WWE Hall of Famer and three-time NWA Champion, Virgil Runnels, aka "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes has died at age 69, WWE said on Thursday, June 11.
The legendary wrestler's family did not immediately issue a statement, however the World Wrestling Entertainment wrote a tribute to "The American Dream."
The message read: "Runnels became a hero to fans around the world thanks to his work ethic, his impassioned interviews and his indomitable spirit. Moreover, Runnels was a dedicated father to WWE Superstars Goldust (Dustin Runnels) and Stardust (Cody Runnels), a caring husband and a creative visionary who helped shape the landscape of WWE long after his in-ring career had ended."
"WWE extends its sincerest condolences to Runnels' family, friends and colleagues."
Sources close to the matter told TMZ that emergency personnel were called to Rhodes' home in Orlando, Florida after he fell Wednesday morning. Though he was rushed to the hospital, Rhodes ultimately died Thursday morning, leaving behind four children.
The iconic wrestler's immediate family raced to be by his side immediately after learning that he was in the hospital.
Several WWE stars including Tripe H and Ric Flair mourned the wrestler on Twitter. "The Game" called Rhodes his "mentor" and Flair tweeted, "My mentor @WWEDustyRhodes. Much love to your family and more respect than can ever be measured. Love you Dream. "
Their thousands of followers across the world immediately shared their messages hundreds of times.
Rhodes called himself the son of a plumber from Austin, Texas, and an everyman who emerged as the popular champion of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) three times in the 1970s and 1980s.
How Rhodes came up with the "American Dream" nickname is quite interesting. Rhodes told several newspapers that in 1974 when he was digging a ditch with a friend of his father's, the man helped him come up with the moniker.
Hard to miss, Rhodes was 6 feet tall and nearly 300 pounds, with a curly bleach-blonde pooch cut. He was often seen sporting an oversized cowboy hat. What Rhodes lack in physique, he compensated for in flare, attention to detail and his ability to work a crowd every time he was placed within a mile of a microphone. Nevertheless, the Texas native played his role to a tee.
Born in Austin, Texas, Rhodes worked in several professional wrestling organizations and even appeared on many pay-per-view wrestling cards.
Sources told TMZ that Dusty suffered "numerous complications" throughout the night which eventually proved fatal.
