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]

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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