| Dustin Rhodes | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Rhodes in 2019 | |
| Birth name | Dustin Patrick Runnels |
| Born | (1969-04-11)April 11, 1969 (age 55) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Dusty Rhodes (father) Sandra Runnels (mother) |
| Relatives | Cody Rhodes (half-brother),Brandi Rhodes (half-sister-in-law) |
| Website | rhodesdream |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Artist formerly known as Goldust Black Reign Dustin Dustin Rhodes Dustin Runnels Dusty Rhodes Jr. Goldust Gold Dustin Se7en |
| Billed height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 232 lb (105 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | Austin, Texas Hollywood, California (as Goldust)[1] |
| Trained by | Dusty Rhodes Steve Keirn Harley Race |
| Debut | September 13, 1988 |
Dustin Patrick Runnels[2] (born April 11, 1969) is an Americanprofessional wrestler. He is signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under thering nameDustin Rhodes, with a nickname of "The Natural" and is a member of The Sons of Texas. He also appears in AEW's sister promotionRing of Honor (ROH) where he is a double champion: he is currently one-half of theROH World Tag Team Champions alongsideSammy Guevara, and one-third of theROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions alongsideMarshall and Ross Von Erich in their first reign both as a team and individually.
He is previously known for wrestling in theWorld Wrestling Federation/WWE from 1995 to 2018 (on and off), under the ring nameGoldust. A second generation wrestler, he is the son ofWWE Hall of FamerDusty Rhodes and the half-brother ofCody Rhodes. He is also known for his appearances withWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) andTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
Between WWE, WCW, and ROH, Runnels has won 25 totalchampionships. In WCW, he was atwo-timeWCW United States Heavyweight Champion,[3] aone-timeWCW World Six-Man Tag Team Champion,[4] and atwo-timeWCW World Tag Team Champion.[5][6] In the WWF/WWE, he is athree-timeWWF Intercontinental Champion,[7]nine-timeWWE Hardcore Champion,[8]one-timeWorld Tag Team Champion, andtwo-timeWWE Tag Team Champion.[9] Runnels has also appeared in thefourth most Royal Rumble matches, at 13. Runnels headlined multiplepay-per-view events for WWE (then WWF) andWCW during the 1990s.
Runnels made his professional wrestling debut on September 13, 1988, as "Dustin Rhodes", defeating Bob Cook in a match for the Tampa-basedChampionship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) promotion. The promotion was renamed the Professional Wrestling Federation in February 1989 after Runnels' father, Dusty Rhodes, began wrestling there. Runnels captured theNWA Florida Heavyweight Championship fromAl Perez on May 23, 1989, holding it for a month.
In December 1988, Runnels debuted inWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW). Rhodes teamed withKendall Windham in an undercard tag team called The Texas Broncos that saw success against The Cruel Connection and The Commandos. Their first defeat came againstThe Original Midnight Express at a house show on December 10, 1988, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[10] Rhodes's first singles match came two days later at a television taping in Atlanta, Georgia when he defeated Trent Knight. Rhodes' initial WCW run lasted only a few months, as he exited the company two months after his father. After suffering a loss toButch Reed during a dark match for anNWA Main Event taping in The Omni on February 12, 1989, Rhodes closed out his initial WCW run with a win over Trent Knight in Walterboro, South Carolina on February 24.[11]
In March 1989, Runnels toured Japan forAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in its annualChampion Carnival, under the name Dusty Rhodes Jr. He returned to AJPW for a ten and a twenty-day tour in the spring and summer of 1990. Runnels began wrestling in theUnited States Wrestling Association (USWA) in July 1989. There he feuded mainly withTony Anthony for Anthony'sCWA Heavyweight Championship but never won the belt. He left the USWA in the spring of 1990.
Runnels debuted in theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) in late 1990, wrestling as Dustin Rhodes. His first match in the WWF (now WWE) was againstPaul Diamond onWWF on MSG Network on September 21, 1990.[12] In November 1990, Rhodes defeatedTed DiBiase in a televised ten-minute challenge match. On January 19, 1991, at theRoyal Rumble, Rhodes and his fatherDusty lost to Ted DiBiase andVirgil in a tag team bout, and both left immediately after.[13]
In February 1991, Runnels joinedWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW), wrestling as "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes. He feuded withLarry Zbyszko until April 1991, when he refused to joinAlexandra York'sYork Foundation, thus beginning a feud with Foundation memberTerrence Taylor.
In late 1991, Rhodes formed a tag-team withBarry Windham and began pursuing WCW Tag Team champions The Enforcers (Arn Anderson and Zbyszko). The pair received a title shot atClash of the Champions XVII, but Windham was (kayfabe) injured prior to the event by the champions when they slammed a car door on his wrist. A returningRicky Steamboat was chosen to partner Rhodes, and the makeshift duo won theWCW World Tag Team Championship. They lost the belts on January 16, 1992, to Arn Anderson and fellowDangerous Alliance memberBobby Eaton.
On a taped edition ofWCW Saturday Night on September 2, 1992, Rhodes teamed with Windham to defeatSteve Williams andTerry Gordy for the unifiedWCW World Tag Team Championship andNWA World Tag Team Championship (their NWA title reign is not recognized by NWA); the match would air on October 3. They held the belts for about two months before losing them to Steamboat andShane Douglas in a memorable match on the November 18 edition ofClash of the Champions XXI. Windham turned on Rhodes after the match when Rhodes refused to pin Steamboat after an accidental low blow.
In January 1993, Rhodes reached the final of a tournament to decide the number one contender for theWCW United States Heavyweight Championship. The championRick Rude was stripped of his title that same month, meaning the tournament final would be for the title. Rhodes faced his old partner Ricky Steamboat to win his first United States Heavyweight title. He successfully defended the title the following month atSuperBrawl III againstMaxx Payne. Rude returned that April and quickly challenged Rhodes. Their first encounter resulted in a controversial double pin, with Rude initially being awarded the title. The championship was held up two weeks later.After a 30-minute Iron Man Match ended in a 1–1 draw atBeach Blast on July 18, a best-of-three series was set between the two onSaturday Night; Rhodes lost the first match on August 28, but defeated Rude twice on September 4 and 11 to claim his second United States Heavyweight Championship.
AtFall Brawl, Rhodes teamed withSting,Davey Boy Smith andThe Shockmaster to defeatBig Van Vader, Sid Vicious andHarlem Heat in aWarGames match. Rhodes lost the title toSteve Austin in aTwo out of three falls match atStarrcade, after losing both falls.
In March 1994, Rhodes started feuding withBunkhouse Buck andCol. Robert Parker. After Parker introducedArn Anderson andTerry Funk as adversaries for Runnels, Runnels responded by bringing his father, a former enemy of Funk, back into the ring to team with him again against Parker's Stud Stable. In December 1994, Parker introduced another opponent for Rhodes,The Blacktop Bully. At theUncensored pay-per-view on March 19, 1995, Rhodes lost to The Blacktop Bully in the only King of the Road match in the company's history. The match, which was filmed several days earlier, resulted in both Rhodes and The Blacktop Bully being fired from the company, as the two hadbladed during the match after being instructed to by one another, which was against corporate policy at the time in WCW.[13]
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In August 1995, Runnels returned to the WWF, wrestling as a then-villain Goldust, nicknamed "the Bizarre One" because of his somewhat spooky, mysterious, bashful presentation yetsexual suggestiveness turned aggressions. In communications, Goldust frequently took to comical flirtation while maintaining a bashfullydeadpan andmonotone delivery and presence. Using in-ring psychology to his advantage, Goldust often performed lewd and flirtatiousmind games to anger, confuse, and distract his opponents. He engaged in such tactics as groping and excessive physical affection towards his opponent in the midst of delivering his onslaught. To that end, one of Goldust's trademarks was his exaggerated, suggestively breathy inhalation whilst caressing his own body; this display ended in him exhaling through a startlingly vicious biting sound directed at his adversaries (also said between his catchphrase wordsYou will never forget the name of andGoldust). The character was portrayed as adrag queen obsessed with films and everything gold, which is a parody of theOscars statuette. Adding to this aspect of the gimmick, Goldust often quoted or made references to classicHollywood films during his promos. Under the gimmick, Runnels wore a predominately gold jumpsuit (with tads of other colors, such as white and black); black and gold face paint; and during entrances and promos, a glittery gold robe and a platinum blonde wig over his short platinum blonde hair.
Years later, Runnels stated thatVince McMahon called him and offered him the gimmick and mentioned "androgynous" several times; Runnels, wanting a separate identity from his father at the time, promptly accepted without knowing what the word "androgynous" meant, then promptly looked it up in the dictionary after getting off the phone with McMahon and shocked to see what it meant said to himself "What did I get myself in to?"[14] Runnels himself admitted that the first few months of the gimmick were uncomfortable for him as it didn't match his personality at all, but decided to work with what was given to him and "run with it".[14]
He would defeatBob Holly atIn Your House 3 in a dark match.
Goldust won his television debut match on October 22, 1995, againstMarty Jannetty at theIn Your House 4 pay-per-view. He defeated the departingBam Bam Bigelow in Bigelow's last WWF match at theSurvivor Series.[1] He then feuded withRazor Ramon, whom he stalked and sent messages to throughout late 1995. The feud culminated at theRoyal Rumble on January 21, 1996, where Goldust defeated Ramon for theIntercontinental Championship due to interference from the1–2–3 Kid. This match also marked the debut of Goldust'svalet, Marlena, portrayed by his then wifeTerri. With her seductive, coolly unconcerned, mysterious character and fully gold-colored wear, Marlena complemented Goldust. Her gimmick consisted of sitting at ringside in a director's chair during Goldust's matches, advising him while smoking large brown cigars. A rematch between Goldust and Ramon atWrestleMania XII was canceled after Ramon was suspended, with Goldust instead fightingRoddy Piper in aHollywood Backlot Brawl.[15] At the end of the fight, Piper stripped Goldust of his ring attire to reveal him wearing women'slingerie; Runnels revealed in 2018 that it was his idea just three days before WrestleMania XII to wear aslip andthong underneath his ring attire and to have Piper strip him down, getting the approval from McMahon.[14]
Goldust defended his Intercontinental Championship in bouts againstSavio Vega andThe Ultimate Warrior before losing the title toAhmed Johnson atKing of the Ring on June 23, 1996. In Summer 1996, Goldust briefly gained control overMankind and feuded withThe Undertaker. His attention soon turned toMarc Mero and his then wifeSable. Goldust and Marlena attempted to get Sable to join their team, but Mero won the feud and kept her by his side. He also had aladder match withShawn Michaels at internet pay-per-view (iPPV)Xperience for theWWF Championship but lost the match.
In December 1996, Goldust entered a feud withHunter Hearst Helmsley, when Helmsley began flirting with Marlena. This feud lead to the debut ofChyna as Helmsley's new bodyguard and marked the first time Goldust became afan favorite.
In May 1997, Goldust revealed his identity as Dustin Runnels, the son of Dusty Rhodes. In the summer and fall of that year, he joined other wrestlers in their conflict withThe Hart Foundation, feuding in particular withBrian Pillman. Goldust defeated Pillman atSummerSlam in which Pillman was forced to wear a dress for a month, then Pillman challenged Goldust again to a match atGround Zero: In Your House, Goldust agreed that if he lost, he would lose Marlena to Pillman for 30 days, Goldust lost the match to Pillman and was forced to lose Marlena, had Goldust won, Pillman would leave the WWF. Just before the thirty days were up, Pillman died of heart disease hours before theBadd Blood event on October 5, 1997. In November 1997, Goldust split with Marlena and refused to cooperate with hisSurvivor Series teammates, which once again turned him into a heel. This led to a feud withVader in December 1997 and the appearance of The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust (a reference toPrince), managed byLuna Vachon. He began mimicking celebrities and fellow wrestlers with characters such as "Chynadust", "Dust Lovedust", "Dustydust", "Hunterdust", "Flashdust", "Marilyn Mansondust", "Sabledust", and "Vaderdust" in early 1998.[13] Around this time, he made alegitimate push to management to getbreast implants as part of the gimmick before being talked out of it by McMahon.[16]
By June 1998, Goldust feuded withVal Venis, who had been involved with Terri during their separation. Now going by his real name, Runnels began speaking out (mostly in taped vignettes) on the increasingly edgy WWF product and promoting alternatives to watching the show such as reading the Bible. These vignettes were sponsored by the fictional group, "Evangelists Against Television, Movies and Entertainment", the acronym for which reads "EATME" – a thinly veiled joke on the WWF's part.[17] Runnels declared himself aborn again Christian, alluding to "his" return, and walking through the crowd with signs reading "he's coming back!". While the return ofChrist was clearly implied, Runnels was in fact referencing the return of the Goldust gimmick, which he reprised in October 1998 against Val Venis and then in November 1998, he began feuding withJeff Jarrett over the attention of his manager,Debra.
In early 1999, Goldust feuded withAl Snow, upon stealing the mannequin Head, Snow's mascot, andThe Blue Meanie, who had recently renamed himself "Bluedust" and adopted many of Goldust's mannerisms. After Goldust defeated Meanie atSt. Valentine's Day Massacre, Meanie became Goldust's apprentice. AfterRyan Shamrock became Goldust's valet, Meanie and Shamrock began vying for Goldust's attention. In the same time period, Goldust won the Intercontinental Championship again fromRoad Dogg and then lost it toThe Godfather two weeks later. He would team up with The Blue Meanie having a few matches against TheHardy Boyz until Goldust left the WWF in June 1999.
Runnels returned to WCW on the November 8, 1999, edition ofWCW Monday Nitro, filming several vignettes for a fantastical, face-painted character named Seven. These vignettes contained ominous footage of Rhodes in full makeup standing outside a child's bedroom window. The gimmick was reported to have been based on "The Strangers" from the 1998film noirDark City. The character was dropped after Turner Standards and Practices expressed concern that this gimmick could be misinterpreted as achild abductor. Upon returning to WCW television, Rhodes removed his costume and delivered aworked shoot in which he mocked unrealistic gimmicks as well as his time as Goldust in the WWF. After turning heel upon his return, Runnels began wrestling as "The American Nightmare" Dustin Rhodes, with his nickname a reference to his father's nickname, "The American Dream". "The American Nightmare" nickname would later be used by Runnels' half brother,Cody Rhodes.
Rhodes feuded with Jeff Jarrett before feuding withTerry Funk. He was (kayfabe) fired byVince Russo atSpring Stampede in April 2000 for failing to prevent Terry Funk from winning the vacantHardcore Championship, againstNorman Smiley.
Runnels returned to WCW television in January 2001, assisting his father in his feud with Jarrett and, eventually,Ric Flair. He wrestled on the final WCW pay-per-view,Greed on March 18, 2001. In March 2001, WCW was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation, but the WWF did not acquire Runnels' contract.
In July 2001, Runnels, while still under contract to AOL Time Warner, began wrestling for his father's newly createdTurnbuckle Championship Wrestling promotion, winning the promotion's Heavyweight Championship.
He would team up with his father. Competing as Dustin Rhodes, he captured the TCW Heavyweight Championship fromScotty Riggs on January 26, but vacated the title immediately afterwards after it was confirmed that he would be returning to WWF. Following his return to the WWF at the 2002 Royal Rumble, he made two more appearances with TCW, the first in a six-man tag team match with his father Dusty and Ron Studd against Riggs, Fake Goldust, and Jason Sugarmann, and the second in a singles victory overSteve Corino.
In December 2001, Runnels accepted a buyout from hisAOL Time Warner contract and was re-signed by the World Wrestling Federation to a two-year deal. Promos immediately began airing on WWF television advertising the return of Goldust. On January 20, 2002, he officially returned by taking part in theRoyal Rumble, reprising his Goldust character. Shortly after returning, promos began airing for a few weeks of Goldust saying that there was a certain wrestler whose "star was shining brighter" than he would like. He eventually revealed the person he was talking about wasRob Van Dam by attacking him onRaw, turning heel in the process. Van Dam defeated him in a singles match atNo Way Out on February 17. After the loss, he moved on to the hardcore division, where he won theHardcore Championship onnine occasions.
When the World Wrestling Federation was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment and the roster was divided into twobrands,Raw andSmackDown!, Goldust was assigned to the Raw brand, where he formed a tag team withBooker T. The duo engaged in numerous comedic vignettes, on one occasion hosting a segment titledBooker T and Goldust at the Movies and delivering reviews ofThe Scorpion King, a film starringThe Rock. In May 2002, Booker T joinedthe New World Order (nWo), with Goldust's request to join the faction rejected. In June 2002, Booker T was ejected from the nWo byShawn Michaels, sparking a feud between the nWo and Booker T and Goldust. Booker T and Goldust went on to compete in the tag team division, winning theWorld Tag Team Championship atArmageddon before being forced to split up on the February 3, 2003, episode ofRaw by Raw General ManagerEric Bischoff for failing to win back the World Tag Team Championship.
Following the dissolution of the tag team, Goldust contracted astutter andTourette's-like symptoms, upon receiving a shock from a Round Tube during an attack at the hands ofBatista andRandy Orton. Goldust appeared in character onThe Howard Stern Show in March 2003.[18] He appeared sporadically thereafter, forming a tag team withLance Storm in August 2003. In fall 2003, Booker T began receiving mysterious, haunting messages for a few weeks from somebody. The messages only said "I remember". It was rumored that the messages would be from Goldust, which would have begun a feud between the two. Suddenly, the angle was never mentioned again on television and the company announced on their website that they would not be renewing Rhodes' contract. WWE allowed his contract to expire in December 2003.
On February 4, 2004, he debuted inTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as "The Lone Star" Dustin Rhodes, unsuccessfully challengingJeff Jarrett for theNWA World Heavyweight Championship. On February 18, Runnels andEl Leon defeatedKevin Northcutt andLegend in a tag team bout. In December 2004, he returned to TNA, once again wrestling as Dustin Rhodes. on the January 7, 2005, episode of Impact, Rhodes andJeff Hardy defeated Kash andDallas. On the January 14 episode of Impact, Rhodes defeated Chris Candido. AtFinal Resolution, Rhodes defeatedKid Kash. on the February 11 episode of Impact Wrestling, Rhodes andAmerica's Most Wanted defeated Kid Kash, Dallas and Raven in a six-man tag team match. atAgainst All Odds, Rhodes lost to Raven but got payback atDestination X when he defeated Raven in a bullrope match. He then entered a feud withBobby Roode and atLockdown, Rhodes defeated Roode in a 2 out of 3 falls Prince of Darkness cage match. His TNA contract expired in April 2005 and he chose not to renew it, leaving TNA.
Runnels returned to World Wrestling Entertainment on October 31, 2005, as a heel and back under the Goldust attire, asJonathan Coachman enlisted him and Vader to attack Batista.[19] Goldust and Vader unsuccessfully interfered in a Street Fight between Batista and Coachman on behalf of Coachman atTaboo Tuesday.[19] Following the event, Goldust once again disappeared from television. In January 2006, Goldust took part in theRoyal Rumble match and was assigned once again to theRaw brand until he was released from his WWE contract on June 14, 2006, forno-showing an appearance.[20] Runnels made a short appearance atWrestleMania 22 to give Booker T advice on his match againstThe Boogeyman where he insinuated that the only way he could beat The Boogeyman was to put worms in his anus.[21]
On January 28, 2007, it was announced that Rhodes would appear at the February 17, 2007, All Japan Pro Wrestling show in theRyōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. On February 15, Rhodes, identified as Gold Dustin, appeared at ringside during a match involvingThe Great Muta, resulting in a brawl between Rhodes and The Great Muta.[19] On February 17, Rhodes andJinsei Shinzaki were defeated by The Great Muta andYoshihiro Tajiri in a tag team bout.[19]
On July 15, 2007, Rhodes returned to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling atVictory Road and aligned himself withChristian Cage by helping him defeat "Wildcat"Chris Harris.[19] In an interview onTNA Impact! conducted byMike Tenay, Rhodes discussed accusations of having a split personality and stated that he was going to embrace it and let it out. TNA presented the interview as being an emotional breakdown on the part of Rhodes. On August 12 atHard Justice, Rhodes debuted his new ring name, Black Reign, and a "new, darker and bizarre look". At Hard Justice, Harris defeated Black Reign via disqualification when Black Reign attacked several referees.[19] The next week, the gimmick was explored even further, saying that Rhodes constantly switched between Rhodes and Black Reign.[22] He was featured atBound for Glory in aMonster's Ball match againstRhino,Abyss, andRaven, which he lost.[19] Black Reign challenged Abyss to a "Shop of Horrors" match atGenesis and lost. At Genesis, Black Reign's new partner,Rellik (which is "Killer" spelled backwards), made his debut after attacking Abyss.[19] AtTurning Point, Abyss and Raven defeated Black Reign and Rellik in aMatch of 10,000 Tacks.[19] Originally, this match was signed to be Abyss and Rhino versus Rellik and Black Reign but, due to an injury, Rhino was replaced by Raven for this match.
OnImpact!, he helped Rellik beat upKaz.[19] Later the same night, he appeared for an interview, as Dustin Rhodes, without his Black Reign make-up and stated that his "alter ego" has been scaring him since when he was a little kid. His interview was interrupted by the furious Kaz.[19] This led to a match between the two atFinal Resolution where Kaz won. Reign and his partner Rellik then began feuding withEric Young and his new superhero gimmick Super Eric.[19] AtDestination X, Black Reign and Rellik faced Eric Young and Kaz in a losing effort. AtLockdown, Black Reign and Rellik competed in a Six Team Cuffed in the Cage match which was won by Kaz and Super Eric. After three months of not showing up on television, Black Reign's profile was removed from the TNA roster page and he was released from his TNA contract.[23]
On October 26, 2008, Runnels returned to the WWE atCyber Sunday under his Goldust persona as part of the three choices (the other two beingRoddy Piper andThe Honky Tonk Man) that the fans could choose to faceSantino Marella for theIntercontinental Championship. After Honky Tonk Man was chosen and won via disqualification, Goldust and Piper entered the ring and the three candidates fought Marella, afterwards celebrating together in the ring.[24] The following night onRaw, Goldust appeared again with Piper and the Honky Tonk Man as guest commentators for Marella's match withCharlie Haas. The match ended when Goldust and Piper distracted Marella so that Honky Tonk Man could smash his guitar over Marella's head.[25]
Goldust appeared on the celebration of the 800th episode ofRaw on November 3, 2008, dancing alongside his father Dusty Rhodes,Lilian Garcia and several other wrestlers.[26] A noticeably slimmer and quicker Goldust finally made a full-time return on theRaw roster once again on the November 24, 2008, episode ofRaw, where he defeatedSantino Marella.[27] Goldust participated in the2009 Royal Rumble match and stared down his real-life half-brother,Cody Rhodes, but was eliminated by him later.[28]
The team of Goldust and Hornswoggle came to an end on June 29, 2009, when Goldust was traded to theECW brand via a 15-man trade.[29] His debut match for the brand came on the July 14 episode ofECW, in which he lost toZack Ryder.[30] In the upcoming weeks, he started a feud withSheamus leading to his first televised singles win in several months onSuperstars against Sheamus pinning him using aninside cradle.[31] After several weeks offeuding, Sheamus defeated Goldust in a "No Disqualification" match on the September 1 episode ofECW on Syfy to end the feud.[32]
Following this loss, he garnered his first number one contender's match for theECW Championship on the September 15, 2009, episode ofECW on Syfy in a 10-Man Battle Royal where he was the seventh participant eliminated and Zack Ryder earning the title shot in the end.[33] The September 29, 2009, episode ofECW on Syfy saw Goldust win his first match on ECW in an eight-man tag team match whereYoshi Tatsu pinnedWilliam Regal to score the win for their team.[34] On the November 10 episode ofECW on Syfy, Goldust won his first televised singles match on the ECW brand by pinningPaul Burchill. Goldust participated in an "ECW Homecoming" Match on the December 22 episode ofECW on Syfy to determine who got an opportunity to challenge Christian for the ECW Championship, but was defeated byVance Archer.[35]
In early January, he teamed with Yoshi Tatsu[36] and began a feud with ECW newcomersTrent Barreta andCaylen Croft. The duos exchanged victories in singles and tag team competition[37][38][39][40][41] until the feud came to an end on the February 9 episode ofECW, when Goldust and Tatsu defeated Barreta and Croft in a match to determine the number one contenders to theUnified WWE Tag Team Championship.[42] However, Goldust and Tatsu failed in capturing the titles on the final episode ofECW on Syfy.[43] The team of Goldust and Yoshi Tatsu came to an end when Tatsu signed with theRaw brand afterECW on SyFy was canceled.[44]
On March 3, 2010, Goldust joined theSmackDown brand,[45][46] He made his debut for the brand on the March 4 episode ofSuperstars in a losing effort againstChris Jericho.[47] The following week onSuperstars, he won his first match as a SmackDown star after defeatingMike Knox using his finishing move, the Final Cut,[48] as well as beatingWilliam Regal also using the Final Cut soon afterwards. He appeared in a dark 26-man battle royal match atWrestleMania XXVI, but failed to win, although his past allyYoshi Tatsu won.
As part of the2010 WWE Supplemental Draft, Goldust was drafted back to the Raw brand.[49] On the May 3 episode ofRaw, Goldust made his re-debut for the brand in a backstage segment with the guest host for that week,Wayne Brady. In late September, a mysterious stalker was sending messages toMaryse andTed DiBiase Jr., but it was unsure who they were aimed at. On the October 4 episode ofRaw, Goldust was revealed as the mystery stalker, but the messages were not directed to Maryse, but at DiBiase'sMillion Dollar Championship, which he then took.[50]
During the season 2 finale ofNXT on August 31, 2010, it was announced that Goldust would take part in NXT's third season as a Pro withAksana as his Rookie.[51] On the October 12 episode ofNXT Goldust proposed to Aksana, who was facing deportation from the country, so she could stay in America.[52] On the October 18 episode ofRaw, DiBiase tried to reclaim his Million Dollar Championship after Goldust's match with Zack Ryder by attacking him, but he was unsuccessful in retrieving his belt.[53] AtBragging Rights, DiBiase defeated Goldust, but Goldust still left with the title after Aksana distracted DiBiase long enough for Goldust to hit his finisher on him.[54] Goldust and Aksana were married on the November 2 episode ofNXT with father Dusty Rhodes and real-life half-brother "Dashing" Cody Rhodes in attendance. Immediately afterwards Aksana slapped Goldust and walked out on him.[55] The following Monday onRaw Aksana stole the Million Dollar Championship belt during Goldust's match with Ted DiBiase.[56] The following week onRaw Goldust managed to steal the Million Dollar Championship belt back from Aksana and then returned it toTed DiBiase Sr., and onNXT he asked Aksana for a divorce after she was eliminated.[57][58]
On December 7, 2010, it was reported that Runnels had suffered a shoulder injury.[59] He underwent surgery to repair the injury on December 10 and, as a result, was expected to be out of action for five to six months. On the April 11, 2011, episode of Raw, he was seen (without makeup) huggingEdge after his retirement speech. On July 11, Runnels began working backstage as a producer. On the November 29 episode of theSmackdown Live Holiday Special Goldust made his surprise return on a backstage segment with his father Dusty Rhodes. On the December 12 episode of theWWE Slammy Awards he appeared to announce the Slammy for A-Lister of The Year withVickie Guerrero. On the December 30, 2011, episode of SmackDown Rhodes appeared in his suit attire and no make up, to defend Booker T and confront his half brother, Cody Rhodes. Rhodes made an appearance on the April 9, 2012, edition ofRaw where he, along with numerous other WWE officials and superstars, were attempting to break up a brawl betweenBrock Lesnar andJohn Cena. On May 6, 2012, WWE acknowledged Goldust's departure from the company.[60]
Runnels returned to professional wrestling on April 11, 2012, inPort St. Lucie, Florida, for Championship Wrestling Entertainment's event "WrestleFest", defeating JD Maverick in the main event. He then wrestled on July 14, 2012, inHollywood, Florida, for the NWA Ring Warriors (part ofNWA territories) promotion as Goldust,[61] losing toVordell Walker via disqualification when"Iceman" Buck Q interfered in the match.[62] Runnels appeared for the Dreamwave Wrestling on September 15 inLaSalle, Illinois. Runnels continued to use the Goldust name outside WWE. Runnels appeared on Mr. Chainsaw Pro Wrestling'sBattle Ground 5 event on May 18, 2013, inKalkaska, Michigan, and billed as Dustin "Goldust" Rhodes.[63][better source needed]
Runnels returned to WWE as Goldust at theRoyal Rumble on January 27, 2013, as the eighth participant in the Rumble match. He was eliminated by his half-brother, Cody Rhodes,[64][65] teasing a possible feud. but Goldust later confirmed that his return was a one night only deal.[66]
When Cody was (kayfabe) fired for speaking out against chief operating officerTriple H and then losing to theWWE Champion Randy Orton, Goldust returned on the September 9Raw to face Orton in a match to get his half-brother Cody Rhodes rehired, but was defeated.[67] Following this, Goldust's father Dusty Rhodes returned to WWE to ask Stephanie McMahon for Cody to be rehired. After much dialogue in whichThe Shield andBig Show interrupted, Stephanie McMahon gave Dusty two choices, which were to get knocked out by an unwilling Big Show or get "mauled by The Shield." Big Show then knocked Dusty out and stayed with Dusty while theparamedics arrived.[67][68] In return, the Rhodes brothers gatecrashedRaw by attacking the Shield.[69] AtBattleground, Cody and Goldust won their jobs back when they defeated the WWE Tag Team Champions,Seth Rollins andRoman Reigns in a non-title match.[70] The Rhodes brothers heaped more misery on the Shield by winning a no disqualification match on the October 14Raw (with the help of Big Show) to capture the tag titles, marking Goldust's first title in WWE in nearly 11 years.[71] By this point, many longtime Goldust mannerisms such as wearing a robe and platinum blonde wig to the ring were dropped in exchange for wearing a jacket similar to his brother; additionally, Goldust would now speak with his normalTexan voice. AtHell in a Cell, the Rhodes brothers' first successful title defense came with winning a triple threat match againstthe Usos and Rollins and Reigns.[72] AtSurvivor Series, Goldust alongside his half-brother Cody, participated in the traditional Survivor Series Tag Team match where Goldust survived till the final two alongsideRey Mysterio. However, he got eliminated by Roman Reigns and his team lost. AtTLC: Tables Ladders and Chairs, the Rhodes Brothers retained the title in a fatal-4-way elimination match againstCurtis Axel andRyback, The Real Americans and Big Show and Rey Mysterio, but they lost the title toNew Age Outlaws (Road Dogg andBilly Gunn) at theRoyal Rumble. Later in theRoyal Rumble match, he would accidentally eliminate Cody Rhodes. After continuing to team together for months, Goldust and Cody broke up in June, after mounting losses. Cody prompted Goldust to find a new partner to replace him.
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On the June 16 episode ofRaw, Cody debuted a new character,Stardust, wearing face paint and a bodysuit and adopting mannerisms similar to those of Goldust. AtMoney in the Bank, Goldust and Stardust defeated RybAxel (Curtis Axel and Ryback).[73] Goldust and Stardust appeared in backstage segments, speaking of a "Cosmic Key". On the August 25 episode ofRaw, Goldust and Stardust defeated The Usos in a title match via count-out, but, as a result, they did not win the title. The duo would then attack the Usos out of frustration, turning heel in the process. They confirmed their heel turn after attackingEl Torito the following night onMain Event, having defeatedLos Matadores in their tag team match. AtNight of Champions they won the WWE Tag Team Championships once again by beating The Usos. AtHell in a Cell they retained their title by beating The Usos. AtSurvivor Series they lost the title toThe Miz andDamien Mizdow. They had a rematch for the tag team titles the following night on Raw, but were unsuccessful.
On the February 2, 2015, episode ofRaw, after being defeated byThe Ascension, Stardust would start to show his frustrations toward Goldust. On the February 16 episode ofRaw, following a loss toThe New Day membersKofi Kingston andXavier Woods, Stardust would turn on Goldust by using his old finisher, Cross Rhodes on him, marking the end of Gold and Stardust, turning Goldust face in the process. This led to a match atFastlane, where Goldust defeated Stardust. Later that night, while speaking to their father, Dusty Rhodes, Goldust would be attacked by Stardust again. AtWrestleMania 31, Goldust participated in the 2nd annualAndré the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, where he was eliminated by Ryback. On the March 30, 2015, episode ofRaw, Goldust lost via submission to Rusev.
In May, Goldust announced that he would undergo surgery to address a shoulder injury and that he would be out of action for 2–4 months. Goldust made an appearance atNXT TakeOver: Respect without any facepaint to congratulateFinn Bálor andSamoa Joe after they won theDusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament.[74]
Goldust returned from injury atSurvivor Series, competing in a5-on-5 traditional Survivor Series elimination tag team match during the pre-show, teaming with TheDudley Boyz,Neville andTitus O'Neil, where they defeated the team of Stardust, The Ascension, The Miz andBo Dallas. Goldust would continue feuding with his brother, Stardust, on Raw and SmackDown during the months of November and December. On the December 17 episode ofSmackDown, Goldust would costTyler Breeze his match against O'Neil after distracting Breeze by appearing at ringside. On the December 31 episode ofSmackDown, Goldust would be defeated by Breeze.
In early 2016, during various episodes ofRaw andSmackDown, Goldust approachedR-Truth and proposed they form a tag team to no avail.[75][76] AtFastlane, Goldust inadvertently cost R-Truth his match againstCurtis Axel.[77] Following Fastlane, R-Truth began to apologize and attempt to form a tag team with Goldust, with Goldust rejecting.[78][79][80] On the March 21 episode ofRaw, Goldust came to R-Truth's aid after Truth was defeated byBubba Ray Dudley. AtWrestleMania 32, Goldust took part in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in a losing effort. On the April 11 episode ofRaw,Shane McMahon announced a number one contenders tournament for the WWE Tag Team Championship, which included Goldust and Truth teaming together.[81] On the April 14 episode ofSmackDown, Goldust would tell R-Truth before their match they would not team together, with Goldust instead teaming withFandango, where they were defeated by TheVaudevillains in the first round.[82][better source needed] On the April 22 episode of Smackdown, Goldust was the special referee for the match of R-Truth and Fandango, which R-Truth won. On the May 2 episode ofRaw, Goldust faced off against R-Truth's new partner,Tyler Breeze, in a losing effort following a distraction from R-Truth. On the May 12 episode ofSmackDown, the two teams would face each other, with Goldust and Truth refusing to fight each other, resulting in Fandango and Breeze forming an alliance and attacking Goldust and R-Truth, with Fandango subsequently allowing Breeze to pin Goldust.[83] On the May 16 episode ofRaw, Goldust and Truth began teaming together, where they were defeated by the newly dubbed Breezango (Fandango and Breeze).[84] The week after onSmackDown, Golden Truth started a losing streak, losing to the likes of Breezango and The Dudley Boyz.[85][86] Golden Truth earned their first victory on theMoney in the Bank pre-show after defeating Breezango.[87]
In the2016 WWE Draft, Goldust, along with R-Truth, was drafted toRaw. The Golden Truth later entered into a feud with The Shining Stars. On the July 25 episode ofRaw, The Golden Truth would enter the ring during a tag team match between Enzo and Cass and The Shining Stars, playing Pokémon Go! Over a number of months The Shining Stars would attempt to persuade R-Truth into purchasing a one-way ticket to Puerto Rico which saw Goldust continually but in and save R-Truth from being conned. On the August 1 episode ofRaw, The Golden Truth would be defeated by The Shining Stars. On the October 17 episode ofRaw, The Golden Truth were joined byMark Henry in their feud against the Shining Stars. They would go on to defeat The Shining Stars &Titus O'Neil in an 8-man tag team match on the same episode ofRaw. On the October 31 episode ofRaw, Goldust would compete in a battle royal with the winner being added to Team Raw at Survivor Series. Goldust was unsuccessful withBraun Strowman winning the battle royal and joining Team Raw in the process. The Golden Truth were later announced as members of the 10-man Survivor Series Raw Tag Team stable but later lost their spots a week later when it was revealed R-Truth had sold their spots on the team to the Shining Stars for tickets to Puerto Rico. On the November 7 episode ofRaw, The Shining Stars defeated The Golden Truth to join Team Raw. On the November 28 episode ofRaw, Goldust attacked Braun Strowman after his victory over R-Truth. Sami Zayn would then run into the ring and help in attacking Strowman. AtWWE Tribute to the Troops onDecember 14, The Golden Truth competed in aFatal 4-Way tag team match to determine the #1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship againstCesaro and Sheamus,Gallows and Anderson, andThe Shining Stars, which was won by Cesaro and Sheamus.[88]
On the March 27, 2017, episode ofRaw, the Golden Truth was confirmed for the 4th annualAndré the Giant Memorial Battle Royal atWrestleMania 33, however neither one of them was successful in winning. On the April 17 episode ofRaw, The Golden Truth were going to compete against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson but were attacked backstage by Braun Strowman, leavingEnzo AmoreandBig Cass to take The Golden Truth's place in the match.
On the May 8 episode ofRaw, The Golden Truth participated in the tag team turmoil match for the No. 1 Contenders spot against TheHardy Boyz, but lost to Cesaro and Sheamus.[89] On the May 15 episode ofRaw, R-Truth apologized to Goldust for "letting the team down" and Goldust replied by saying they "win and lose as a team". Later that night, Goldust attacked R-Truth before a match against Gallows and Anderson, turning heel for the first time since 2015 and breaking up The Golden Truth.[90]
On the May 22 episode ofRaw, a vignette was aired with Goldust, stating that he was in the director's chair and that "the Golden Age is back", starting a feud with R-Truth.[91] On the July 10 episode ofRaw, Goldust defeated R-Truth, concluding their feud.[92] On the August 28 episode ofRaw, Goldust participated in the 15-man battle royal for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship. Goldust was unsuccessful though, as he was eliminated byLuke Gallows.[93]
On the September 11 episode ofRaw, Goldust facedBray Wyatt in a losing effort.[94] After the match, Wyatt used a towel to remove his facepaint, saying he was "just a man", as a shot towards the face and body paint Wyatt's rivalFinn Bálor would use. The next week onRaw, under his real name and without his signature facepaint (although still using Goldust's theme and ring attire), Rhodes faced Wyatt once again in a losing effort.[95] Bálor ran down to help Rhodes after the match, when Wyatt continued to attack him. Rhodes, however, resented the help and attacked Bálor during a confrontation backstage on the September 25 episode ofRaw.[96] He had a match against Bálor later that night, but was defeated.[97] AtStarrcade, he competed as "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes, defeatingDash Wilder with the bulldog.[98]
On the January 1, 2018, episode ofRaw, Rhodes, now back as Goldust, teamed withCedric Alexander to defeatDrew Gulak andAriya Daivari.[99] A rematch took place on the January 2 episode of205 Live, a show usually reserved for competitors under205 pounds. At theRoyal Rumble, Goldust entered theRoyal Rumble match at number 29, but was eliminated byDolph Ziggler. In January, Goldust was announced as a competitor in theWWE Mixed Match Challenge alongsideAlicia Fox. Fox was replaced byMandy Rose after an injury, and Goldust and Rose lost in the first round toJimmy Uso andNaomi on February 6.[100][101] On the March 5 episode of Raw, Goldust would confront and attackJohn Cena during a promo, stating he would "shatter his dreams", but was subsequently defeated by Cena that same night. On the April 2 episode of Raw, Goldust cut a backstage promo where he announced his participation in the upcoming André The Giant Memorial Battle Royal match atWrestleMania 34, and lost a match to"Woken" Matt Hardy that same night. At WrestleMania 34, Goldust participated in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, where he eliminated R-Truth. At theGreatest Royal Rumble, Goldust entered the aforementioned match at number 18 and lasted 10 minutes before being eliminated byBobby Roode. In July, Goldust underwent surgery on both knees. On March 28, 2019, it was reported byPro Wrestling Sheet that Goldust left the WWE after his contract expired, thus ending his six-year tenure with the promotion.[102] Goldust confirmed his departure on April 21, 2019, stating he asked for his release.[103]
On April 20, 2019, it was revealed on "Road to Double or Nothing" that Rhodes would face his real life half-brother, Cody, atAll Elite Wrestling (AEW)'sDouble or Nothing pay-per-view.[104] At Double or Nothing on May 25, Runnels, under his old gimmick as "The Natural", failed to win. The match was rated5 stars by professional wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer. Post-match, the brothers embraced after the announcement they would reunite to faceThe Young Bucks at theFight for the Fallen event on July 13.[105] On August 2, 2019, it was announced that Dustin Rhodes had signed a multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling as wrestler and coach.[106] On the premiere episode ofAEW Dynamite on October 2, Rhodes returned to TNT for the first timein over 18 years, Rhodes,The Young Bucks and his half-brother Cody were attacked byThe Inner Circle (Chris Jericho,Santana and Ortiz,Sammy Guevara andJake Hager). On the October 22, 2019, episode ofAEW Dark, Runnels picked up his first victory, by pinningCima, in an 8-Man Tag Team Match.[107][better source needed] On the October 23, 2019, episode ofDynamite where he helped his brother Cody andMJF attack Chris Jericho and his stable The Inner Circle. Runnels' feud with The Inner Circle concluded when he lost toJake Hager in Hager's AEW debut match atRevolution.[108] On the Road to Double or Nothing special, Rhodes announced that if he were to lose to Kip Sabian in the first round of theTNT Championship tournament then he would retire. On the April 22, 2020, episode ofDynamite, Rhodes defeated Kip Sabian to win the quarterfinals match and advance to the second round of the TNT Championship Tournament.[109] The second round saw him facing "The Murderhawk" Lance Archer, with Rhodes losing the match.[110] During the May 20 broadcast ofDynamite,Shawn Spears insulted Rhodes and his family during a segment, setting up a match between the two at theDouble or Nothing on May 23, 2020. During his Double or Nothing return match, Rhodes ripped Spears' clothes and won via pinfall after hitting the Final Reckoning (Curtain Call).[111] Rhodes andQ. T. Marshall who first teamed as "The Natural Nightmares" on February 19, unsuccessfully challenged for theAEW World Tag Team Championship againstKenny Omega andAdam Page on the June 17Dynamite.[112] To avenge Cody losing the TNT Championship toBrodie Lee, Rhodes and Marshall teamed withMatt Cardona andScorpio Sky atAll Out, defeatingThe Dark Order (Brodie Lee,Colt Cabana,Evil Uno and Stu Grayson). After the match, Rhodes challenged Brodie for the TNT Championship on the followingDynamite, which he lost.[113][better source needed]
On the November 11, 2020, episode ofDynamite, the "Natural Nightmares" teamed up again to defeatThe Butcher and the Blade in abunkhouse match.[114][better source needed] On the December 9, 2020, episode ofDynamite, Rhodes defeated10 by pinfall.[115]
AtAEW Battle of the Belts on January 8, 2022, Rhodes lost toSammy Guevara in an InterimAEW TNT Championship title match.[116]
On the July 1, 2023, episode ofAEW Collision, Rhodes competed in theOwen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament, losing toPowerhouse Hobbs in the quarterfinals of the tournament.[117]
AtAEW Worlds End in December 2023, Rhodes lost toSwerve Strickland, substituting for the injuredKeith Lee.[118]
In July 2024, Rhodes debuted in AEW's sister promotion,Ring of Honor at itsDeath Before Dishonor, teaming withMarshall and Ross Von Erich to defeatThe Dark Order to earn a shot at the vacantROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. AtBattle of the Belts XI later that month, Rhodes and the Von Erichs defeatedUndisputed Kingdom to win the Championships. On the August 17 episode ofAEW Collision, Rhodes teamed with Guevara to defeat the Undisputed Kingdom to win theROH World Tag Team Championship, thus becoming a double champion in ROH. Rhodes, Guevara, and the Von Erichs then combined to form a stable known as the Sons of Texas, explaining that they are all Texas natives and have connections to Texas wrestling legends (Rhodes and the Von Erichs through their respective families, and Guevara was trained by Rhodes' former WWE partner and Texas native Booker T). AtAll In in August 2024, the Sons of Texas teamed withKatsuyori Shibata to defeatUndisputed Kingdom andCage of Agony in a10-man tag team match.
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2014 | Meet Me There | Preacher Woodward | |
| 2015 | The Murders of Brandywine Theater | Officer | |
| 2016 | Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon | Goldust | Voice |
| 2019 | Scare Package | The Devil's Lake Impaler | "Horror Hypothesis" |
| 2020 | Copper Bill | Mitchell White | |
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2020 | Misanthrope | Nate Doolan | "Stolen Valor" |
| 2021 | Rhodes To The Top | ||
| WCW Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 1994 | WCW: The Main Event | Video game debut as Dustin Rhodes | |
| WCW SuperBrawl Wrestling | |||
| WWE Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 1996 | WWF In Your House | Video game debut as Goldust | |
| 1998 | WWF War Zone | ||
| 1999 | WWF Attitude | ||
| 2001 | With Authority! | ||
| 2002 | WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth | ||
| 2003 | WWE WrestleMania XIX | ||
| WWE Raw 2 | |||
| WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain | |||
| 2009 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 | ||
| 2010 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 | ||
| 2011 | WWE '12 | ||
| 2012 | WWE '13 | Downloadable content | |
| 2014 | WWE 2K15 | Motion capture | |
| 2015 | WWE 2K16 | Motion capture | |
| 2016 | WWE 2K17 | Motion capture | |
| 2017 | WWE 2K18 | Motion capture | |
| 2018 | WWE 2K19 | Motion capture | |
| AEW Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 2023 | AEW Fight Forever | ||
He also appears inBlack Moth Super Rainbow's video for "Hairspray Heart", from their albumCobra Juicy.[119]
Runnels is the son of Virgil Runnels, better known as"The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes (1945–2015), and his first wife Sandra.[120] His half-brother is fellow wrestlerCody Rhodes. He has two sisters, Kristin Runnels Ditto, who is a formerDallas Cowboys Cheerleader, and Teil Gergel.[121]
Runnels was previously married toTerri Runnels.[122][123] They have a daughter together.[122][123] The couple divorced after six years of marriage on October 18, 1999.[122] The two became grandparents in 2023.[124][better source needed] Runnels also has a stepchild.[125]
Runnels' autobiography,Cross Rhodes: Goldust, Out of the Darkness, was released on December 14, 2010.[126] In the book, Runnels mentioned that he was married a second time to an unnamed woman. "I also had a short-lived and highly volatile second marriage. We only dated for a few months, then, one day, we just went to the justice of the peace and did the deed." He was referring to Milena Martelloni, whom he married on December 18, 2002; they divorced in 2003.[127] Runnels married his third wife, Ta-rel Marie Roche, on June 22, 2012.[128]
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(September 21, 1990) Dustin Rhodes pinned Paul Diamond at 7:03 with a flying forearm and an elbow drop
Vordell Walker defeated Goldust via Disqualifications when "Iceman" Buck Q interfered
Goldust finally comes back with an atomic drop and a clothesline. He drops down and punches Sheamus, and then gets a powerslam for two. Goldust gets a bulldog, and then executes a flatliner on Sheamus for a nearfall.
Media related toDustin Runnels at Wikimedia Commons
,Wrestlingdata.com,Internet Wrestling Database| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |