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PWINSIDER Q&A: DUSTIN RHODES, DEEP SOUTH TALENT, TAKER VS. BATISTA AND MORE

Answered on 4/27

I just saw an All Japan video on youtube with The Great Muta and Tajiri taking on Hakushi and Goldust. Now I think this was after Goldust's WWE release and wondered, did he need to get the WWE's permission to use the character, or did he just go ahead and use it? 

Actually, it was a recent match, from last February.  It was The Great Muta & Tajiri vs. Jinsei Shinzaki, doing his Hakushi gimmick, and Dustin Rhodes doing what essentially was the Goldust gimmick, but calling it... Gold Dustin.  Yeah, it is obvious what he was going for, bit technically it wasn't the WWE owned name. 

I've always wondered: When a wrestler climbs to the top turnbuckle the referee counts. Is he counting to 5 because the wrestler is in the ropes, or is he counting to 10 because the wrestler has left the ring? 

I've always been under the impression that the referee is counting to five because the wrestler is on the ropes.  Funny, I don't think I've ever seen a referee get to five and call for a DQ for it! 

With DSW now done with WWE and done period, who do you think should be brought up to a roster in WWE and where? 

Off the top of my head, Harry Smith, T.J. Wilson and Krissy Vaine are all talents that I would bring up and put on the main roster.  Smackdown is probably the best place, since there is a ton of talent that they could work with that could help them improve.  I would put Smith and Wilson there, and put Krissy on Raw. 

Did WCW ever try and have a version of the Undertaker. The reason I ask is because I remember on one Monday Nitro a wrestler, I think he was played by Dustin Runnels, came out floating to the ring with the black hat and black jacket and his face was painted white and when he got to the ring he did a shoot type interview saying he was better than that and that he didn't want to play that stupid gimmick. Can you tell me more about the situation and was the interview a shot or was it planned. 

You are thinking of the "Seven" gimmick, which was sort of like a Phantom Of The Opera meets the Undertaker type of character.  However, the whole gimmick was killed before it ever debuted on TV, supposedly because Turner Broadcasting executives didn't like the evil stalker aspect of the character.  Remember, this was WCW, where it seemed every story got overblown back then.  Anyway, the gimmick turned out to be a backdrop for Dustin Rhodes to show up in WCW and then cut a promo blasting gimmicks, obviously a shot at his old Goldust character.

Coming up at Backlash, The Undertaker is putting the title on the line against Batista in a Last Man Standing match. These matches are usually booked to go a long time with a brutal effort by both men. This being the case, can you see WWE making this match insanely competitive and both men beaten down to the point where the finish is one of those "both men are so weak from the fight that the winner got the pin by falling on the other guy at the right time"? The reason I ask is because if Taker got the win in this way then it would make perfect sense for Kennedy to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and then believably beating Taker without hurting Taker OR Batista. No shame in losing to Taker so Batista is protected and actually would look stronger I think if he had a super competitive match. 

Honestly, I am still trying to figure out why they are having a Last Man Standing match in the first place.  It's not like there has been a disputed finish between the two, or that the two men have had an evenly contested series of bouts.   They had one televised singles match, Undertaker won.  Why do they need the gimmick?  Regardless, I do think that if WWE is going to have a Last Man Standing match, it needs to be brutal and exhausting, otherwise there is no point in having the gimmick.  I agree, it would be a great setup for Kennedy to cash in his title shot, but I don't see that happening on Sunday. 

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