Ex-writer says AEW star Dustin Rhodes' iconic character wouldn't work in current WWE for one reason (Exclusive)

AEW star Dustin Rhodes is a veteran of the pro wrestling industry, having been involved in the business since the late 1980s. The 56-year-old has been a part of several major wrestling promotions in the United States, turning up for WWE, WCW, TNA, and ROH.

Rhodes is widely known for his iconic Goldust character that he portrayed in WWE. The gimmick brought him a lot of attention due to his antics on screen. Ex-WWE writer Vince Russo recently stated that the character wouldn't work in the promotion's current landscape.

Talking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing with Russo, Vince Russo bashed the promotion's current writing process. He said that the writers in WWE today can't write for a character like Goldust.

"I'm telling you, right now in 2025, the Goldust character would have never, ever been. They can't write for characters like that. And the more depth to the character, the less chance to them of getting that character over. Without a shadow of a doubt, man," Russo said. [2:o9 onwards]

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Dustin Rhodes has had many character changes over his long run in the business. He has been a part of AEW since its inception and also competes in its sister promotion, Ring of Honor. He has found title success, as the veteran wrestler holds the ROH World Tag Team and World Six-Man Tag Team Championships, and is also the current TNT Champion in AEW.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Kebin Edwin Antony