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The "Ask the Specialists" Roundtable is the latest spin-off from the "Ask the Torch" feature. CSI led to CSI: New York and CSI: Miami, which is where you'll find the Specialists tackling a daily topic submitted by PWTorch readers to askpwtorch@gmail.com.

Ask the Specialists Roundtable #41

- Question from Jeff in Michigan: It may be too early to tell, but if Cody Rhodes as Stardust is a long-term/permanent plan, will it help or hurt Cody's career?

- "Hits & Misses" Jon Mezzera responds: If WWE has a long-term plan for anyone on the roster, it is a good thing. If WWE's long term plan is to have Cody Rhodes play Stardust, then it means that they have faith enough in Rhodes to have a long-term plan for him. They don't have a long term-plan for Kofi Kingston. I don't think they go to this type of trouble to repackage him in such a dramatic way if they don't have a strong plan in place to do something with Rhodes after the Stardust gimmick eventually goes away. I assume this means that he and Goldust will be a team for quite a while leading to an eventual break-up and a big singles push for Rhodes. But, will the fans take him seriously at that point? That is really the question, and I don't know the answer to that aspect of it.

- "Mr. PPV" Nathan Kyght responds: I'm not sure what to think about Stardust. It's basically just a retread of the Goldust character, and I'm not sure it's a gimmick that is destined to ever be at the top of the card. Perhaps it's going to be a roundabout way of Cody turning on his brother and returning to his old gimmick? For now, though, I think that the company likes the pairing and, in-ring, these two have been highlights for a long time now. I'm just going to enjoy the fact that they're a great tag team, and wait and see how this wacky turn plays out.

- "Common Fan" Jimmy Eaton (@TheCommonFan) responds: Thanks for the question, Jeff. I think it's more of a short-term deal, but that's just a guess. I don't see it hurting him to much as long as he's able to explain himself near the end of the run as to WHY he made the transformation. Time will tell though as a lot of talented guys like Cody (see: Damien Sandow) have been put through rigorous tests of patience when it comes to creative and chances to get to the next level. I hope this ends up helping his career.

- "Instant Reaction" Ben Tucker (@BTuckerTorch) responds: The Stardust gimmick will do nothing to benefit the career of Cody Rhodes. As it stands, Rhodes has had the potential to break out as a semi-main event heel since late 2011. Turning him into an homage to his older brother and keeping him that way for the long haul would pigeonhole him as a mid-card comedy act. With adequate mic skills and great prowess and dedication to his work in the ring, there's no way that the Stardust character will do anyone any good.

- "Mr. TV" Justin James (@Justin_M_James) responds: Jeff, if Cody's history is any indicator, it will be a year at most. He manages to successfully transition gimmicks on a very regular basis, and each one feels like an organic growth from the previous character. Will it hurt him? I doubt it. I thought that Cody Rhodes wearing the mask was a pretty iconic character for that particular point in time, certainly one of my favorites, and yet he managed to move past it when it had run its course. Cody Rhodes's ability to transition characters is one of the big reasons that I am high on him.

- "Showstopper" Shawn Valentino responds: Thank you for your question, Jeff. It is difficult to tell where Cody Rhodes's career is going, but I do not think that Stardust has much long-term potential. Derivative acts generally do not have much of a shelf-life, and they are usually temporary gimmicks for people that do not have much direction. Cody is a bit of a bland personality, and the only character of his that I really enjoyed was the Dashing era.

I think Rhodes should be around as a reliable, versatile mid-card talent, but I do not think he has the charisma or the persona to be more than that. I do not think the Stardust image will hurt his career, but I do not see it helping much, either. It is definitely a temporary plan while he is paired with Goldust and may eventually lead to a split and a colorful match between the two. I just cannot imagine an imitation being a serious direction for Cody, and I hope that management has better plans in the future for him.

- "Mr. Europe" Brian Leahy (@CobyHectic) responds: Short of the occasional example to the contrary, directly derivative gimmicks haven't fared well in WWE over the years (Kane is the only success that immediately springs to mind). If it were to be a permanent change in gimmick to Cody, I see it presenting the same glass ceiling to him as it did to his older brother, though I'll acknowledge that Dustin's ceiling in and of itself was lower due to his own abilities.

I see it as WWE treading water with the younger Rhodes at the moment, with the gimmick maybe running its course before the end of the year or WrestleMania at the latest. It could end with Cody throwing down the gimmick (similar to how his brother did in 1998), once WWE goes a full 360 and the older Rhodes has become the weak link in the team. Hopefully then we'll see a harder solo push for Cody.

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[ FYI: The specialists consist of a mix of current PWTorch contributors providing their opinion on today's wrestling scene and modern wrestling history questions, including Shawn Valentino, Michael Moore, Ben Tucker, Jon Mezzera, Justin James, Brian Leahy, Jimmy Eaton, Nathan Kyght, Tony Donofrio, and Mike Roe. ]

[Torch art credit Cory Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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