Dustin Rhodes and Beast: Gold-Bust at Crufts and the Unfinished Campaign
At the NEC in Birmingham, dustin rhodes stood at the edge of the parade ring as Beast, his 114kg Mastiff, finished third in the working group open category at Crufts — a result that left the wrestler equal parts proud and frustrated.
What happened when Dustin Rhodes entered Beast at Crufts?
Beast, the colossal Mastiff owned by Dustin Rhodes, took the parade ring at Crufts and placed third in the working group open category. Rhodes, who has shown Beast across the circuit for roughly two years, described the experience as both special and bittersweet. “I thought our dog was the best, ” he said, later adding, “Beast is perfect in my eyes, he weighs more than I do and he thinks he is a lap dog. ” After the result he hugged Beast and called it an honour to be at Crufts, which he described as the world’s greatest dog show.
How is dustin rhodes balancing wrestling and a show-dog campaign?
Rhodes has not walked away from the ring. He remains active on the AEW circuit and is due back on tour after time out for double knee surgery. At the same time he has built a campaign around Beast: the Mastiff has become a top-ranked dog in the country and Rhodes has publicly discussed both the animal’s diet and the logistics of campaigning. Beast is large — Rhodes said the dog weighs more than he does and eats roughly eight cups a day of dry food, chicken, rice and steak. Monthly food costs mentioned in public remarks range around $200–$250. Rhodes explained that the day at the NEC was long and that Beast gets over-excited when he sees him, so he had to keep out of sight while the dog competed.
What comes next for Beast, and who is in the campaign team?
Rhodes has made clear that the Crufts outing is part of a broader push. “Go for the (best in show) record, ” he said, noting a target figure for mastiffs and where Beast stands now. He outlined plans to campaign and advertise widely over the next year or two in pursuit of top honors. The campaign around Beast includes family members and handlers: Rhodes’ team includes his wife, Ta-rel Runnels, and handler Terry Smith, who manages show-side duties. Rhodes has also framed Beast as more than a competitor — he described the dog as smart, able to check on people with high or low blood pressure, and “pure, loyal, loving. ” Those human observations shape why the campaign matters to him beyond trophies.
On the human side, the outing at Crufts also connected to Rhodes’ personal life in the ring. He is the son of Dusty Rhodes and the brother of Cody Rhodes, and he continues to juggle a performed identity in wrestling with the quieter work of campaigning a top show dog.
After the parade ring moment at the NEC — the hug, the disappointed look, the private pride — the plan is clear: press on. Rhodes spoke of returning to the road in weeks and of stepping up efforts to promote Beast to higher placements. Handler Terry Smith remains central to that effort, and Ta-rel Runnels is part of the team that will carry Beast’s campaign forward.
Back at the NEC, with the smell of sawdust in the aisles and Beast curled beside him, dustin rhodes could still be seen smiling through the disappointment. Third place did not feel like the end of the story; it felt like a new chapter in a campaign where a wrestler and a giant Mastiff are learning how to share the spotlight.
