Best of Austin®

Greatest Wrestling Legacy

The Rhodes Family

click to enlarge Greatest Wrestling Legacy
Courtesy of Dustin Rhodes
(l-r) Cody, Dustin, and Dusty Rhodes

Wrestling, they say, has more than one royal family, and Austin can claim most regal blood on the canvas. It began with Virgil Riley Runnels Jr., the East Austin son of a plumber and Johnston High defensive linesman who became Dusty Rhodes, the American Dream, whose "hard times" promo inspired a beaten-down generation. His legacy continues with his sons Dustin, AKA WWE superstar Goldust, and Cody, who – as part of the Bullet Club faction – has redefined the wrestling industry as something fresh and exciting once again.