10 Gimmick Changes That Saved A Wrestler's Career
6. Dustin Rhodes To Goldust
As the son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, Dustin Runnels had some big shoes to fill when he followed his father's footsteps into the wrestling industry. Taking his dad's gimmick surname, the son of a son of a plumber soon became Dustin Rhodes and began honing his craft in World Championship Wrestling.
After briefly stopping off in All Japan and the USWA, Dustin soon found himself in the WWF. Despite a notable bout at Royal Rumble '91, teaming with his father, Dusty, against Ted DiBiase and Virgil, Dustin followed his dad back to WCW, where he remained a mid-card performer until he was fired in 1995.
After varying success in WCW under his standard gimmick, Dustin underwent a dramatic overhaul when he returned to the WWF. No longer the happy-go-lucky cowboy that had left the WWF '91, the former 'Natural' traded the leather waistcoat and trunks for a complete reboot and debuted as the bizarre Goldust in September '95.
With overtly suggestive mannerisms, sexually allusive verbiage and covered in gold from head to toe like an Oscar statuette, Goldust immediately got over as a heel and the mid-'90s crowds took great offence to the androgynous superstar. While the gimmick has undergone several modifications since, the ever-evolving Goldust character has been a recurring part of WWE for over 20 years.