Mainstream media picked up the Dusty Rhodes story after WWE announced on its website that the 69 year old Hall of Famer passed away.

Websites such as CNN, Fox News, New York Times, Yahoo! Sports, ABC News, CBS Sports, New York Post, Variety, NPR, Chicago Tribute, IGN, Los Angeles Times, Fox Sports, Newsday, Washington Post, Forbes, Digital Spy, Tampa Bay Times, Associated Press, and many other regional newspapers all reported the story.

On Twitter, his name was trending worldwide in the top spot just minutes after the news broke out as hundreds of co-workers and thousands of fans all expressed their shock and sadness over the news.