Backstage details on Vince McMahon ending controversial character due to complaints from sponsors (Exclusive)

Former WWE writer Vince Russo has revealed what happened when Vince McMahon was forced to bring an end to Dustin Rhodes’ run as Goldust.

In 1995, Rhodes debuted the controversial Goldust gimmick in WWE. Russo, a WWE writer at the time, worked on promos for the character. As the months went on, Rhodes’ mannerisms and promos became more sexual and provocative, resulting in sponsors getting in touch.

Russo appeared on the latest edition of SK Wrestling’s Off the SKript with Dr. Chris Featherstone. He said Vince McMahon suddenly made the decision to axe the Goldust gimmick after complaints were made to the USA Network.

“Bro, one day Vince [Vince McMahon] calls me in and is like, ‘[Throat-slitting gesture] It’s over, it’s done.’ I mean, there was no [argument] because it was affecting business. Bro, what do you do? We go from that guy to Dustin Rhodes? What could you possibly do?”

Rhodes performed as the Goldust character from August 1995 to May 1997. Vince McMahon then allowed Rhodes to reprise the role from October 1998 onwards.

Vince Russo felt bad that Vince McMahon had to axe Goldust

Goldust had six separate WWE runs between 1990 and 2019

Having worked alongside Dustin Rhodes on the Goldust persona, Vince Russo felt bad when Vince McMahon made the call to end the character’s run.

“I felt so freaking bad for Dustin, man. That was business, bro. It was USA, it was sponsors. We started getting a lot of calls and they just cut it loose, man. That was it.”

Rhodes stopped performing as Goldust when he left WWE in April 2019. He is now a trainer and in-ring talent in AEW.