The REAL Reason WWE Released Goldust

Cody Rhodes NWA Heavyweight
ALL IN

A wrestling world with a deep affection for the late Dusty Rhodes gushed with pride over his youngest son's transcendent display in, around and on the night of ALL IN. 'Three-Star Cody' had knocked out a six-star experience for fans and wrestlers alike with the historic show, not least in his own encounter. The success of that total stormer was perhaps the biggest shock of the night.

You could almost hear the sound of 10,000 passive sighs around the world when he announced his own match as an otherwise sh*thot card came together. With no disrespect intended to then- and now-NWA World's Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis, the former Magnus was to casual observers the...well, former Magnus. An Impact Wrestling regular that - unlike numerous colleagues - didn't make the leap across to WWE or NXT, the muscular Brit instead became the trusted custodian of a title Billy Corgan swore was worth paying for.

The Smashing Pumpkins star dropped a small fortune on the '10 Pounds Of Gold', but it wasn't until Cody began making noises about restoring a legacy his Father helped build that the singer began to see his financial and emotional investment reap returns. Through yet another YouTube vehicle - the NWA's own Ten Pounds Of Gold series - the pair drew on the past to make the present feel relevant and the future a possibility. This wasn't a story of two charlatans selling bullsh*t to the last marks willing to spend money - this was a case workers working. Wonderfully, it worked.

But what's all this got to do with a man who has, for decades, told us not to forget his name? And why now, at such a crucial time for pro wrestling, has a bonafide legend behind a 'Bizarre' aesthetic been allowed to remind us.

CONT'D...(2 of 5)

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett