funny story I read on another board:

He prevented me from entering the ring during a match at Ft. Homer Hesterly Armory when I was 16. I could have died that night. I was freaking out because Pat Patterson had interfered in a match for his then tag team partner Ivan Koloff and "knocked out" Don Muraco. The two of them were repeatedly diving off the top ropes onto Muraco. I decided I would throw myself across his body - they can't hut a kid, right? I was literally grasping the second rope when I felt this big hand on my shoulder and heard "I'll take care of thith, thun". Dusty grabbed a folding chair, went in and cleaned house, then I helped several other guys Carry the "unconscious" but rigid Muraco back to the locker room. True story.

God bless and keep him. A great entertainer.

 

[GatorGray]

Here is some follow up to the above story.

I'll add that Dusty had wrestled earlier in the evening. When he came out to save the day he was all set with peach shampoo in his hair, as if he had just come out of the shower. In the 70's peach shampoo was a newly popular thing. But it's funny to me that I have a sensory memory of how Dusty smelled that night.

 

[GatorGray]

On a related note, Titus O'Neal (aka Thad Bullard, DT for the Gators in the 90s), was just crowned WWE Tag Team Champion.

 

[SoProudNole]

Hard to believe he made it that long. That was one fat tub of goo........... Nice tiddies doe.