Dustin Rhodes credits Savio Vega with helping him understand how to make Goldust work. In an Inside The Ropes interview, Rhodes recalled a Madison Square Garden breakthrough and the original plan for his WrestleMania XII match.
Rhodes said he initially struggled to embrace the character’s provocative behavior. During their match, Vega encouraged him to push those boundaries, producing an increasingly hostile crowd response.
“That night I found the Goldust character,” Rhodes recalled.
He credited Vega with pushing him beyond his comfort zone. Backstage, Rhodes remembered an enthusiastic Vince McMahon asking him to return to the ring and attack Vega to build interest in another meeting.
Rhodes said the response showed him how the character could connect with an audience, and he carried that approach into subsequent matches.
For WrestleMania XII, however, Rhodes recalled a different opponent and setting from the Hollywood Backlot Brawl that ultimately aired. He said Goldust was originally supposed to face Razor Ramon in a Miami street fight presented via satellite while WrestleMania took place in California.
When that plan changed, Rhodes said he traveled with McMahon, Bruce Prichard and Roddy Piper to prepare the Universal Studios fight that became part of his WrestleMania appearance.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Inside The Ropes, with a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.
