10 Most Inspiring Wrestling Transformations

2. Dustin Rhodes

10 Inspiring Wrestling Transformations
AEW

It's 2020, and Dustin Runnels is in the best shape since his 20s, working matches as good (if not better) than when he appeared to be at his professional peak, and is training the stars of tomorrow in a company his brother is an Executive Vice President of.

This could well be the end of the entry, considering how few people would have predicted it at one point. Nobody saw this near-utopian wrestler dream as the climax to Runnels' story when he was struggling with wrestler demons in the mid-2000s.

An excellent WWE return in the mid-2010s would have been enough to give his career a fitting send-off, but AEW's arrival in 2019 provided him with a glorious epilogue that remains understated in its excellence. Aside from the rich and layered quality of his contests, Rhodes' backstage role will surely prove even more vital longterm.

The man who always wanted to live up to his Father's legacy has managed it - what 'The Son Of A Plumber' did for NXT's golden era class may well be replicated in AEW.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett