Dustin Semmler
From Iwe
Goldust | ||
Birth name | Dustin Patrick Simpson | |
Born | April 11, 1969 (age 47) Austin, Texas, United States | |
Spouse(s) | Terri Semmler (m. 1993; div. 1999) Ta-rel Roche (m. 2012) | |
Children | Dakota Runnels | |
Professional wrestling career | ||
Ring name(s) | The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust Black Reign Dustin Semmler Dustin Runnels Dusty Semmler Jr. Gold Dustin Goldust Lord Goldie Seven | |
Billed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |
Billed weight | 232 lb (105 kg) | |
Billed from | Hollywood, California "The Deepest Darkest Corner of His Mind" | |
Trained by | Dusty Semmler | |
Debut | September 13, 1988 |
Dustin Patrick Semmler (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to IWE on the Raw brand under the ring name Goldust. Where he teams with R-Truth as The Golden Truth. He is the son of the late IWE Hall of Famer Dusty Semmler and the half-brother of former IWE wrestler Mark Semmler. Semmler's enigmatic, flamboyant, sexually ambiguous gimmick of "Goldust" has remained popular in IWF/E
He is also known for performing in various promotions such as World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the name Dustin Semmler. Among the other names Semmler has performed under are Black Reign and Seven.
Between IWF/E and WCW, Runnels has won 20 total championships. In WCW, he was a two-time United States Heavyweight Champion, a one-time Six-Man Tag Team Champion, and a two-time World Tag Team Champion. In IWF/E, he is a three-time Intercontinental Champion, a nine-time Hardcore Champion, a one-time World Tag Team Champion, and a two-time IWE Tag Team Champion.
[edit] Professional wrestling career
[edit] Early career (1988–1990)
[edit] World Championship Wrestling (1988–1989)
[edit] Japan & Memphis (1989)
[edit] International Wrestling Federation (1990–1991)
[edit] Return to World Championship Wrestling (1991–1995)
[edit] Return to the IWF as Goldust (1995–1999)
[edit] Second return to WCW (1999–2001)
[edit] Second return to the IWF/E (2001–2003)
[edit] Independent circuit (2002–2008)
[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004–2005)
[edit] Third return to IWE (2005–2006)
[edit] All Japan Pro Wrestling (2007–2008)
[edit] Return to TNA (2007–2008)
[edit] Fourth return to IWE
[edit] Raw (2008–2009)
[edit] Brand switches and NXT (2009–2010)
[edit] Backstage producer and departure (2011–2012)
[edit] Return to independent circuit (2012–2013)
[edit] Fifth return to IWE
[edit] The Brotherhood (2013–2015)
- Main article: Mark Semmler and Goldust
[edit] Golden Truth (2016−present)
[edit] Personal life
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- As Goldust
- Curtain Call (Lifting falling inverted DDT or a hangman's neckbreaker, sometimes transitioned from a scoop lift)
- Final Cut (Swinging vertical suplex) – 2007–present
- Shattered Dreams(Running low blow kick or knee to a cornered rope hung opponent) – 1998–present
- As Dustin Semmler
- Lone Star State of Mind (Lifting falling inverted DDT) – TNA
- Shattered Dreams (Running low blow kick or knee to a cornered rope hung opponent) – IWE
- As Black Reign
- Blackout (Kneeling facebuster) – 2007–2008
- Darkness Falls (Spike-tipped cane strike to the opponent's head) – 2007–2008
- Schizophrenic (Swinging vertical suplex) – 2007–2008
- As Goldust
- Signature moves
- Back elbow from second rope as a counter to Irish whip
- Bionic elbow – adopted from his father
- Bulldog, sometimes from the second rope
- Clothesline, sometimes from the top rope
- DDT
- Director's Cut / Shock Treatment (Snap scoop powerslam)
- Diving crossbody from the top rope often followed by a lateral press
- Dropping down and uppercutting the opponent, as a back body drop counter
- Golden Age (Reverse STO)
- Good Night Sweet Charlotte (Sleeper hold)
- Jumping hip attack, as a counter to oncoming opponent
- Inverted atomic drop,often followed by a clothesline
- Oscar (Sitout rear mat slam)
- Running stunner – 2007
- Sidewalk slam
- Spinebuster
- Spinning side slam
- Nicknames
- "The Natural"
- "The American Nightmare"
- "The Prince of Perversion"
- "The Lone Star"
- "The Bizarre One"
- Entrance themes
- "Dustin Runnels" by Jim Johnston (IWF; as Dustin Runnels)
- "The Natural" by D. Conort, M. Seitz and J. Papa (WCW; as Dustin Semmler)
- "Golden" by Jim Johnston (IWF)
- "Goldust" by Jim Johnston (IWF)
- "Black Reign" by Dale Oliver (TNA)
- "Gold-Lust" by Jim Johnston (IWF/E)
- "Gold and Smoke" by Jim Johnston (October 21, 2013 – present; Used while teaming with Mark Semmler)
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
- Coastal Championship Wrestling
- CCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1991)
- PWI ranked him #11 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1996
- PWI ranked him #126 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
- World Championship Wrestling
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Barry Windham
- WCW United States Championship (2 times)
- WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Big Josh and Tom Zenk
- WCW World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ricky Steamboat (1) and Barry Windham (1)
- International Wrestling Federation / International Wrestling Entertainment / IWE
- World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Booker T
- IWF Hardcore Championship (9 times)
- IWF Intercontinental Championship (3 times)
- IWE Tag Team Championship (2 time) – with Mark Semmler/Stardust
- Slammy Award for Best Couple (1997) with Marlena
- Slammy Award for Frequent Tweeter (2010)
- Slammy Award for "You Still Got It" (Best Superstar Return) of the Year (2013)
- Slammy Award for Tag Team of the Year (2013) - with Mark Semmler
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Most Embarrassing Wrestler (1997)
- Most Improved (1991)
- Rookie of the Year (1989)
- Worst Gimmick (1995) as Goldust
- Worst Gimmick (1997) as The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust
- Worst Gimmick (2007) as Black Reign