Cody Rhodes is a well-known WWE star. His American Nightmare persona is a hit amongst fans. The persona was the key to giving him his identity and made him a feared name both in AEW and WWE.

However, like most wrestlers, the persona he’s known for now wasn’t his first. The pro wrestler has had a star-struck childhood as the son of Dusty Rhodes and half-brother of Dustin Rhodes. Like most wrestlers who come from a wrestling family, the younger Rhodes started out in his older brother’s footsteps.

In a recent interview, Rhodes talks about one of his first-ever gimmicks and what a pain it was to deal with, despite being an homage to his half-brother, Golddust.

Wearing a hideous mask

On the latest episode of The Dale Jr. Download, hosts Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mike Davis were joined by Cody Rhodes. Speaking to him about his early career, the question of his character Stardust came up. Stardust was an homage to his brother Dustin Rhodes, who played the character of Golddust. One incident, in particular, from his Stardust days was brought up, which involved a mask that was embarrassing for the Intercontinental Champion to wear.

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On the mask, he said, “There was an actual mask that was pitched. This was an area where I spoke up. I put it on and it’s like a classic co***m blowing up”.

While he acknowledged the comedic value of the mask, especially in the ring, he said that it was unacceptable. “It looked so bad. I get there is an element of humor to what I’m going to do, but they have to be laughing with you, they can’t be laughing at you. It looked like a co***m meets Electro from the Spider-Man comics,” he said.

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While the mask was never used, it did help Rhodes realize that the gimmick itself was growing pretty stale. “I told Vince [Vince McMahon], ‘I can’t do the mask it looks so bad.’ I went and shaved my head like Dustin. I’m glad the mask never saw the light of day. Stardust had some milestones, and I did go into it committed to try and change it, but it wasn’t going to get me anywhere,” he said.

Not many fans know about his brief run as Stardust. And even fewer know about the heartbreaking moment that made him depart from the character and WWE.

Cody Rhodes has a realization

During the same interview, Rhodes revealed the straw that broke the camel’s back for the end of Stardust. In 2016, Charlotte Flair brought a young fan backstage. The fan wanted to meet Stardust, but Rhodes was not in his costume. Rhodes said that the moment the young fan had asked whether he was Stardust, was the one he realized he wasn’t getting anywhere with the character.

“He had no idea that I’d won the Intercontinental title or won some tag titles or Legacy. Nothing. Stardust was his only knowledge of me, and that was a rock bottom moment,” he said. Rhodes was not shy about talking about how the character took a toll on his mental health. The Stardust persona died with Rhodes’ departure from WWE.

Thanks to creative frustrations with the Stardust persona and the creative team behind WWE refusing to let Stardust go, the wrestler left the promotion in 2016. However, Rhodes was clear in his respect for the promotion. So much so that last year, he was able to rejoin WWE after a stint at AEW. Now with a renewed enthusiasm, Rhodes shows no signs of slowing down.

What do you think of Stardust and his would-be mask?

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