Its not every day that you get the chance to chat with a WWE wrestler, especially one that comes from such a famous wrestling lineage like Cody Rhodes does. To our surprise, we didn’t speak to the “Dashing” Cody Rhodes, but fortunately for us, Stardust — and all his eccentricities were more than happy to chat with CraveOnline.
Stardust, who is said to have descended from the skies, has got to be one of the most brilliant and bizarre personalities in sports entertainment. He’s a welcomed sight to old school wrestling fans, and, apparently he’s still in touch with Cody Rhodes.
CraveOnline: A lot of WWE fans say they can see shades of Frank Gorshin’s Riddler from the 1960s Batman series in Stardust. What is the inspiration for Stardust?
Stardust: Oh my! The classics? Like the 60s Batman? Like with Adam West? Is that what we are talking? I have been told that there are these parallels between this Riddler-esque Frank Gorshin figure and Stardust. You never want to imitate anything. I actually used the term ‘riddle’ on an episode of WWE Smackdown and was told I could no longer say ‘riddle’ out of respect to that very character. So now they’re known as Stardust Stumpers. That’s my answer.
CraveOnline: How long does it take to complete the pre-match Stardust makeup? Do you do it yourself?
Stardust: Oooh. Good question. It depends. We’re looking at it from a very linear perspective and I’m absolutely okay with looking at it from a linear perspective. The pre-match makeup and the overall preparation of squeezing into the skin-tight suit that Stardust tends to dawn, takes somewhere between 265,000 parsecs and say, an hour. Does that work?
CraveOnline: Yeah, that works. I’ll have to do the calculations to see if that adds up.
Stardust: Absolutely! I love that you’re able to do such calculations.
CraveOnline: What is life like on the road? Who do you ride with? What do you do in the time you have before a show?
Stardust: I consider myself a bit of a traveler. Obviously Stardust is from somewhere we have yet to divulge but is the exploratory type. Life on the road doing WWE live events with Goldie [Goldust] is unique. I like to explore the various cities we go to. I think that’s something most young men and women in their career, don’t do enough. They’re too straight forward with the actual show itself. I like to explorer and I have become an absolutely diehard fan, it this makes any sense, American Korean barbeque. I love it. And as far as who I ride with, well, if Stardust is in a car which means something bad happened in general, he’d probably be riding with WWE superstar and who’s also at Night of Champions, Cesaro; the King of Swing.
CraveOnline: You and Goldust have developed a rivalry with the Usos and face them at Night of Champions this Sunday for the Tag Team championship. What can we expect from that match?
Stardust: I think you can expect to add substance where there has been style. The fact that we have talked about the cosmic key, I think people think we are talking gibberish and we’re not. Going on record, the cosmic key that we have been talking about is to win the Tag Team titles and that’s what you should expect. To put it quite simply, Gold and Stardust and all the craziness they’re about, are a tag team so we want the tag team championships and we’re considerably better than the Usies.
CraveOnline: When you won the Tag Team titles with your brother for the first time, what was that feeling like and could you have ever imagined that as a kid, Cody? Sorry, Stardust. Since you’re familiar with Cody, what would he have said?
Stardust: I think we are subscribing to the idea that Stardust and Goldie’s brother, Cody, ‘Dashing’ Cody is one in the same and I can speak to this. When you have a bond, like a brother or a sister, there is a family bond. Its more than people think “Oh, well, they’re a family. That must be the greatest thing ever.” You don’t choose your family. You choose your friends. Family can be quite tumultuous almost like the surface of an asteroid, the ups and downs that is family. I think statically we will look at it “How nice that was and what an addition to the Rhodes family hall of fame.” But no means was it ever expected.
CraveOnline: I know you’re somewhat tight with Cody Rhodes and he grew up in the wrestling business as the son of a legend [Dusty Rhodes]. I don’t know if he’s told you this but when wrestling blew up in the late 90s with his dad in WCW and his brother in WWE, what was that like as a kid? Was everyone trying to get the inside scoop?
Stardust: I think it’s a lot like when you have a favorite musical act. Do you?
CraveOnline: Yeah, Ryan Adams who is not to be confused with Bryan Adams.
Stardust: Ryan Adams who did the cover for “Wonderwall?” That’s a wonderful example. Say he blew up to just absurd levels of fame; an uncomfortable level of fame and everyone was on that bandwagon. How would you feel? A little late to the party, huh? I think that’s how “Dashing” Cody Rhodes felt. Something that was once his and maybe a few of his friends was all of a sudden was everybody’s and everyone wanted to know and everyone assumed they knew. One thing about sports entertainment, the moment you’re done in is the moment you assume you have any idea of what’s going on and how its being handled behind the scenes. I think that’s how “Dashing” Cody Rhodes felt. He wanted his Ryan Adams back.
CraveOnline: Stardust, what’s the weirdest interaction you have had with a fan or with anyone?
Stardust: I’ve had a great deal of weird interactions. I have got into several arguments with children in what you will call “airports” because they are convinced that Cody Rhodes and Stardust are one in the same. I do my damnedest to explain the differences and elaborate and edify. The weirdest experience though? You know what it was? Goldust without any forewarning put his nose up against mine in an interview that will air on this week’s Smackdown. He held his nose against mine like some sort of panda. I was not comfortable in the slightest.
CraveOnline: I understand you’re a big comic book fan, Stardust. What are you reading and do you have any favorites?
Stardust: Stardust has been giving me the latest on Death of Wolverine title. It is always big news to an intergalactic soul when someone from the folklore that makes up Americana, dies. My concern is duly noted and I have been linked to that title.
CraveOnline: If you could work one match with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Stardust: Well, it’s a different choice for Stardust. It would be The Great Muta and I don’t know why [laughs]. I don’t know if I have this love for paint or the idea that I’d want to know the secret behind the mist which is something I’ve tried to channel and perfect myself. So it would be The Great Muta.
CraveOnline: What can the WWE universe expect from Stardust in the near future and what’s the ultimate goal?
Stardust: The ultimate goal for Stardust has been the cosmic key. If you know the distance between the stars…do you know the distance between stars? On average its 20 million miles. So on an average in the WWE landscape, I think Gold and Stardust are 20 million miles away out of the league, above, upper echelon, of great deal of the Tag Team division. I think this Sunday at Night of Champions, the opportunity has been given, its knocking, its there, it’s a boom so far out of space that we can just now hear it, to pit this spotlight on tag team wrestling.
Photos courtesy of WWE
Joshua Caudill is a writer for CraveOnline Sports, a surfing enthusiast, an unhealthy sports fanatic, and an expert on all things Patrick Swayze. You can follow him on Twitter @JoshuaCaudill85 or “like”CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
