Dusty Rhodes is a wrestling icon that helped the "common man" see themselves in the world of sports entertainment. He never looked the part of a wrestler, but triumphed above many stars of his era thanks to his great personality and provocative promos.

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Before he was "The American Dream" or even "Dusty Rhodes," he started wrestling in 1967 under the ring name Dusty Runnels. His career truly took off in the 1970s and this list will examine 10 things fans should know about his wrestling career in that decade.

10 Was Tag Team Champion With Andre The Giant

Dusty Rhodes and Andre the Giant first crossed paths in the early 70s. The two first started to team up as a unit in the AWA. By the late 70s, the two were an official tag team unit competing against opponents like The Andersons (Ole and Gene Anderson) and The Funks (Terry and Dory Funk).

The two even won the NWA United States Tag Team titles in 1978. The two would continue to wrestle throughout the early 80s.

9 Made His WWE Debut

Many fans associate Dusty Rhodes's time in the WWE with the late 1980s. This was the decade that featured Dusty with polka dots and Sapphire. This era was not the official WWE debut of Dusty Rhodes, however.

In 1977, Rhodes arrived to the company when it was called the "World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF)." Vince McMahon Sr. was still the owner and Rhodes competed for the WWE Championship against stars like "Superstar" Billy Graham in this decade.

8 Became NWA World Heavyweight Champion

Dusty Rhodes not only rose to fame in the 1970s but even became a world champion. He had NWA World Heavyweight Championship matches that date back to 1970. He competed against stars like Terry Funk and Don Muraco but was never able to earn the title.

Finally, in 1979 Rhodes defeated Harley Race and won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. His first title reign only lasted five days, but he would win the title two more times in the 80s.

7 He Established "The American Dream" Nickname

There are many aspects of Dusty Rhodes that were established in the 1970s and followed him his entire career. Because he didn't look like the typical "buff" wrestler, he presented himself as a regular working-class man. While wrestling in Florida, he would call himself "The American Dream." The working-class hero story along with the nickname would continue to be a staple of Rhodes for the rest of his career.

6 Feuded With Ric Flair

Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes had many classic battles in the 1980s. Their pursuit of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship led to great matches and huge moments. Their rivalry actually dates back to the 70s.

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The two battled for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Television title in the mid-70s before either star was even considered "world title material." They spent a large part of the late 70s competing for mid-card titles and even the NWA tag titles. Rhodes defeated Flair very often in this decade.

5 Voted "Wrestler Of The Year" In Back To Back Years (1977-1978)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated first introduced its "Wrestler of the Year" award in 1972. Dusty Rhodes ended up winning the accolade in consecutive years, 1977 and 1978. He was chosen over big names from this era like Bob Backlund, Ricky Steamboat, and Harley Race. The 70s was also the only decade that Rhodes won "Wrestler of the Year."

4 Wrestled As "Uvalde Slim"

Although Dusty Rhodes famously used his alter ego, "Uvalde Slim," against Terry Funk in the 1980s, the gimmick was first established in the 1970s. He exclusively used the gimmick during his time in Florida. The masked gimmick was supposed to hide his identity, but anyone with eyes could tell it was Dusty under the Lucha mask.

3 Dick Murdoch & Dusty Rhodes Were A Successful Tag Team

Although they are a, sometimes, forgotten tag team, Dusty Rhodes owes a big part of his rise in wrestling to his time as a member of the Texas Outlaws with Dick Murdoch. They competed all over the world as a unit. They won many different tag team titles including the NWF World Tag Team Championships, NWA Florida Tag Team Championships, and the NWA World Tag Team Championships. They officially split in 1983 but reunited various times until 1988.

2 Once Wrestled Randy Orton's Father And Grandfather In A Match

The long history between the Ortons and the Rhodes dates back to the 1970s. Long before Orton was the Legend Killer destroying "The American Dream," Dusty was competing against Orton's Father and Grandfather.

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"Cowboy" Bob Orton and Dusty competed for the NWA Florida Heavyweight title many times in the 70s. Bob Orton Sr. only crossed paths with Rhodes one time. The team of Dusty, Bob Backlund, and Steve Keirn defeated Bob Orton Jr., Bob Orton Sr. & Bob Roop.

1 Feuded With Antonio Inoki In Japan

"The American Dream" did not exclusively wrestle in America. By 1973, Texas Outlaws (Dick Murdoch & Dusty Rhodes) were already competing in Japan. Rhodes crossed paths with one of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time, Antonio Inoki, multiple times in Japan. The pair even competed in one of Dusty's first televised NJPW matches where Inoki defeated Rhodes to retain the NWF World Heavyweight title.

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