10 Wrestling Ripoffs Better Than The Original

There was a splash of the 'Adorable' Adrian Adonis character about Goldust too, but Dustin Rhodes was surely inspired most by the work of UK wrestler Adrian Street. His flamboyant and androgynous gimmick was a smash hit in the 1970s and 80s. Of course, Street had lifted a lot from Gorgeous George (that character set the blueprint for flamboyance in pro wrestling) when looking to turn heads and elicit strong heat from fans.

Rhodes debuted the Goldust persona when he signed for the WWF in 1995. Not many knew what to make of it at first, and aspects of the heat generated do rank as a sad commentary on attitudes towards homosexuality. Eventually, the company downplayed that side of the gimmick by describing Goldust as more of a walking, talking shock artist who'd do anything to get attention and throw opponents off their game.

Famously, Street had posed for photographs with his father and colleagues at an old mine in Wales. The contrast between his garish colours, make up and image compared to their dirt-covered overalls and faces was striking. What's more, the look on their faces as Adrian did his best duck face for the cameras was something to behold.

Goldust upped the ante further. There were hiccups along the way ('The Artist Formerly Known As' days, for example), but Dustin managed to turn the character into an industry icon. He squeezed an impressive number of years out of something that easily could've been one note or bombed because it was too elaborate.

Goldy was an even more controversial Street, which is really saying something. Rhodes is still going strong on AEW's roster today.