It was my original intention to write about the possibility of a match between The Undertaker and Sting today, but I feel like a topic as special and fragile as that needs to be done at a later date, and on a much wider scale than the day of a minor WWE Pay-Per-View.
There is a very narrow window of opportunity for that match to happen, and I want to put more time and effort into discussing it than I would this kind of topic, considering I spent most of my time in the last week preparing for my Battleground predictions anyway.
So today, instead of discussing two legendary icons, I’ve decided to talk about a star. Get it?
One of the strangest things to happen in the WWE over the summer of 2014 has been the rebirth (if you want to call it that) of Cody Rhodes. In case you haven’t noticed, Cody is now referring to himself under the moniker of ‘Stardust’, a somewhat clever way to fit in with his tag-team partner and brother’s ring name, Goldust.
But it’s not just a change of name that Rhodes has undergone. Now he matches his brother’s sheer insanity through completely new mannerisms, including the undoubtedly copyrighted performance of Walt Disney’s ‘When You Wish upon a Star’ on Monday Night Raw, and an over-infatuation with stars themselves.
This gimmick was introduced as Cody’s method of finding Goldust a brand new tag-team partner, when he felt his own (normal) efforts were just not good enough, and couldn’t find a replacement. So I guess he did what anyone would have done, and, eh… hit himself in the head with a hammer or something.
It is very plain to see that Cody Rhodes’ recent change in character has enraged many people out there, and to be perfectly honest, I think they have every right to be mad. For years, we have considered Cody Rhodes to be one of the most overlooked performers on the WWE roster, constantly being kept in a mid-card role and never truly making it to the top.
His athleticism, charisma and talent against anyone in the ring all add up to make him the perfect competitor. I think we were all astonished at his extraordinary ability to jump from playing the cocky, brash “good-looking guy” character (much akin to Tyler Breeze), to a deranged, psychopathic, individual that took the Intercontinental Championship to new heights in relation to previous years (even re-introducing the old design).
All of this considered, it is easy to see why people would be mad at the decision to shake things up for him once again. He has proven himself over and over again that he has the potential to make it as a main event guy, and a silly gimmick like Stardust is sure to derail those capabilities for any amount of time.
We often see talented wrestlers get stuck with unforgivingly ridiculous gimmicks, i.e. Santino Marella, The Boogeyman, which virtually prevent the guys from making it to the big leagues in the company. But despite me saying all this, I’m not 100% opposed to the gimmick like so many others. Yes, it would be nice to see Rhodes finally get what he deserves, but I’m going to share something that Shawn Michaels said in a similar context at his Q&A session in London on the 28th of April this year.
Upon being questioned about female talent in the WWE, Shawn said that a girl like Emma is one of the ones to look out for in WWE, because despite being stuck with a silly gimmick where she runs around waving her arms, acting like an idiot, her ability to play the role so well shows her immense pride, determination and mental strength. Sure, being in the wrong place at the wrong time and almost getting permanently fired not too long ago doesn’t help her, but what Shawn Michaels said made so much sense (not surprisingly, considering he’s the best of all time).
What he said really ties in with Cody Rhodes and the Stardust situation. The man continues to not only show versatility with regards to his character portrayal, but he shows immense mental capacity, pride, strength and determination to be the best that he can be, no matter what role he’s put in.
When I see Stardust in all of his glorious nature on Raw or Smackdown, whether he’s expressing his ceaseless talent in the ring or giving us an insight into the chaotic mind of him or his brother, I don’t shake my head in disgust at what the WWE has presented him with. I enjoy every minute of it, because it’s the same Cody Rhodes we know and love. One that can take an unbelievably ridiculous gimmick and make it work despite the obstacles in his way.
He does that just like his brother has done for several years, and just like his father did, to become one of the most charismatic, entertaining men in the history of the wrestling industry. In an era where big, strong men were supposed to exude masculinity and look like they were chiselled from stone, Dusty Rhodes was a fat man who wore pink, polka-dotted singlets. Look where he is now! He’s one of the greatest men to ever lace up a pair of boots!
The moral of this article is that you have to work with what you have if you want to make it anywhere in life. Sure, some gimmicks and moments the WWE present us with are just plain stupid and don’t benefit anyone (i.e. anything to do with Vickie Guerrero since 2006 excluding her last night), but a gimmick like this builds character. And in a company where the deck will be completely stacked on the main event for the next while, Cody can afford to try his hand at perfecting yet another unique role.
And for those of you who still aren’t buying it, don’t worry, I doubt we’ll be seeing Stardust for longer than a year. The way I see it, Goldust is going to get jealous of his brother being the new ‘freak’ of the family, turn on him and shed the face paint before telling Stardust to grow up. Then they can fight for a while before Goldust either leaves or moves on to something else. Whether Stardust goes back to normal immediately or waits a while is anyone’s guess, but I can almost guarantee that the character will be gone eventually.
If you don’t believe me, then take Stardust’s advice and wish upon a star. Anything your heart desires may just come to you.
That’ll do it for today, folks. If you enjoyed this article, please share it on Facebook and Twitter, and leave a comment down below if you have anything to add. You can also talk to me directly by following me @AdamOB_STLD on Twitter, whether it’s about wrestling, my writing or anything at all.
Also be sure to check out SLTD Radio, the MFX Podcast and all other articles here at SLTD Wrestling for great coverage on all things WWE, including Battleground and the build-up to SummerSlam over the next few weeks. There’s also some great stuff for the TNA fans out there, so it’s fun for the whole family! Check it out for yourself!
Thanks for reading!
Self-Professed Conversational Wizard.
Admin, Editor and Writer for SLTD Wrestling.
Creator of 'Under the Spotlight'.
Studying Computing in Games Development.
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