WWE News: Edge and Christian say Goldust’s character was an early inspiration for the Attitude Era

What’s the story?

Edge and Christian discussed the Monday Night Wars on the latest edition of the E&C Pod of Awesomeness and "The Rated R-Superstar" said that Goldust’s character helped to get the ball rolling for the Attitude Era.

In case you didn’t know...

WWE dates the beginning of the Attitude Era to June 23, 1996, when Stone Cold Steve Austin cut his infamous promo at the King of The Ring pay-per-view.

The era would grow from that point to become one of the most popular periods in all of professional wrestling and saw the emergence of Steve Austin, The Rock, Mankind, Triple H and others, as major stars.

The heart of the matter

Both Edge and Christian acknowledged Austin 3:16 and the Montreal Screwjob as moments that were crucial to the birth of the Attitude Era, but Edge went a step further and said the success of the Goldust character laid the foundation for edgier content.

“Think back to when he first started; this is pre-Attitude Era. That [character] to me might be the guy who really kinda gets that ball rolling like ‘Oh, wait a minute. We can really push the boundaries here.”

Goldust wrestled under the name Dustin Rhodes for most of his early wrestling career, but it wouldn’t be until his re-debut in 1995 that Goldust emerged.

Edge and Christian praised Goldust’s character for being ahead of its time and Edge said that Goldust's outlandish over the top persona was the first big standout that paved the way for many of the more notable WWE Superstars.

“That was kinda the catalyst and if it started off and then it definitely was when Austin got a hold of it and then DX, then it became the avalanche it became.

What’s next?

Goldust has been wrestling for nearly thirty years and is still seen by fans today on Monday Night Raw.

Goldust hasn’t done much aside from turning heel on R-Truth, but he has had some involvement in the feud between Bray Wyatt and Finn Balor, which could continue until their feud ends.

Author’s Take

Edge and Christian’s thoughts on Goldust’s gimmick add a different spin to the rise of the Attitude Era. And they make sense, especially considering some of the things D-Generation X got away with years later.