Rikishi made his wrestling debut in 1985, but he did not join WWE until 1992 when he and Samu debuted as The Headshrinkers. Wrestling fans are very knowledgeable, and many who follow WWE believe that they know everything about every superstar who has competed for the promotion. Rikishi's in-ring WWE career lasted more than a decade, and although some fans may think they know him, many of them probably do not even know that his real name is Solofa Fatu Jr.

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He is part of the legendary Anoa'i family, a family that includes superstars like Yokozuna, The Rock, and Roman Reigns. Rikishi was present during WWE's Attitude Era, and he is a former Intercontinental Champion, as well as a 3-time Tag Team Champion. He did a lot for the company, and he was honored for his contributions in 2015 when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

10 He Wanted His Sons In The NFL Before They Became WWE Superstars

the-usos-wwe-tag-team-championship-belts

With 7 Tag Team Championship reigns already under their belt, The Usos have become one of the most successful teams in WWE history. As their father, Rikishi is undoubtedly proud of what they have accomplished in WWE, but he initially wanted them to choose a different career path.

While speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Rikishi revealed that he wanted Jimmy and Jey to play in the NFL instead. He was not entirely thrilled with their decision to wrestle, but he supported them nonetheless because that is what father's do.

9 He Received Some Heat For His Hall Of Fame Speech

rikishi-hall-of-fame

This year's Hall of Fame induction speeches were emotional, as they always are, and Rikishi delivered his speech when he was inducted in 2015. He was inducted by his sons, and he went on to thank those who played a significant role in his career, but there were some notable omissions.

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Rikishi was part of the Too Cool group along with Brian Christopher and Scotty 2 Hotty, and they were fairly successful. The argument can be made that Too Cool helped to get Rikishi over when he really needed it, but he barely acknowledged the group in his HOF speech. This snub earned him some heat backstage.

8 The Reason Behind His 2004 Release

Rikishi As Tag Team Champion In 2004

WWE will likely make more releases this year, and some of them will undoubtedly be surprising. Rikishi was well liked backstage in the early 2000s, but that did not stop WWE from suddenly releasing him in the summer of 2004.

At the time, Rikishi was quite heavy, but he was still able to compete at a professional level with surprising athleticism. WWE thought he was too big however, and they asked him to lose weight multiple times. He failed to do so, which is why he joined the list of stars who left the company in 2004.

7 WWE Doctors Did Not Clear Him In 2019

Rikishi With His Sons & John Cena At The Raw Reunion Show

WWE held a Raw Reunion special back in 2019, and it saw the return of several Hall of Famers, including Rikishi. He got to appear in a fun little segment with his sons and John Cena, but it came to an end when The Revival and D-Von Dudley interrupted.

Rikishi was at ringside while his sons fought The Revival, but he did not get involved in any physical way. Fans probably expected Rikishi to deliver his signature stink face, and he wanted to do it, but WWE doctors did not clear him because they feared possible health issues.

6 One Of His Original Gimmicks Was Loosely Based On His Real Life

Rikishi's Make A Difference Gimmick

Rikishi went through a number of unsuccessful gimmicks early on in his WWE career, including one that essentially turned him into a walking public service announcement. The gimmick revolved around Rikishi trying to connect with children who had tough upbringings.

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The character was loosely based on Rikishi's life, as he had a fairly rough childhood himself, and wrestling was the thing that ultimately got him to turn his life around. Vince McMhaon liked the idea, but the character just didn't seem to connect with fans.

5 Another Son Has Joined The WWE Family

Solo Sikoa On NXT 2.0

Jimmy and Jey have already left their mark in professional wrestling, but they are actually two of Rikishi's five children. His youngest child is named Joseph, and he decided to join the family business a few years ago, and he is currently part of the NXT 2.0 roster.

WWE has given him the name Solo Sikoa, and he made his debut at last year's edition of Halloween Havoc. He is labeled as a champion street fighter, and he recently competed in the North American Championship ladder match at NXT Stand & Deliver. Time will tell if if he will ever join his brothers and Roman Reigns in the Bloodline.

4 One Spot Caused Him To Fear For His Life

Taker Throwing Rikishi Off Of Hell In A Cell

The 2000 edition of Armageddon included a 6-man Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship, and Rikishi was in the match alongside Kurt Angle, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and The Rock. As expected, the match included several bumps, and Rikishi took the biggest.

He and Taker found themselves on top of the cage, and he ended up getting shoved off of it. Luckily, he landed on a cushioned truck. Rikishi was legitimately scared of the spot, to the point that he thought he was going to die, but everything went fine.

3 The Reason Behind His Sudden Heel Turn

Rikishi Turning Heel On Raw

The 2000s featured some great heels, but Rikishi was not one of them. In 2000, he became a heel when it was revealed that he was the one who ran Stone Cold over with a car. This is still considered to be the best storyline of Rikishi's career.

Most of WWE's top stars at the time were faces, so they needed a new heel, and they believed that Rikishi's turn would elevate him. Unfortunately, the fans could not buy into the heel turn because Rikishi never felt like a legitimate threat. After a few weeks, WWE changed course and turned Triple H heel by making him the person who hired Rikishi to take out Austin.

2 He Had A Falling Out With TNA

Rikishi Cutting A Promo On TNA Impact

A few years after his WWE release, Rikishi decided to join Impact Wrestling, where he went by the name, Junior Fatu. Impact believed that they were adding real star power because of Rikishi's contributions to the Attitude Era. Unfortunately, the partnership did not go as planned.

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While on camera, it became clear that Rikishi was not all that motivated, and things got worse when he accidentally called Bobby Roode Rick Rude during a promo. The initial plan was to give Rikishi a long-term contract, but his Impact tenure lasted just a month instead.

1 A Near-Death Experience Led To Him Becoming A Wrestler

Rikishi Giving A Double Clothesline

When Rikishi was 17 years old, he was wounded in a drive-by shooting that left a scar in his abdomen. In 2021, he revealed in an interview that he had been dead for roughly 3 minutes before being brought back. He then spent 2 months recovering in hospital.

His mother feared for his life, and when he was healed enough to travel, she sent him to live with his uncles Afa and Sika, otherwise known as the legendary Wild Samoans. It was during this time that they trained a young Rikishi to be a wrestler.