Cody Rhodes may have finished his story at WrestleMania 40, but an essential figure in his journey, his older brother, Dustin Rhodes, was notably absent from the final chapters. As the American Nightmare is forging his legacy as Undisputed WWE Champion, Dusty’s oldest first-born son remains an active competitor in AEW and Ring of Honor.
Dustin has taken on various personas throughout his decades-long career, but it’s his work as the iconic Goldust character that Cody believers will secure his spot among wrestling’s legends.
“I think I was 14 years old when Goldust was really hitting his stride on WWE television,” Cody tells The Schmo. “I can certainly say that it was a unique thing to see. My friends had a lot of feelings about what Goldust was doing.”
Cody Rhodes on Goldust
At a time when many wrestlers leaned into their family legacies, Dustin defied expectations. He went all-in with Goldust—an androgynous, gold-painted character who had opponents reeling from mind games before the bell even rang.
“Knowing how much he had subverted expectations, knowing how much he didn’t want to just be a Rhodes, he wanted to be his own thing. I was very proud of Dustin throughout that whole run, what he did, and the lengths he went to do it.”
Cody Rhodes on Goldust
As the mid-90s gave way to the late-90s and society embraced Jerry Springer-style shock value, Goldust stayed at the forefront, pushing boundaries every step of the way. The portrayal of Goldust, in Cody’s view, stands as a testament Dustin’s creative genius deserving of wrestling’s highest honor.
“Goldust was an underrated part of the Attitude Era, certainly somebody worthy of the Hall of Fame.”
WWE Superstar Sheamus recently appeared on After The Bell w/Corey Graves. The Irish Superstar would discuss a number of topics from his lengthy career; including training with Triple H and the AEW star that helped him get ahead in WWE.
“One guy I love to work with, more than anybody? And the one guy who actually was the reason that I was fast tracked from the ECW roster to RAW? It was Goldust” Sheamus began on the podcast.
Sheamus on ECW Feud
“We had this feud in ECW, we just had chemistry right away” Sheamus continued. “And he was so open to everything, it was just awesome. I think about the last match we had to end the feud was the main event of ECW. I think that was like after a couple of weeks? It just got fast-tracked, everybody was into it.”
Sheamus then discussed how the feud with Goldust would help him get onto Monday Night RAW early in his main roster run for a shot at then WWE Champion John Cena. “It was a hard hitting fight, but it was fun. And he really really fast tracked me inside the ring to getting on to RAW, then going into that programme with John [Cena]. I think even John talked with him at one stage? Because I think John and Randy [Orton] had their programme for months and months, they were feuding for a long time.”
Do you think that we’ll ever see Sheamus vs Goldust again? Let us know in the comments
Dustin Rhodes has shared his issues with how social media has integrated into and changed pro wrestling.
Speaking with Inside The Ropes, Rhodes spoke on how social media has taken away not only from kayfabe but has also negatively impacted long-term storytelling in modern pro wrestling. He also stated how the use of social media guarantees WWE will never enter another Attitude Era.
“This business has changed so much. The Attitude Era of yesterday is never gonna come back because there’s too many kids involved. There’s too many parents. This world we live in now is so worried about everything, so if we do something wrong on TV, they’re gonna call us out on it, and they’re going to make a big public thing about it,” he said.
“Social media has done that too, also. I think if you take social media out of the equation—and I know sometimes change is bad, but sometimes change is good—and if you could just take social media away from the wrestling, to where they cannot comment about wrestling, I think wrestling would be a lot farther along than where it is right now,” Dustin argued. “Social media has kind of destroyed what we do, what we try to do out there. They’ve killed the storylines. They’ve killed the kayfabe.”
“If The Undertaker’s on Twitter, it feels weird to me,” he added. “It takes away the mystique of The Undertaker, the Deadman, right? If Goldust is on Twitter he needs to be talking like Goldust does in his promos. I don’t do that on Twitter.”
Rhodes then spoke highly of NXT Superstar The Velveteen Dream, pinpointing how Dream stays in character for his social media accounts and is a better storyteller because of it.
It was recently revealed that Cody’s opponent at All Elite Wrestling’s Double Or Nothing, would be his brother, Dustin Rhodes. Dustin initially denied the possibility, claiming to still be under WWE contract.
It turns out that he was granted his release back in January and has been under a 90-day non-compete clause.
Not everyone who requested their release has been granted it, however, as Luke Harper recently discovered.
Harper, who shared that he had requested his release via social media, was denied his release by WWE. He isn’t the first Superstar to ask for their release, with Hideo Itami and Tye Dillinger doing the same in recent months.
According to Dave Meltzer via Wrestling Observer Radio, Triple H is the man behind Dustin being granted his release.
Meltzer stressed that Vince McMahon doesn’t want to release anyone right now, especially with AEW on the horizon, but Triple H reportedly convinced Vince to permit Dustin Rhodes his release.
The same, ultimately, can’t be said for Luke Harper.
Instead, WWE has chosen to trigger a clause in Harper’s contract. They have added the time that he missed due to surgery onto the end of his contract. This has apparently extended it by an additional six months. He was supposedly meant to be entering into a feud with Sami Zayn, but those plans have changed.
Dustin Rhodes will face his brother Cody at AEW Double or Nothing on May 25th. The match was made official yesterday on a special episode of the Road to Double or Nothing YouTube series.
Dustin noted in a statement recently that WWE granted his request for a release. His statement can be read below:
Dustin Rhodes Retires Goldust
“I have requested my release from WWE and it has been granted,” Runnels statement begins. “I am taking this time to explore some of those many opportunities. Life is too short to not take ALL the chances you feel driven to take, and I will give this next chapter my full focus and effort. I would appreciate your continued support as I turn this page in my life and go wherever this journey may lead me next.”
“WWE has given me and my family such incredible years and experiences and I have nothing but respect and warmth for everyone there,” he continued. “The roster is stacked with awe-inspiring talent who want the best and are breaking down all barriers to grab that coveted, elusive brass ring.”
AEW: Double or Nothing takes place May 25th from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Dustin Rhodes aka Goldust had the chance to chokeslam deputy Hernandez of the Williamson County Sheriff Office. The Longtime WWE star did it for a good reason, and that’s charity.
The fun moment happened after Hernandez met his fundraising goal for St Baldrick’s children’s cancer charity. You can watch it here:
Goldust hasn’t worked a match or been seen on television under the WWE banner since he underwent surgery on both knees in July.
Kofi Kingston’s Title Defenses Set
WWE has already updated their lineups for advertisements going forward to promote live events.
On these cards, it lists WWE Champion Kofi Kingston defending his title against Daniel Bryan for upcoming SmackDown events through June. This includes the June 15th SmackDown live event at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO.
Kingston beat Bryan to win the title at WrestleMania 35 pay-per-view event, which made for an emotional moment and one of the best matches on the card. These lineups including who Kingston will be wrestling at these shows could change with the Superstar Shakeup next week on both Monday Night RAW and SmackDown Live episodes.
On Thursday afternoon, we ran a report (originated at Pro Wrestling Sheet) stating Goldust’s WWE contract recently expired and would be a free agent in May after a 90-day no-compete period. Goldust says the story is false and lashed out at ‘smart marks.’
I am still under contract with the @wwe , and everything that is being said online is just talk, and complete bullshit. This is exactly why I hate smart marks!
We apologize to Dustin Rhodes and our readers for the error.
Goldust to AEW Speculation
With reports of Goldust’s time in WWE winding down, fans have been speculating that Dustin Rhodes will be Cody Rhodes’ “mystery opponent” at AEW: Double or Nothing.
AEW’s Road to Double or Nothing Youtube series has been teasing that the situation between Cody and his mystery opponent is “personal.”
The latest hint that Dustin could be Cody’s opponent was dropped on this week’s installment. During a phone conversation with AEW seamstress / costume designer Denise Cutler, they were discussing Cody’s gear for Double or Nothing. She asked Cody if they should avoid the color gold, which some fans took as a reference to Goldust.
AEW Double or Nothing is scheduled to go down on May 25th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will will mark the first official event under the AEW banner.
Dustin Rhodes, better known as Goldust in WWE, recently did an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to talk about a wide range of topics including All Elite Wrestling, Cody’s involvement, and more.
AEW President Tony Khan will be head of the creative team while Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks will serve as Executive Vice Presidents. It’s been reported that Cody will focus on the men’s singles division, while Matt and Nick will take care of the tag teams.
During this interview, Goldust talked about how he thinks the competition from AEW will ultimately benefit WWE.
“They’re doing it really professionally, from the heads of the company to their big talent to the newer stars. I’m very curious to see what Cody and the Young Bucks can do with All Elite Wrestling. I hope this really takes storm and becomes something formidable. You need places to go and work, competition is great and it is the best thing that can happen for WWE.”
Goldust would continue by stating that he is very proud and happy for Cody. He would praise him for having a great mind for the business and doing so much already.
“He’s paid attention and learned from mistakes. He’s fought for what he has, and his work in AEW will show that.”
Posted February 5th, 2019 in AEW, News. Tagged: Goldust.
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Goldust underwent double knee surgery this past summer. After undergoing surgery in Alabama, Goldust is expected to make a full recovery.
He joined the “WINCLY” podcast last week to discuss his status. The 49-year-old noted he has been undergoing a lengthy rehabilitation process. Goldust thinks he’ll be good to return to the ring after an evaluation at the WWE Performance Center this week :
“Wednesday at the Performance Center is my next evaluation and I believe we’re gonna probably get me cleared that day,” said Goldust. “So I’m hoping. They put stem cells in both knees and my knees feel a lot better. I’m feeling pretty good.”
Paul Heyman Calls Out Gimmick Infringement
The Cricket World Cup recently used a play off WWE’s Paul Heyman’s “Eat, Sleep, Conquer, Repeat” catchphrase. They Tweeted out “Eat. Sleep. Finish games. Repeat.” in reference to Indian cricket player Mahendra Singh Dhoni:
Heyman responded by saying the Cricket World Cup was “exploiting” the fame of himself and Brock Lesnar. An appearance by himself and “The Beast” would also cost the Cricket World Cup around eight figures in appearance fees:
“. @cricketworldcup Thank you for your interest in expanding your global audience even further by exploiting the fame/notoriety of #YourHumbleAdvocate and the reigning defending undisputed @WWE Universal Champion @BrockLesnar. I look forward to your 8 figure appearance fee offer.”
. @cricketworldcup Thank you for your interest in expanding your global audience even further by exploiting the fame/notoriety of #YourHumbleAdvocate and the reigning defending undisputed @WWE Universal Champion @BrockLesnar. I look forward to your 8 figure appearance fee offer. https://t.co/4GLsTDt2Zf
Longtime WWE star Goldust recently talked to Kyle Stevens of Still Real To Us for a new interview where he discussed All Elite Wrestling, Cody’s involvement, and more.
AEW President Tony Khan will be head of the creative team while Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks will serve as Executive Vice Presidents. It’s been reported that Cody will focus on the men’s singles division, while Matt and Nick will take care of the tag teams.
The former WWE Intercontinental Champion stated that he can’t wait to see what Cody does with it as he’s very proud and knows that their father is just grinning ear-to-ear to see what Cody did to get this chance. He believes that Cody has a lot of Dusty in him when it comes to business.
“He’s got just about the whole package. Let’s just put it like that. Cody has everything that dad has. He just has to grow a little more, and learn just a little bit more as far as the business is concerned.”
Goldust also talked the advice that he has for his younger brother, which is when he stated that he thinks Cody is going to come across some issues with things like booking and that not everyone is going to like him because he’s the booker. He thinks that if Cody can learn from Dusty’s mistakes with booking, then he’s going to be fine.
“The landscape of the pro wrestling industry has changed a lot. Let’s all make some money, let’s grow something and watch something take off. I think it will. You got some big people behind it. Tony Khan is a big dog.”
Posted January 15th, 2019 in AEW, News. Tagged: Goldust.
Dustin “Goldust” Runnells made his professional wrestling debut for Championship Wrestling From Florida in 1988. He would debut on WWE programming in 1990 during his father’s feud with Ted Dibiase.
According to the nearly 30-year professional, it’s almost time to hang up his boots. Goldust was a guest recently on the Sports Guys Talking Wrestling program and insinuated his career is just about done.
“I’ve wrestled just about everybody there is to wrestle, done just about every character reincarnation that I can come up with,” the Bizarre One said. “What’s next? I’m at the end of my career here and about to be 50 in April. What else is there to do? I don’t know.”
He also mentioned he had double-knee surgery recently as well.
Goldust At All In 2?
Previously, Goldust mentioned the WWE office didn’t want him to attend his younger brother’s All In event. Cody previously made the comments on the same Sports Guys Talking Wrestling podcast. He also said he hopes to be at All In 2.
“It reminded me of when Cody and I won the tag team titles because it was a real thing. The storyline was so real with dad and the family against The Shield.”
“It had all the elements you needed to draw a billion dollar house and he laid it out there and he hit a home run with it. I can not wait until “All In 2.” You can bet your ass I will be at that one.”
Earlier this month (Sat. September 1, 2018) Cody and The Young Bucks did something amazing. They self-funded their very own “All In” professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) in Chicago, Illinois. Cody and The Bucks sold out the Sears Centre and put on one of the best professional wrestling shows of the year.
Many professional wrestling legends and veterans were in attendance for the event. One man who sadly wasn’t able to attend, however, is Cody’s brother and WWE Superstar Goldust. The longtime WWE veteran was interviewed on the Sports Guys Talking Wrestling podcast.
Goldust talked about not being able to attend his brother’s “awesome” event:
“Man, what an awesome night that was. I mean it was incredible. Me and Cody talked a couple of weeks before it and he wanted me to be there so, so bad and I wanted to be there more than anything. I was told by my office that I couldn’t go. It sucks. I wanted to be there more than anything.
“But to actually be on patrol in Williamson County (TX) and watching FITE TV on my phone and then on my iPad, and seeing the reactions and talking back and forth, because we had kind of a lackadaisical night [on patrol].
“To watch the build up and the matches and to finally get to that match and see my family there, my sisters, my mom. For him to win and to see the emotion on his face, it was real.”
He then discussed Cody winning the NWA World Title from Nick Aldis at the event. Goldust said the moment reminded him of when he and Cody won the Tag Team Titles together. He said you “can bet your ass” he’ll be at All In 2:
“It reminded me of when Cody and I won the tag team titles because it was a real thing. The storyline was so real with dad and the family against The Shield.
“It had all the elements you needed to draw a billion dollar house and he laid it out there and he hit a home run with it. I can not wait until “All In 2.” You can bet your ass I will be at that one.”
Dustin Runnels could not be any prouder of his little brother, Cody. According to a video the wrestler known as Goldust posted to Instagram, he’s already watched All In and Cody’s match with Nick Aldis multiple times.
“Hey little brother, it’s big brother here,” Dustin begins. “I love you. Congratulations on an incredible match with Nick Aldis to become the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. Unbelievable.”
After winning the ROH World Championship last year, Cody spoke about how supportive his older brother was.
“I love my big brother. I absolutely do. And if the shoe was on the other foot and he became World Champion or becomes World Champion, I’ll be there,” Cody said in a media conference call in 2017.
As a team, the brothers are 2x former WWE tag-team champions and won the Slammy award for tag-team of the year in 2013. Earlier that year, Cody had eliminated his brother from the Royal Rumble, the second such time he had done so.
Earlier this summer, Dustin commemorated the 3-year anniversary of Dusty Rhodes’ death.
“Been an especially hard year for me,” Dustin Tweeted on June 11th. “3 yrs. ago we lost our dad. Every damn day, I wish I could see you, or pick up the phone and call you. God, I miss you, Dad. You are the strongest, greatest man I ever knew. I love you pops.”
WWE recently posted a Gallery on their official website titled ‘Every WWE Performance Center recruit’ and it suggests that the company has decided to rename a couple of stars.
The first wrestler who has been renamed is former Indie Star Donovan Dijak who is now listed as Dominik Dijakovic. His original ring name for the company was Chris Dijakovic.
Another star who appears to have been given a new name is Chad Lail who is now being called Jaxon Riker. Jaxon is a former Impact Wrestling Star and he was known as Gunner in the promotion.
Goldust On If He Wishes To Be ALL In
While ALL In will feature a number of big names including the likes of Kenny Omega, Kazuchika Okada and more, one of show’s promotors Cody Rhodes will surely miss the presence of his brother Dustin Rhodes.
Recently a fan asked Dustin, better known by his Goldust persona if he wishes to be ALL In and replying to it, the former WCW Star said that he does but will not be able to:
WWE Legend and (until recently) active roster member Goldust has made some rather interesting comments relating to Brock Lesnar and the Universal Title…Dustin Rhodes took to Twitter to claim that “If I were to face Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules I have no doubt in my mind that I could beat him. #GotLotsofTricks #WontFightFair.”
Rhodes recently held a Q&A on his Twitter account following his successful knee surgery and when asked what he has left to do in his career he simply answered “Win the World title. That’s it. Nothing else.” With the WWE Superstar potentially nearing the end of his career could one final shot at the Universal Title be on the cards?
Goldust hasn’t been seen on Monday Night RAW since May 7th during a brief backstage segment with General Manager Kurt Angle and Jinder Mahal before the Money In The Bank pay-per-view. His last bout took place in a Six-Man Tag Team match where he teamed up with Chad Gable and Zack Ryder to defeat Curt Hawkins, Mike Kanellis and Mojo Rawley at a WWE live event from the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.
Would you like to see Goldie in a match against the Beast? Let us know in the comments.
As we’ve noted, longtime WWE Superstar Goldust recently underwent surgery in Birmingham, Alabama to sort out some issues he has been having with his knee. The former Intercontinental Champion never gave anymore insight into the matter other than that.
He hasn’t been seen on Monday Night RAW since May 7th during a brief backstage segment with General Manager Kurt Angle and Jinder Mahal before the Money In The Bank (MITB) pay-per-view (PPV).
His last match took place in a Six-Man Tag Team match where he teamed up with Chad Gable and Zack Ryder to defeat Curt Hawkins, Mike Kanellis and Mojo Rawley at a WWE live event from the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. After undergoing surgery, Goldust recently held a Q&A on his Twitter account.
One fan asked Goldust what he has left to accomplish in his career before he finally hangs up his boots for good. Goldust’s answer was simple – win a World Championship. With the exception of that, Goldust seems pretty content with everything else he has done in his career:
WWE veteran Goldust noted on his official Twitter account on Tuesday (July 10, 2018) that he traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to undergo some sort of knee operation. The former WWE Intercontinental Champion didn’t clarify on what the exact surgery was.
He was last seen on the flagship show of the WWE, Monday Night RAW, back on May 7 when he appeared briefly backstage with Kurt Angle and Jinder Mahal by pleading Angle to give him a chance in the ladder match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.
His last match came back on June 16, 2018 when he teamed up with Chad Gable, Zack Ryder to defeat Curt Hawkins, Mike Kanellis & Mojo Rawley in a six-man tag team match at a WWE live event at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. We wish him a speedy recovery. He tweeted the following:
I regret not a thing as I have done it all. My family on the road at work has been incredible and are exceeding their talents daily. They all are true superstars and family with a bright future. Remember, be patient and humble. Your time will come! #OutlastThemAll#Keepsreppin
Former WWE Tag Team Champion Xavier Woods recently gave some praise to the WWE 205 Live division when responding to a fan question on why he’s considered to be a cruiserweight in the WWE 2K18 video game. He tweeted out the following:
I dno cause I definitely haven't been 205 in a very long time 🤷🏾♂️ Plus I can't do half the stuff those guys can do. An insanely talented group of individuals so everyone should be watching #205Live cause it's really good https://t.co/FiR6iTry1i
WWE has already announced that The New Day would battle SAnitY in a table match on the Extreme Rules kickoff show on Sunday, July 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena that will air on the WWE Network.
What are your thoughts on Goldust being off of WWE television for the time being? How do you think he should be used by the WWE once he returns? Sound off in the comment section.
While the WWE is home of all kinds of bizarre characters and gimmicks, the persona of Goldust still stands on its own because of its unique nature.
However, on an episode of Photo Shoot on WWE Network, the Attitude Era Star revealed that he had actually agreed to the Goldust character without realizing what Vince McMahon had in mind.
The episode is set to be released soon and the company recently posted a promo video for it, where Dustin Rhodes, the man behind the persona talks about his transformation from ‘The Natural’ Dustin Rhodes to Goldust.
According to him, he accepted Mr. McMahon’s proposal of repacking him as Goldust without knowing the meaning of the word “androgynous” which Vince kept using and when he finally realized it, his Jaw dropped:
“At this point in my career I wanted to kind of do something on my own, step out of my father’s shadow and try to accomplish something as Dustin, away from the Rhodes name just a little bit, I guess, I just said, ‘OK, let’s do this.’ And I hung up the phone, and immediately I ran to the dictionary and looked up androgynous. And my jaw dropped, ‘What did I just get myself into?'”
Dustin wrestled as the “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes for the majority of his WCW career. After he was fired from the company for blading during a match, Rhodes made his return to WWE in August 1995, repacked as ‘Goldust’.
This weekend marked an important date for a veteran WWE Superstar.
Dustin “Goldust” Runnels took to social media on Saturday to comment on the ten-year anniversary of the day he finally got sober.
“Today is an important day for me,” wrote Goldust via his official Twitter page. “X yrs ago I was on deaths door while drugs and alcohol consumed my everything.”
The Golden One continued, “But, by the grace of God, I survived. Sobriety is the most important thing in my life, and I am proud of me. #CleanIsCool #KeepSteppin #10Years #GodSobrietyFamily.”
Check out Goldust’s post, which includes him showing off his ten-year sober chip, below.
Kudos goes out to Goldust, who has long been one of the fan-favorites in WWE. His career began with the company with a brief run alongside his legendary father, the late WWE Hall Of Famer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes in 1990 and 1991.
After a stint in WCW, Runnels came back in WWE to debut his controversial “Goldust” character in 1995. 23 years later, “The Bizarre One” is still part of the WWE roster, and as he noted above, has been clean for ten of those years.
What are your thoughts on Goldust celebrating ten years of sobriety? Leave your comments below.
Longtime WWE veteran Goldust recently took to Twitter and issued out a lengthy statement thanking fans for their support over the years. The wording sounds very much like he’s retiring from in-ring competition and switching over to a role that allows him to help talent and pass on his knowledge to the next generation.
You can read Goldust’s statement in the Tweet below:
Goldust has long been teasing a change to his WWE role for quite some time on Twitter. It should be noted that WWE.com still lists him as a member of the RAW roster.
Roman Reigns Remembers His Late Brother Rosey
Today marks one year since the passing of former WWE Superstar Matt “Rosey” Anoa’i, who passed away at 47-years-old due to congestive heart failure in Florida. His brother, current WWE Superstar Roman Reigns, took to Twitter to say some words of remembrance:
I miss my Brother so much. He will be forever loved and never forgotten. #RIPMatt
– Below is another new WrestleMania 34 Diary video with 2018 WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett and his family traveling from Nashville to New Orleans for the big weekend. Jarrett greets various WWE Superstars before being asked to spell his name at check-in for a throwback moment.
– WWE Shop has released new t-shirts for Nia Jax, Triple H, WWE Champion AJ Styles, Carmella, Finn Balor and Matt Hardy, just in time for WrestleMania 34. Remember to visit WWE Shop via this link to save on your purchases.
– WWE veteran Goldust tweeted the following praise for the current locker room this week:
– Last night after Monday Night RAW went off-air on the USA Network, the dark main event of the evening saw Roman Reigns defeat Kane in singles competition.
– WWE made the following announcement to congratulate RAW Superstar Ronda Rousey on getting inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame this past weekend:
Ronda Rousey inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame at the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival USA
Ronda Rousey sure knows how to cap off a week! After officially signing her contract with the Raw brand and shockingly slamming Triple H through a table, Rousey found herself in Columbus, Ohio for her induction into the International Sports Hall of Fame during the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival. “Rowdy” Ronda was inducted alongside MMA legend Bas Rutten, host of “The Amazing Race” Phil Keoghan and acclaimed world powerlifting champions Dr. Terry Todd and Dr. Jan Todd.
Rousey also received her sixth degree black belt, while her mother, legendary judoka AnnMaria De Mars, received her seventh during the festival. Rousey took to Instagram to show gratitude for the amazing honors.
The festival, presented by WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzennegger, was founded in Columbus in 1989. The Arnold Sports Festival now features more than 18,000 athletes from 80 nations competing in 70 sports and events.
Also in attendance was Raw General Manager Kurt Angle, who posed for photos with Rousey and his daughter, Sophia, who he calls “Little Ronda.”
WWE.com congratulates Rousey on this incredible accomplishment.
– After his loss to John Cena on RAW last night, Goldust did an interview with Mike Rome in which he praised “The Leader Of The Cenation.” Goldust said possibly defeating Cena would allow him to point to the WrestleMania sign and punch his ticket for “The Show Of Shows.” Unfortunately for “Goldy,” that didn’t happen:
– Rusev continues to throw shade at his current role with WWE on Twitter. WWE Universe’s Twitter account recently posted a poll about the “Greatest Move Of Rusev’s Career.” Rusev responded to the poll by saying “LOL Am i getting released or something !?!” Check it out:
We're narrowed it down; now YOU get to vote! What is the most memorable move of @RusevBUL's career? #WAMWednesday
– Currently Goldust doesn’t have any plans to be involved in WrestleMania 34, however, a fan recently asked him if he has a lucky or favorite ring suit. Goldust responded by saying that he’s excited for fans to see the suit he has planned for “The Show Of Shows” in New Orleans this year:
@Goldust how many wrestling suits do you have now? And do you have a favourite/lucky one?
L’ÉQUIPE AND WWE ANNOUNCE FREE-TO-AIR BROADCAST AGREEMENT IN FRANCE
PARIS, France and STAMFORD, Conn., March 2, 2018 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) and L’Équipe, the leading French free TV channel dedicated to sport, today announced a new agreement to broadcast WWE’s flagship program Raw® on free-to-air television in France.
Beginning March 10, L’Équipe channel la chaine L’Équipe will air a one-hour version of Raw at 10 a.m. on Saturdays with an additional re-air on Saturday nights, all with French commentary.
“We are delighted to partner with WWE, renowned all over the world for its high-quality TV programs,” said Arnaud de Courcelles, L’Équipe TV Director. “La chaine L’Équipe is happy to offer Raw to its viewers, which is a mix of spectacular sport and entertainment!”
“We are thrilled to partner with L’Équipe and expand our reach on their popular channel in France,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE Co-President. “This partnership to deliver localized WWE programming allows us to provide our unique blend of action-packed, family-friendly entertainment to WWE fans throughout the country.”
Raw will also be available on L’Équipe’s TV Everywhere platform for authenticated subscribers, and on its 7-day VOD catchup window.
– According to PWInsider.com, the next series of classic content to be added to the WWE Network will be episodes of WWF All-Star Wrestling. The series will be added to the Vault section next month.
WWF All-Star Wrestling was a syndicated show that consisted of top-tier or mid-card talent defeating enhancement talent (jobbers) and at times a “feature” match between main WWF talent. The show ran from May 20, 1972, through August 31, 1986, at which point it was replaced by WWF Wrestling Challenge.
– The Tampa Bay Times has a story on Titus O’Neil wanting to inspire kids with Black Panther, the latest Marvel superhero movie set to hit theaters Feb. 16.
“I’m 40 years old and I’ve never seen a Marvel character that looked like me, as an African-American male,” O’Neil said.
“This will be the first time I’ve seen a superhero on screen that looks like me and I want kids to not only be able to see superheroes on the screen but also to view themselves as superheroes.
“If they see that on screen, then maybe they can be the next doctor or lawyer or president, whatever they can be. This could be a great teaching moment if we can get them into theaters.”
– WWE is teasing a romantic angle between new Mixed Match Challenge tandem Goldust and Mandy Rose. In this video, Goldust asks his partner out to dinner.
Goldust introduced Rose as his new partner last Tuesday after Alicia Fox was forced to pull out due to injury. Goldust and Rose face Naomi and SmackDown Tag Team Champion Jimmy Uso this Tuesday in Week 4 of Mixed Match Challenge.
– Eric Bischoff appeared on Monday’s WWE RAW 25 Kickoff pre-show with Renee Young and Peter Rosenberg and talked about coming to work for Vince McMahon years ago. Bischoff says he felt at home pretty quickly in WWE and says he knew within 3 minutes of his first phone call with Vince McMahon that he was excited to work for him former rival. Video from the segment is below:
– WWE taped the following matches on Monday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for this week’s Main Event episode:
* Goldust vs. Curt Hawkins
* Kalisto and Gran Metalik vs. TJP and Jack Gallagher
– The Undertaker returned to WWE TV on Monday’s RAW 25th Anniversary show and cut an in-ring promo at the Manhattan Center’s Grand Ballroom. Taker talked about how many greats have tried to stop him over the years but they all failed. He then declared that those who have fallen may finally rest in peace. Videos and photos from the segment are below: