10 Risks That Could’ve KILLED WWE Careers

2. Dustin Rhodes Becomes Goldust

Becky Lynch Seth Rollins Risk
WWE.com

The world wasn't really ready for a wrestling gimmick like Goldust in 1995. His outlandish mix of vintage Hollywood and androgynous presentation was shocking at the time, but it's regrettable that the WWF quickly leaned into homophobia as a cheap heat-seeker rather than going another route with him.

Simply donning the gold paints/gold suit and shock blonde wig was a radical departure for one Dustin Rhodes anyway. If this was him trying to escape the shadow of his father Dusty and do his own thing, then he was certainly going extreme. Few gave Goldust a shot at lasting longer than a few months.

Fast forward to 2024 and Dustin would get a mega-pop if he returned to WWE as Goldie.

Back in '95, Rhodes was coming off a respectable run in WCW. Becoming Vince McMahon's latest cartoon gimmick (one more overtly cartoonish than his dad's polka dots run) was a big time risk, but it paid off in the end and sustained even through some serious personal strife.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.