Dustin Rhodes opens up about his plans to retire from AEW.
Back in December, Dustin Rhodes announced that he’d signed a new AEW contract and that he intended to retire in All Elite Wrestling. Now, speaking in a new interview with Tim & Eli on Battleground, the star sheds more light on his plans, explaining that he’ll hang up his boots in three years’ time. However, he’s still keeping some things a mystery, such as who he plans to face in his final match.
“I have. I keep it close to the vest about my opponent. I have had this planned the last couple of years of who I want to finish up with. That’s going to take place in three years. It’s going to be tough to step away.”
Continuing, Dustin Rhodes brought up Sting’s retirement match at the 2024 edition of Revolution, saying that he wants a similar sendoff even if he’s not on the same level as The Icon.
“By no means am I anywhere on Sting‘s level, but I want that same kind of out. I think I’ve earned it. To finish it off on a pay-per-view and cut a heart-wrenching emotional promo after is what people like.
It’s not like the old days. I want to win. I want to win that last match. I don’t want to lose. It means a lot to me, and I have been putting a lot of thought into it. I would say probably about three years. Things change. We’ll see where they take us. It’s hard enough to even say, ‘It’s almost time, Dustin.’ That’s tough. It’s been part of my life for so long. It’s going to be very emotional.”
Recently, Dustin Rhodes made it clear that he will never wrestle in WWE again.
Dustin Rhodes Talks Passing On Knowledge To Younger Wrestlers
Dustin Rhodes also spoke about his role as a coach and producer, saying he’s glad he can pass on the knowledge he’s gained from his decades in professional wrestling.
“Getting out of the business is a big step because you’re changing something you’ve done for long. What do you do? You have to find things to do in the interim to keep your mind right. I’ll be coaching and still producing, which I’m doing right now anyway. I love that. Passing all my knowledge to the young kids, that’s the payoff. When I teach them something and they go out and do it and it works. That’s the payoff, me passing on my knowledge and experience to the younger generation.”
Recently AEW and ROH announced a major Australian special event.
h/t Fightful