Real Name - Dustin Patrick RunnelsBirthdate - 4/11/66
6'6" 245 lbs. - Austin, TX
Athletic Background - Football
Teacher(s) - Skandor Akbar
Professional Background - Florida(`88-`90), All Japan(`89), USWA(`89), WWF(`90-`91), WCW(`91-`95), WWF(`96-`99), WCW(`00-`01), Indies(`01), WWF/WWE(`02-`03), Indies(`04-), TNA(`04-`05), WWE(`05-`06), TNA(`07-`08), WWE(`08-`12), Indies(`12-)
Aliases - Goldust, Artist Formerly Known As Goldust, Dustin Runnels, Seven, Dusty Rhodes Jr., Black Reign
Groups - none
Peak Years - `93-`98
Finisher(s) -
- Curtain Call (Reverse Implant DDT)
- Final Cut / Schizophrenic (Elevated Swinging Neckbreaker)
- Shattered Dreams (Low Blow in corner)
- The Oscar (Inverted Sitting Faceslam)
- Blackout (Kneeling Facebuster)
- Bulldog
Favorites -
- Lariat
- Head Scissor Stomp
- Inverted Atomic Drop
- Bionic Elbow
- Dropdown Uppercutt Punch
Ringwork Rating -
| Move Set | 5 |
| Science | 2 |
| Aerial | 1 |
| Power | 7 |
| Strikes | 6 |
Intangibles Rating -
| Entertainment | 8 |
| Selling | 7 |
| Bumping | 6 |
| Carrying | 6 |
| Heat | 6 |
| Legacy | 6 |
Place in History - Pro-wrestling is filled with second- and third-generation stars who have caught breaks due to their father’s. When they are the son of a promoter or booker, their careers can be truly difficult. Some arose above the challenges and became great talents like Jeff Jarrett, Tully Blanchard and the Funks, some succeed on a more moderate level like Greg Gagne, Mike Graham and Captain Ed George and yet some become despised by their peers as over-pushed wastes like George Gulas, Erik Watts and Mike Von Erich. Dustin Rhodes probably falls somewhere in between the first and second groups. Dusty Rhodes is a multi-time NWA World Champion, but more significantly, he is a legendary performer with a larger-than-life personality. Following in the footsteps of such a legend is certainly not easy. Dustin Rhodes was definitely given a lot early in his career, but no one could argue that he did not develop into a very good worker after only a few years. Dusty was booking WCW and Dustin was pushed fairly strongly, but by the time he left the company, he was ready for his most memorable performance. In 1995, Goldust was born. The character was a unbelievable one that pushed the envelope like few before. The WWF was perhaps never willing to take the character as far as Dustin was willing to go, but he quickly rose the ranks and was as strong a heel as there was in the pro-wrestling world. As the rest of the WWF caught up with him, he struggled to stand out. He worked a very edgy angle with his wife and the late Brian Pillman, but eventually found himself playing a heel that turned off fans more than drew heat with them. Dustin Rhodes would spend years trying to recreate himself as he had with Goldust, but no creation seemed to quite work. He would return to the Goldust persona, but it was tamed down and he has admitted to hating the character at this point. His subsequent attempts as the short-lived Seven in WCW or the schizophrenic Black Reign in TNA were failures and he tended to default back to a simple cowboy-type babyface. The WWE has brought him back several times and though he will never be pushed as he once was, he is still a very good performer who helps young talent and understands the pro-wrestling business in a comprehensive way. Dustin Rhodes has largely been able to shed the skin of “Dusty Rhodes’ son” and is respected now for his own talents and unique accomplishments.