Success, Bust or In-Between: Dustin Rhodes/Goldust

[It's Damn Real!]

You know the series by now, I'd hope, but for those of you who don't, here's the run down:

• Former talents of the WWE/F are to be critiqued regarding their work with WWE/F, and only their work with WWE/F for the basis of these polls.
• Any work from the performer that was not done during his/her tenure during WWE/F should not factor into your vote.
• You can vote them either a success, a bust or in-between if you don't feel they deserve either extreme.

In addition to your vote, I'd like to know why you feel the way you do. Why was this particular charater a succes, a bust or in-between?

Next in the series is Dustin Rhodes/Goldust.

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Dustin Rhodes/Goldust
Years with WWE/F: 9 (1990-1991, 1995-1999, 2002-2003, 2005-2006, 2008-2010)
Number of titles runs: World Tag Team Championship (x1), WWF Hardcore Championship (x7), WWF Intercontinental Championship (x1)

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Notable Feuds:
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• Ted DiBiase & Virgil via Dusty Rhodes (1990)
• Razor Ramon (1995)
• Savio Vega (1996)
• The Undertaker (1996)
• Marc Mero & Sable via Marlena (1996)
• Brian Pillman (1997)
• Vader (1997)
• Val Venis (1998)
• Jeff Jarrett via Debra (1998)
• Al Snow & The Blue Meanie (1999)
• Rob Van Dam (2002)
• nWo via Booker T (2002)
• Cody Rhodes (2009)
• Sheamus (2009)

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Other Accomplishments:
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• Debuted in the WWF/E in 1990 as Dustin Rhodes against Ted DiBiase.
• Was awarded a Slammy Award in 1997 for "Best Couple" with Marlena.
• Was voted Most Embarrassing Wrestler in 1997 by Wrestling Observer.
• Was voted Worst Gimmick in 1995, 1997 and 2007 by Wrestling Observer.
• Was the last feud Brian Pillman worked before his untimely death.
• Was managed by Marlena, Luna Vachon and Ryan Shamrock.

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Previous Polls:
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• Mr. Kennedy – 47.37% In-Between, 31.58% Bust, 21.05% Success
• Shelton Benjamin – 49.25% In-Between, 31.34% Bust, 19.40% Success
• Jeff Hardy – 75.00% Success, 16.25% In-Between, 8.75% Bust
• Mickie James – 93.22% Success, 5.08% In-Between, 1.69% Bust
• Charlie Haas – 75.68% Bust, 21.62% In-Between, 2.70% Success
• John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) – 80.17% Success, 15.52% In-Between, 4.31% Bust
• Gregory "Hurricane" Helms – 54.69% In-Between, 35.94% Success, 9.38% Bust
• Tommy Dreamer – 45.00% In-Between, 42.50% Bust, 12.50% Success

 

[Ferbian]

I think Golddust was in-between, he was a great talent and very entertaining, but he didn't accomplish as much as he perhaps had the potential to within the WWE.

The reason why I think he was in-between was because while had some pretty decent feuds, and held some titles here and there, he didn't reach the level which I think he could have, while I don't think he would've ever become a world champion, he could've been a solid upper mid-carder holding a few more championships, but not even that did happened, he ended his career being a comedy act and mid-card jobber.

I think he could've definitely accomplished more during his period of time with Booker T, which was definitely my favorite period watching Goldust and perhaps even his prime.

So my vote goes to in-between.

 

[The Doctor]

Realistically, he'd probably be an in-between, though I didn't really think this through before I voted success.

Goldust was good in the ring and on the mic, and could work a crowd with the best of him. No matter what the magazines say, his gimmick was great. It could be creepy, it could be funny, it could be uncomfortable, but it was always unique.

He was also over throughout his career as Goldust. Even when he returned to the WWE in 2008, the crowd lapped him up, and he routinely got great reactions on ECW. He could connect with crowds like many wrestlers wish they could.

However, he never achieved his full potential. A handful of Hardcore Title wins, a tag reign, and an IC reign don't really scream "success". He could and should have gone a lot farther. But he was in no way a bust.

In-Between.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

For me, it's in-between. While I wanted to say success because of how well the Ramon, Pillman, etc. feuds were done, the Goldust character took off to fantastic heights in it's infancy and much through it's first two-to-three years, but a character that flamboyant had a very obvious expiration date the WWE never seemed to pick up on, so once it grew stale it became quite frustrating watching something that was once great get force-fed to folks who obviously didn't want to eat it up anymore.

I always though this "American Nightmare" gimmick he ran in the WCW was a fantastic idea that I really wish the WWE would have picked up on, or came up with themselves, because as a springboard to bury Goldust, having him repackage himself as that certified American bad-ass with an axe to grind would have been an ideal transition – unfortunately it never happened.

 

[Doctor_What]

Im going to say in between.

The character was unique but was ruined imo by the whole 'artist formaly known as' bollocks. I liked him though he was good on the mic good in the ring and has a decent list of accomplishments so is by no means 'bust'.

Dont mean to be picky by the way but I beleive he was intercontinental champion 3 times

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

I voted for success for several reasons.

One, he made Goldust work. I have a hard time believing that you could put any other person in that role and it would work. Dustin Rhodes made Goldust, just as I believe Goldust made Dustin Rhodes. It was his way of branching away from his father and establishing his own legacy. Goldust will always be remembered as one of the, if not THE, catalyst for the Attitude Era. The character was so bizarre that it captured the imagination of a lot of fans.

Second, he was a hell of an in-ring performer. Dustin Rhodes rarely had what I would call a horrible match, especially in his WWF/E years (TNA, you could definitely argue he didn't have many great matches there). He worked very well with different types of wrestlers. He knew how to work a match and not just go "spot, spot, spot, spot."

Third, in an era where we measure great wrestlers sometimes by the number of world titles someone wins, here's someone that never had a chance to carry a promotional heavyweight title yet did the best he could with the role he was given. He could cut a good promo that would send chills down your spine or make you want to wash your ears out. He could make you laugh by stuttering, putting a Don King wig on Booker T, or bringing out a midget "Mini-Dust." And he could definitely put people over in the ring by jobbing to them, giving the needed talent a good match to establish them.

Thank you Dustin Rhodes/Goldust for your great career and great memories. We will never forget the name of ......... (deep breath)........ Goldust. (bite sound)

Success.

 

[Scotty]

Goldust was above average both in the ring and on the microphone. He did not amass nearly enough championships as he should have. He had a unique gimmick as most of his career and always had the fans support. I don't see why he shouldn't have had one last reign in the limelight. He could have went out with a bang. He could still go in the ring, on the mic, and was in the best shape he has been in in years. I don't see how Dustin Rhodes/Goldust could be seen as anything other then In-between.

 

[Theo Mays]

While his accolades don't scream success I do believe he was a success. He took a controversial character that looked to be a joke and made it worked and turned it into one of the best characters wrestling had witnessed in years. He had great feuds his early years in the E with Razor and Pillman and even Piper. Lets not forget the mouth to mouth with Ahmed Johnson. He made the character work so well that he is still around today and still get a solid reaction from the crowd. His in ring work was good and his mic work was even better. It's a shame Goldust never went on to be a main eventer, but the guy was one of the best midcard workers the E could have asked for.

 

[XXbrandonXX]

Success.

Why? Like someone said, he made the character work. There was not one single person who could actually make the gimmick work. He did an excellent job preforming comedic skits and did a amazing job working with the creepy aspect and comedy aspect of everything. Great job.

He was one of the best damn wrestlers. I never saw one match that I didn't dislike when he wrestled. No matter how out of shape he was at times, he could still put on one of the most memorable matches of the night.

He might have not accomplished as much as he deserved, but I'm glad that he had what he had. The only reason he was never a WWE Champion was because Vince probably never took his seriosly enough.


He was always over with the crowd. No matter who he was fighting, he was over with them. Even if he was recently "jobbed" the crowd would still get behind him, and he knew how to get the crowd excited. Plus, he never complained about where he was in his career, like for instance the comedy parts.

Lastly, you will never forget this guy. His gimmick will always last in out minds. He will be missed lot's by everyone. We love you Goldust!

 

[The Brain]

I voted for success for several reasons.

One, he made Goldust work. I have a hard time believing that you could put any other person in that role and it would work. Dustin Rhodes made Goldust, just as I believe Goldust made Dustin Rhodes. It was his way of branching away from his father and establishing his own legacy. Goldust will always be remembered as one of the, if not THE, catalyst for the Attitude Era. The character was so bizarre that it captured the imagination of a lot of fans.

Success.

This.

When I first saw Goldust I assumed he would be just another crappy mid 90s throwaway gimmick. Dustin made that character. That's pretty impressive. Not only did that seem like a difficult character to get over, but it was the complete opposite of anything he'd ever done. Dustin had some success in WCW as a simply cowboy type wrestler. He wore the jeans, cowboy boots, drove the pickup truck, and was the grandson of a plumber. The transformation into Goldust was major. Not only did he transform into a completley different character, but he also had to face a lot of harsh criticism especially being the son of Dusty Rhodes. The wrestling media was not kind to Goldust. Dustin stuck with the character and really made it work. Every time Goldust appeared on television he got my attention. He really did help start the attitude era. Long before DX was around Goldust was testing the waters and seeing how far the envelope could be pushed. Younger fans may only know Goldust as a comedy guy who wrestles an ocassional meaningless match, but in 1995 and 1996 he was one of the top guys, and most hated guys in the business.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

First of all, just like to point out to the OP...

Was voted Worst Gimmick in 1995, 1997 and 2007 by Wrestling Observer

The 2007 gimmick wasn't Goldust, it was Black Reign from his short TNA stint..

Anyway I voted Success...he achieved success in his feuds and gaining the IC title back in the 90's...I think after he came back, he wasn't as serious, but he was still a solid in-ring worker, WWE used him well and Dustin Rhodes used the Goldust gimmick well aswell..

A bizarre Success..

 

[Vintage]

Success.

This gimmick should have never ever worked. I personally think that was yet another way for Vince to embarass the Rhodes family for whatever reason he felt the need to put Dusty in polka dots and pair him with the ugliest valet in wrestling history.. well almost. Nicole Bass has her beat but I think that's she's a hermaphrodite and doesn't quite count as a woman. Anyhow, it ended up being a cool concept that went left on so many occasions but Dustin seemed to really be into it and made it his. Had he not invested the energy into embracing the creepiness of the character or slacked off on his ring work, this would most definitely had been wrestlecrap.

 

[fenfool]

Tough time to post this, the day we learn he's retired! I went with in-between...his work in WCW & TNA was largely forgettable, but I think he really made the Goldust character work. He was a truly bizarre character, and probably would have died out after a short run if just about anyone else played it. Dustin really made me think about the character instead of the man playing it when he was performing, and produced something really unique, and a character I enjoyed watching. I stuck with in-between because of the work outside of WWE (Black Reign was a poor copy...and he never seemed comfortable as just plain Dustin Rhodes/Runnels) and because he was basically comic relief for too long. I wish we could have seen at least a run in the main event, he didn't need to actually get a title, but he could have freaked some champions out. I was really impressed with how in-shape he looked during his recent run, I'm glad he went out that way.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Just a brief note, Goldust was actually a three time Intercontinental Champion.

I'd have to go with In-Between as far as his overall career in the WWE goes. For most of the mid to late 90s, Goldust was a unique character. His character was somewhat androgynous and definitely left the viewer with the feeling that he was bisexual. I know that the WWF played the creepy queer card with him, but it was still unique for the times. Goldust stood out and was actually a legitimate force in the WWF for several years. While his career wasn't nearly as successful as that of his father, Dustin Rhodes managed to find a way out of his old man's shadow. He established his own path and was no longer just one of Dusty Rhodes' kids. His title runs in the WWF weren't all that spectacular really. His three IC title runs totaled 161 days and they were his biggest achievements in the company as far as titles go.

The WWE tinkered with the Goldust character and made him far less controversial and more of a comedy gimmick and again later as basically "talent enhancement". He had some success in the company, left an impression and came up with a unique character. In this decade overall, however, he didn't do anything really of merit so it sort of evens out I guess.

 

[Big Sexy]

I'm definitely going success. NO ONE else could have made that character work as well as he did. It was a ground breaking character and really was the first step towards the attitude era as far as characters are concerned. He was very good in the ring and absolutely fantastic on the mic.

He had a lot of solid feuds with guys like Razor Ramon, the Undertaker, and Brian Pillman in his initial run and during his second run he really solidified himself as a WWE success. His tag team run with Booker T was probably the best stuff in the WWE at that time. The two had great chemistry and all of their backstage segments were fucking hilarious. Goldust is most definitely a success. Just because he never won a world title doesn't mean he wasn't a great success.

 

[EliteDiva]

Even though he HASN'T retired I think he made his poor gimmick to as we know as " The Bizzare One."

I believe he is a great wrestler and great charisma as well. He has large history within the WWE and I believe he could be future HOF someday.

 

[Dr. Stinger A. Zoidberg]

I'm going to say success. While he was never seen as a "main event" type of guy, he certainly did what he was supposed to do and he did it well. He was, and still is able to get a good reaction from the crowd on a regular basis. He was also very good at doing what he did, whether it be as a champion, or an enhancement talent. No matter what "side" gimmick he had in addition to Goldust, he made it work. There was his "nWo-Wannabe" gimmick, his "Stuttering gimmick", and his "Artist Formerly Known As" gimmick. Two of these three gimmicks were very entertaining, and the last one made you want to hate him. At the end of the day however, it all comes down to whether or not you made Vince money, and Goldust sure as hell made Vince some money.