AEW's Dustin Rhodes Shares How Long He Plans To Keep Wrestling

Dustin Rhodes has built a legendary career spanning over three decades, evolving from "The Natural" in WCW to the unforgettable and wholly unique Goldust persona in WWE. Now in AEW, the veteran wrestler continues to defy time, while facing the reality that the end of his in-ring career is approaching. Speaking on the "Unbreakable" podcast, Rhodes reflected on how much he has left in the tank.

"It's tough what I've been through, and I've been through 14 surgeries, and it's like, I can't believe I'm still walking. [I've had] two knee replacements, but I'll go get a Cortisone shot or two, and I'll feel good," Rhodes said. "I just know the inevitable is almost here, and that's gonna be a hard thing to deal with. You know, I think I may have two/three years left that I can go full steam and then what? It's like, that's something I'm really, really gonna have to work on."

Despite knowing retirement looms, Rhodes remains grateful for his time in AEW, contrasting it with his years under Vince McMahon's leadership. In his own words:

"This company, Tony Khan loves wrestling. It's 110% different than the Vince McMahon days. Vince was pretty brutal, and you were walking on eggshells all the time worried about your job. With Tony, he loves me. He is a huge fan of my wrestling. He's treated me very, very good here for the last five years."

Rhodes also discussed his future in wrestling beyond competing in the ring, and whether he has had any conversations with WWE about a return. For now, he remains focused on giving his all in AEW while preparing for what comes next. This past year, Rhodes launched his own wrestling promotion, aptly named the Rhodes Wrestling Association. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the "Unbreakable" podcast and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.