After 36 years of getting slammed into rings from coast to coast, Dustin Rhodes has officially decided to put on a new hat—probably a ten-gallon one—as a wrestling promoter. That’s right, folks, the current ROH World Tag Team Champion and human embodiment of resilience is launching his very own promotion, the Rhodes Wrestling Association (RWA). Clearly, being a legend in the ring wasn’t enough—now Dustin’s here to run the circus too.
On Sunday night, the artist formerly known as Goldust hopped onto X (formerly Twitter) to break the news and announce the first RWA event, Texas Fall Fury, set for November 21st in the Lone Star State. Not only will you get to watch bodies fly in the ring, but if you’re a superfan, Dustin’s offering a VIP meet-and-greet session one hour before the show. You can shake hands with the man himself and probably get advice on how to survive for nearly four decades in the wrestling biz without spontaneously combusting.
In his announcement, Dustin couldn’t contain his excitement:
“FINALLY!!! @RhodesWrestling is LAUNCHING!! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for all info. Soon November 21st Thursday at 6pm central #RWA’s Bullpen in Leander Texas. Let’s make the first one special! I will be doing a VIP Meet and greet at 5pm central.”
But wait, there’s more! The announcement comes at a pivotal time, with rumors swirling about Dustin’s AEW contract status, reportedly set to expire this fall. While he’s focused on launching his new venture, Rhodes isn’t exactly pulling a disappearing act. He posted a heartfelt reflection on his time with AEW, hinting he may still have some magic left under Tony Khan’s spotlight. Translation? Don’t count him out of AEW just yet. He’s not hanging up the boots—he’s just getting another pair ready for double duty.
On top of launching the RWA, Rhodes has been stacking up some fresh gold. He recently nabbed the ROH World Tag Team Championship alongside Sammy Guevara, and he even added the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Title to his resume, because apparently retirement is for people who don’t love being covered in sweat and bruises.
Of course, while Dustin’s busy taking over Texas, his brother Cody is currently riding high as WWE’s Undisputed Champion. That’s right—one Rhodes brother is the king of WWE, and the other is about to start running his own wrestling kingdom. The family gatherings are about to be wild.