10 Failed WWE Wrestlers Who Became Cult Classics
6. Goldust
Long before Dustin Rhodes' head spat blood further than Gangrel at the peak of his powers, Goldust was atoning for some of his darkest hours with a celebrated mid-2010s WWE alongside his brother and rising stars Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns.
The wrestler many had always known still existed within 'The Natural' was bursting out, not from his golden gear anymore but from a shell most worried has clamped shut forever during his abysmal Black Reign nadir in TNA.
Linking arms with dad Dusty and Cody against the Authority's 'Hounds Of Justice', Goldust was perhaps the most vital component in the matches but did everything he could to make it about everybody else other than himself. Bringing his experience and a genuine connection with the fans to the clashes, he carried the in-ring and emotional heft in equal measure.
WWE, to their inherent stupidity, then allowed him to rot.
The cult support around 'The Bizarre One' only grew as a result - Goldust had proved his worth beyond anything he'd even achieved at his peak, but found himself demoted as a Goldust/Stardust pairing ground both brothers down. Their seminal AEW Double Or Nothing encounter was as much about reminding the opposition what they'd lost as showing the world what the nascent organisation had to offer.