6 NWA World Champions that never held the WWE title

#2 Dusty Rhodes

Dusty Rhodes was a legend both in the ring and behind the curtain

Dusty Rhodes is considered one of the best wrestlers of his generation, and is one of the greatest wrestling minds of all time. Dusty wasn't just a great wrestler, but cemented himself as a great wrestling mind for his role as a booker for Jim Crockett Promotion and WCW.

Rhodes would have three separate reigns with the NWA World Heavyweight title, taking the title from Harley Race twice and Ric Flair once.

What many fans don't know is that before wrestling for Jim Crockett, Dusty wrestled in Vince McMahon Sr's World Wide Wrestling Federation and often challenged Superstar Billy Graham for the WWWF Heavyweight Title, but never managed to win the title.

In 1989, Dusty returned to WWF as the "Common Man" Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes would eventually leave WWF in 1991, returning to WCW as a booker.

Rhodes would manage Ron Simmongs as he won the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and later turn heel siding with the NWO in 1998. After WCW was sold to WWF, Rhodes began working for TNA and on the Independent circuit. He eventually returned to WWE on a legends contract.