Dustin Rhodes: 'I Can Be AEW World Champion' (AEW News)
Wrestling veteran launches audacious bid to become AEW World Champ before hanging it up.
Dustin Rhodes is currently recovering from double knee surgery at home, but he's launched an audacious bid to win the AEW World Championship before he retires from the ring. At 57 years old, Dustin would be the oldest champ in company history, but he says this quest is something he's determined to do.
Rhodes was speaking via social media when he addressed the fact he's never been World Champ in groups like WWE, WCW, TNA etc. AEW could be his last big chance to hoist that top gold above his head then. It's a far-fetched objective in 2026 and beyond, but...is anything really impossible in the industry?!
The man himself joked that his "One Last Ride" tour has been going on for around 7 years now. People were talking about Dustin calling it a career even before he signed on the dotted line with Tony Khan's revolution and worked that critically lauded bout vs. brother Cody at the inaugural Double Or Nothing pay-per-view in 2019.
Despite that, the artist formerly known as Goldust (ahem) thinks he could make his dream a reality once he's back on the road. Rhodes said: "I feel I still have plenty to prove", and he believes that it isn't "too late for me" in terms of becoming World Champ for the first time.
Dustin hasn't worked a match since dropping the AEW TNT Title to Kyle Fletcher in a 'Chicago Street Fight' on the 31 July 2025 episode of Collision. He went under the knife for surgery shortly after that, but has his sights set on a memorable comeback ASAP.