Dustin Rhodes has accomplished plenty in the world of professional wrestling, but his consistent sobriety is the veteran’s greatest accomplishment.
Rhodes is perhaps best known for his WWE tenure as the bizarre Goldust but has also competed for WCW and other promotions. In 2019, Rhodes joined AEW as a wrestler and also works as a coach for the promotion.
Like many wrestlers, Rhodes has faced struggles and dealt with addiction to alcohol and substances. In an episode of The Sessions, Rhodes shared that medicating to recover from a 1996 injury would set him down a destructive path. Thankfully, Rhodes has been able to overcome addiction and has proudly been sober for over 15 years.
Dustin Rhodes on his legacy
Speaking to veteran sports journalist Justin Barrasso for Sports Illustrated, Rhodes noted his sobriety as the most long-lasting accolade he has.
“My sobriety, that’s my legacy. And I understand it’s OK to have bad days. There will be better ones. Life has been an incredible teacher. I’ve learned a lot, and I plan on being clean and sober for the rest of my life.”
Rhodes also reflected on his years of addiction and the toll it took on him and his career.
“I wasn’t seeing clearly back in the day, and I paid for it heavily. Sometimes, I’m still trying to prove myself, even when I don’t need to. I came out the other side. The devil is still sitting here, right on my shoulder. All’s I need to do is walk with him. But each new day, I tell him, ‘No, I’m going to be good today.’ So I’m not going to drink. I’m not going to do drugs. I have my sh– together, and I’m fixin’ to get on with my life.”
Rhodes will face Christian Cage for the TNT Championship on tonight’s AEW Dynamite. The match will be the first singles encounter between the two veterans since 2003.