Hulk Hogan

Real Name: Dustin Runnels

Stage Name / Aliases: Dustin Rhodes, Goldust

Date of Birth: 11 April 1966 Home Town:

Height: 6'5" Weight: 264

Brief Bio:

Dustin Rhodes was trained for his father, 3-time NWA World Heavyweight champion, Dusty Rhodes. He made his debut on September 13, 1988, defeating Bob Cook in Florida. He left for the NWA later in the year, where he teamed with Kendall Windham as The Texas Broncos. He returned to the Florida territory a couple of months later, where he began teaming with his father. Once Dusty headed for the WWF, Dustin took over many of his feuds. He went on to defeat Al Perez for the Florida Heavyweight title in May 1989.

He experienced even more success, teaming with Mike Graham. Together, they defeated Black Bart & Bobby Jaggars for the Florida tag team titles. After losing the Florida Heavyweight title to Kendall Windham, he moved on to the CWA and USWA territories. He feuded with Robert Fuller's Stud Stable while in the USWA. His greatest claim to fame in that area however, was losing to Tony Anthony in the finals of the Southern Heavyweight title tournament to crown the first champion.

Dustin appeared at a WWF television taping in September 1990, to watch Dusty wrestle Randy Savage. While sitting in the crowd, Dustin was attacked by Ted DiBiase & Virgil. Although Dusty & Dustin feuded with DiBiase & Virgil on the house show circuit, Dustin never made it past low-card status in the WWF. They lost to DiBiase & Virgil at the 1991 Royal Rumble. After that match, Dusty retired from active competition, while Dustin went to WCW.

Upon his arrival, Dustin breifly feuded with Stan Hansen. In Spring 1991, he began teaming with Ricky Morton, until Morton turned on him a few weeks later to join The York Foundation. The York Foundation was managed by Alexandra York (his future wife, Terri). Dustin spent most of that summer stuck in 6-man matches, and received a few WCW TV title shots against Steve Austin.

Dustin teamed with Tom Zenk & Big Josh to defeat The Freebirds & Badstreet for the WCW World 6-Man titles on August 5, 1991. He formed a tag team with Barry Windham later that month. Dustin, Zenk, & Big Josh lost the 6-man straps to The York Foundation on October 8th.

Dustin & Windham began to feud with WCW World tag team champions, Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko aka The Enforcers. Prior to a match at Halloween Havoc, The Enforcers slammed Windham's hand in a car door. Dustin & Ricky Steamboat defeated The Enforcers for the titles at Clash of The Champions XVII in November 1991. Dustin & Steamboat became key factors in a feud with Paul E. Dangerously's, "Dangerous Alliance". Dustin & Steamboat lost the belts to Anderson & Bobby Eaton in January 1992.

As a member of "Sting's Squadron", Dustin teamed with Steamboat, Sting, Windham, & Nikita Koloff, to defeat The Dangerous Alliance in a bloody War Games match at WrestleWar '92. Soon thereafter, Dustin began to team with Barry Windham once again. They lost to Steve Williams & Terry Gordy in the finals of the NWA World tag team title tournament at The Great American Bash. Dustin & Windham ended up getting revenge, as they defeated Gordy & Williams for the NWA & WCW World tag team titles in September 1992.

Dissension quickly grew between the champions, as Rhodes quickly accepted a challenge from Steve Austin & Brian Pillman, on an edition of WCW Worldwide. Windham responded by saying, "I'll make the decisions for the team." Just over a month later, they lost the titles to Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas. Dustin accidently nailed Steamboat with a lowblow in the match. After refusing to go for a cover on his injured friend, Windham tagged himself in. He immediately went for a cover, and was pulled off by Dustin. The two breifly exchanged blows, before Windham got pinned. Windham then viciously attacked Rhodes and the new champions after the match.

After Rick Rude was stripped of the U.S. title due to a neck injury, Dustin defeated Steamboat in the finals of 16-man tournament for the vacant title. Dustin had a series of successfull defenses against Barry Windham, until Rude returned back to action, claiming that no one ever beat him for the title. Rude stole the title from Rhodes a couple of months later. They battled eachother to a double pinfall situation, causing the belt to be held-up. They fought in a 30-minute iron man match at Beach Blast '93, for the held-up title, but ended up tieing at one fall apiece. Dustin would go on to defeat Rude in another match on August 30th.

Rhodes lost the title to Steve Austin at Starrcade '93, in a very bloody battle. From there, Dustin feuded with various members of Col. Parker's Stud Stable, including a bloody feud with Bunkhouse Buck. Dustin defeated Buck in a bullrope match at Slamboree '94, but was viciously beaten after the match by Buck & Terry Funk. In his battles with the Stud Stable, Arn Anderson offered his services to Rhodes. Together, they teamed up at Bash At The Beach, to face Funk & Buck. After Arn was finally tagged in, he nailed Dustin with a DDT, and helped Funk & Buck beat him down.

Dusty Rhodes came out of retirement to help out his son. Together, they defeated Funk & Buck at Clash of The Champions XXVII. At Fall Brawl '94, Dusty, Dustin, & The Nasty Boys defeated The Stud Stable & Col. Parker in a War Games match.

After feuding with Anderson for the rest of the year, Dustin began to feud with The Blacktop Bully. He lost to The Bully at SuperBrawl V. In March 1995, they had a "King of The Road" match, in the back of a moving 18-wheeler. Both men bladed in the match, and bled so heavily, that they were fired from WCW.

In September 1995, Dustin returned to the WWF as Goldust. He wore gold and black facepaint, and a gold suit from head-to-toe. Although it was never *actually* mentioned, the Goldust character had severe homosexual tendencies, that pushed the envelope at the time for the WWF. He defeated Marty Jannetty in numerous house show matches, and defeated Bam Bam Bigelow at The Survivor Series.

From there, Goldust began to act like he was "in love" with Intercontinental champion, Razor Ramon. Thanks to help from the 1-2-3 Kid, Goldust won the title from Ramon at the 1996 Royal Rumble. At that event, it also marked the debut of his manager, Marlena aka wife, Terri Runnels. Due to problems that Ramon was having with the company at the time, Goldust was thrown into a feud with Roddy Piper. Piper defeated Goldust in a non-title, "backlot brawl" at WrestleMania XII, in a match that may go down as one of the most embarassing matches of all-time. After a match with Savio Vega on April 1st, the IC title was declared held-up. Goldust went on to defeat Vega in a re-match, at the same taping.

Goldust breifly feuded with The Undertaker in a series of "casket" matches, in which Goldust won all of the encounters. After a breif feud with The Ultimate Warrior, Dustin went on to lose the IC title to Ahmed Johnson in June 1996.

From there, Goldust feuded with Marc Mero for basically the rest of 1996. A feud with IC champion, Hunter Hearst Helmsley began in December of that year. Helmsley defeated Goldust at the 1997 Royal Rumble, as well as WrestleMania XIII. Goldust was a full-fledged babyface by March 1997, mostly thanks to his manager. That summer, he did a series of in-depth interviews, out of character, where he talked about his father never being there for him as a child.

Goldust, Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, & The Road Warriors lost to The Hart Foundation at In Your House: Canadian Stampede in July 1997. A feud with Brian Pillman then began. Goldust defeated Pillman at SummerSlam '97. As a result, Pillman was forced to wear one of Marlena's dresses, until he won a match on Monday Night RAW. A couple of weeks later, Pillman challenged Goldust to another match. The stipulation was, if Pillman lost, he was out of the WWF. If he won however, Marlena would become his for a 30-day period. Pillman called Goldust's daughter, Dakota, his "love child". As a result, the match was accepted, and Pillman went on to defeat Goldust at In Your House: Ground Zero.

For several weeks after the match, Pillman showed several "XXX Files" segments, acting like he had just had long nights with Marlena, and so forth. Their storyline abruptly ended on October 5th, when Pillman was found dead in his hotel room, on the day of the Badd Blood pay-per-view.

Goldust threw his wedding band at his wife a few weeks later during an interview, and developed a heel attitude. He showed up at the 1997 Survivor Series in black face paint, with the letters, F.U. (forever unchained) painted on his face. He refused to tag in, and walked out on his partner, Big Van Vader in the match, claiming he never got clearence to wrestle, due to a broken arm. He then grabbed on to Luna Vachon as his manager. With Luna in his corner, Goldust began to dress in more outlandish outfits. He lost to Vader at the 1998 Royal Rumble.

Goldust & Marc Mero breifly formed a team and lost to The Headbangers at No Way Out '98. As a result of their managers fighting eachother, Mero & Sable defeated Goldust & Luna at WrestleMania XIV. Dustin took a few months off for nagging injuries. When he returned that summer, he returned under his real name, Dustin Runnels, and began to preach the gospel. His wife Terri, got involved with Val Venis, and Dustin breifly feuded with the Canadian superstar, Venis. After a couple of months into their feud, Dustin re-appeared with under the Goldust moniker that he had originally started off with in 1995, and got a win over Venis at In Your House: Judgement Day.

After losing to Ken Shamrock in the World title tournament at Survivor Series, Goldust breifly teamed with Steve Blackman, and began feuding with Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart. Goldust defeated Jarrett via reverse decision at the Rock Bottom PPV in December '98.

A month later, Goldust began to feud with Al Snow, after Goldust stole Snow's manequin Head. This lead to a feud with Snow's friend, The Blue Meanie. Goldust went on to defeat The Blue Meanie at Valentine's Day Massacre. Afterwards, The Meanie began to second Goldust to the ring, calling him, "Mommy". Goldust then breifly feuded with Ken Shamrock, after Shamrock's "sister", Ryan, got involved with Goldust. Shortly after The Meanie got involved with Goldust, he chased Ryan Shamrock away. Goldust lost a 4-way elimination match at WrestleMania XV, that included Ken Shamrock, Val Venis, and IC champion, Road Dogg. He defeated Road Dogg the next night for the IC title.

Goldust lost the IC title to The Godfather on April 12th, as well as losing a rematch at Backlash. Goldust had been hampered by a back injury for quite awhile, and came to a mutal agreement for a release by the WWF that summer.

After taking several months off, Dustin re-emerged in WCW in September 1999. He did odd promos for several weeks in what appeared to be an Undertaker-like character. Dustin finally made his first on-camera appearence on an episode of Monday Nitro on November 8, 1999. It was a pretty good entrance, as Dustin "floated" to the ring. Once he got in the ring, he was wearing black from head-to-toe, and had white facepaint on. He introduced himself as "Seven", then ripped his character, and talked about his Goldust days in the WWF.

Dustin then began randomly appearing from the crowd, costing Jeff Jarrett several matches. Jarrett defeated Dustin in a bunkhouse match at Starrcade '99. Dustin promised that he would make WCW writer, Vince Russo's life a living hell. He teamed with Terry Funk in February of 2000, and turned on him for no apparent reason. Dustin defeated Funk in a bullrope match at Uncensored in March.

Since then, Dustin has only appeared on WCW television once or twice. Due to nagging injuries and weight gain over the years, Dustin would probably best fit in the hardcore division of WCW.

With WCW folding and being amalgamated into the WWF, Rhodes had some choices to make about his career. "I really didn't have my heart set on returning to the World Wrestling Federation right away. Hopefully, maybe down the line.

Down the line turned out to be the Royal Rumble 2002. Goldust, entered as the second man in the ring. Goldust crawled around the ring and stared at Riksihi. Rikishi got upset and attacked Goldust. Rikishi tossed Goldust over the top rope on two seperate occasions, but each time, Goldust held the toprope. Goldust would end up the 4 person to hit the floor and be elimanated.

Goldust has now set his sights on Rob Van Dam in the lead up to No Way out in 2002.

The above biography was compiled using information from the following websites.

The bulk of this Biography was written by Blackjack Parsons and can be seen in full at http://www.otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/biography.cgi?dustinru

For more information on Dustin Runnels follow the links

http://www.blairmag.com/blair5/golddust/golddust2.html

http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingBiosR/rhodes_dustin_01aug-can.html