Rhodes Lost His Passion

Dustin Rhodes formerly Goldust speaks about his time in the WWE.

Rhodes had been with the WWE off and on from 1990 to 2019.  However, his debut in wrestling was in 1988. He had wrestled in many promotions including WCW, TNA and All Japan.  However, Rhodes always returned home to WWE.

After AEW Double or Nothing Rhodes did an interview with Inside the Ropes as part of the Starrcast weekend.  During the interview Rhodes began speaking on his last four years in the WWE.

“For the past four years with WWE, it just I kind of lost my passion because let’s face it.  You’re sitting in the back not doing anything and it’s just really hard. It’s frustrating when you have so much to give, but time is running out because you are getting older.  It sucks when you’re not being picked and you’re pitching these ideas to the writers and the creative and to Vince and to whoever else will listen,” Rhodes said.

Inside the Ropes Interview
AEW Dustin Rhodes and Cody
Courtesy of AEW

Rhodes’ Wasted Talent In WWE

Rhodes spoke on WWE not really using him often, but if they did it would be as an extra as Goldberg made his trademark security team exit.  To have a flash-in-the-pan wrestler like Goldberg take priority over a solid wrestler like Goldust must have been frustrating to him. To have WWE call up Goldust and say we have something for you to do on Raw, but then hear it is to stand on the sideline and watch Goldberg walk by.  The disrespect is unbelievable.

“I’d rather be doing something with some substance.  On the show in a storyline and whether I deserve it or not I don’t know, but that’s what I wanted,” Rhodes said.

Inside the Ropes Interview

In Rhodes 19 years off and on in WWE Rhodes has seen a lot, but more importantly has learned a lot.  It is such a wasted opportunity to not have Rhodes working with younger talent. Goldust was never known as one of the best wrestlers, but he was always a solid performer.  He could have the best match of the night, but no one watched it because it was “just a Goldust match.”

However, where I always felt Goldust shined was in the mind games he played with his opponents.  A lot of guys can trash talk to their opponents and throw them off, but Goldust was different. Goldust would use his 6 foot 6 inch frame to power them into the corner and then lick their face or something.  His opponent would be really confused what to do next as they’re wiping the spit off their face. When I think of a wrestler playing mind games I think of Goldust.

WWE Goldust
Courtesy of WWE

Goldust The King Of Mind Games

Goldust was an influential wrestler.  It sounds crazy to say, but it is true.  If Goldust was not around mind games would not be a popular tactic.  Bray Wyatt is a pro at being creepy, strange and playing mind games. However, without Goldust there may be no Bray Wyatt as a character.

Rhodes speaks on feeling trapped in WWE.  He makes a direct analogy to being in a prison, but a really nice one.  The burden of being a very experienced and times the most experienced wrestler on the roster and not being able to do the thing he loves must have been heartbreaking.  Goldust was a weird ass bird who just wanted to fly, but WWE said no just watch Goldberg walk by.

“I needed to go, kinda do something else man because I’ve been there for so long.  They had taken good care of me, but I needed to get out. I needed to get out and breathe and try to find my passion again,” Rhodes said.

Inside the Ropes Interview

Rhodes And His Future

Now that Rhodes is no longer with WWE he talks about teaching and opening a wrestling school.  I am very much looking forward to seeing future students of Rhodes coming to the WWE and possible Goldust clones because I’ve always been a big fan of his.However, this is not the last time the world will see Rhodes wrestle.  Following his match with his brother, Cody, a tag match has been announced.   At AEW’s Fight for the Fallen on July 13 Cody and Dustin Rhodes will face off against The Young Bucks.

Sources:

ProWrestling.com

Inside The Ropes

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