[Stardust]

During the late 1970s Rhodes was able to garner tremendous heat or propularity with Florida fans. This often led to the moniker 'star dust' as he truly had become a regional celebrity. Years later Sports Illustrated would poll their readers and Rhodes would be distinguished because readers immediately recognized him. While in Florida Rhodes spent a considerable time out of the ring lending his name to charities, youth groups and causes that served to curb at risk youth.

Because Eddie Graham was also NWA president during this timeframe and because of the close relationship between wrestler and promoter, Rhodes' career was able to expand beyond just the Florida territory. Despite having broken away from the NWA confederation WWWF (WWE) president Vince McMahon Sr. maintained a corgial relaltionship with other promotions. In 1977 during a series of matches Dusty Rhodes as the 'American Dream' challenged then WWWF champion 'Superstar' Billy Graham and sold out Madison Square Gardens. This series climaxed to the first bullrope match to ever take place in a WWWF promotion. The match was more about survival and the blood would shed as Graham and Rhodes tested their abilities and fans were stunned. These matches forever changed the WWWF as later northeastern fans would see cage and lumberjack matches. Rhodes set Manhattan on fire and returned back to Florida with even greater heat.

Rhodes returned to Florida and soon experienced his first NWA championship victory over Harley Race in 1979, which was held in Tampa (referred to in the press as the Tango In Tampa). It was also in Florida that Rhodes would experiment with such characters as the masked outlaw from Diablo Canyon the Midnight Rider and school Barry Windham, undoubtedly one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Rhodes owes much of his success to his relationship with Eddie Graham and the Florida fans.