Rikishi

[8.0] ""Big Keeesh" - super agile for his size and overall one of the most entertaining superstars in WWE history - key part of the bloodline and father of the Uso's, Rikishi is a star that even the casual fans know, and had one of the most memorable moves in the stink face"

[7.0] "Solid worker throughout the 1990s and into the dawn of the millennium, who was given a mix of both good gimmicks (The Headshrinkers/Samoan SWAT Team era) and questionable ones (The Sultan, "Make A Difference" Fatu) until settling into one that worked in spite of itself - a hiphop dancing sumo wrestler who would shove his butt in the heels' faces. Even at that point in his career, though, Fatu was a beast in the ring, moving deceptively fast for a 400+ pound guy, and willing to take some crazy bumps in service of elevating a match. Had they not tried to turn him heel in late 2000, I think he would have made his way further up the card more organically."

[8.0] "Oh come on, how can you not love him. He's 100% competent in the ring and he's just plain so much damn fun. One of the best characters of the stacked attitude era and I would gladly watch him anytime. One of the best entertainers in the history of the sport and that matters, and that's in and out of the ring."

[9.0] "Literally what is this rating. People today are so convinced that there is only one kind of good wrestler, and whether they think that's Orton or Omega, they can't look past their own preferences, cause if they could, Rikishi would not be a goddamn five lol. Incredibly athletic for his size. Extremely good understanding of psychology in the ring, capable of seeming genuinely dangerous and utterly ridiculous at the same time effectively. His superkick was incredible, best on the roster for almost all of his career. Very good on the mic. And yes, the stinkface is...something. But I think so many people ignore how freaking over it was: the crowds erupted every time he hit it. Some of his smaller gimmicks like the Sultan and Make a Difference had their moments despite being goofy. Overall, he's incredibly, INCREDIBLY talented and above average."

[6.0] "Rikishi was one of the most over midcard acts of the Attitude Era. He had a unique look, surprising agility, and a gimmick that somehow made rubbing your butt in someone's face one of the most crowd-popping moves in the company. But here's the thing -- Rikishi could go in the ring. For a man his size, his movement was shockingly smooth. Superkicks, top rope splashes, spinning heel kicks, he had the athleticism to work with anyone from cruiserweights to heavyweights. His run really took off when he joined Too Cool. The dancing, the energy, the crowd reactions -- it made him a fixture on TV. And then came the swerve. Turning heel in 2000 with the "I did it for The Rock" storyline was WWE's attempt to push Rikishi to the main event. It didn't quite land. The promo delivery didn't match the serious tone, and fans didn't buy him as a top heel, no matter how many people he ran over with a car. Still, Rikishi carved out a role and stayed relevant for years. He had memorable feuds in the tag team and mid card divisions, and kept the crowd involved with just a hip swivel. His Hall of Fame induction was deserved not for titles or match quality, but for sheer entertainment value and longevity. He also helped launch the legacy of the Anoa'i dynasty into the next generation, both on screen and off. Rikishi was never the best worker or a top-tier promo, but he connected with fans, delivered in his role, and left behind a highlight reel full of moments nobody forgets. His legacy continues with Jey, Jimmy & Solo"

[6.0] "As far as larger wrestlers go, Rikishi is one who is above average. He can hit a good superkick, turn himself inside out for a clothesline, and is willing to take a big bump (see the Armageddon Hell In A Cell bump). But Rikishi always was way more entertaining as a fun-loving comedic baby face. As a heel I could never take him seriously. His theme song described him as a "bad man" but he was more of a lackey."

[10.0] "despite not being relevant I give it a 10 He is a good fighter and had great potential, despite its weight which is 400 pounds is very agile, quick and good stamina, he would be the face of the company in the Ruggles Aggression era (2002-2008), their fights would be good in a 5 star way, very similar to Stan Hansen or Vader, His character is comical but also serious in the style of sumo like a Samoan warrior, but well, time has passed, Although he gave it relevance in the year 2000, but then it stopped being important That we all know. that's my opinion."

[7.0] "Fatu was really, really good in the ring and smart enough not to let most people know it. I'm not kidding, he was up there in contention with Dwayne for the most naturally athletic member of the Anoa'i family. Man could dance, too. 'Bad Man' and 'U Look Fly 2 Day' are bops."

[8.0] "Rikishi is much better wrestler than people give him credit for. Sure he was doing a lot of comedy but his work was good. He has also trained many future greats on his school in California. Well deserved WWE HOF spot! And the stink face never gets old!"

[9.0] "The pure style of this man is just unmatched for me, he worked good as both comedic and serious wrestler, was very agile for his size too."

[7.0] "Attitude Era big man who could move and was pretty good in the ring. He had an up and down run with WWE, his best was with Too Cool and his worst was either his heel turn or his run as the Sultan, and an entirely forgettable TNA run."

[5.0] "Ich liebe die Attitude Era, aber wie bekanntlich ist ja nicht alles, das glänzt, Gold. Natürlich gut für Rikishi, dass er endlich Erfolg finden konnte, aber sein Stinkface-Gimmick fand ich von Anfang an einfach nur dämlich. Ironischerweise hat er mir am besten bei der Auflösung der "Who ran over Stone Cold Steve Austin? "-Storyline gefallen, als er derjenige war, der Austin überfuhr und danach als Heel zu sehen war. Seine Outfits während seines Heel Runs waren auch wirklich fresh muss man sagen, aber letztendlich wurde die Storyline so umgeschrieben, dass Triple H das Mastermind hinter allem war und Rikishi ging fröhlich zum Stinkface zurück."

[8.0] "Growing up watching the attitude era, watching Rikishi on screen was special to watch, my childhood memories of the stinkface and running down stone cold steve austin, because he did it for the rock, seeing the heel turn and career resurgence was awesome to see. Whether it be the the fun loving dance partner of too cool, or a man willing to be thrown off the top of the hell in a cell, this guy poured his blood sweat and tears into the business. I can remember having a 1991 Hasbro figure of him as Fatu, and then a 2000 figure as Rikishi. The fact he was never a World Champion in WWE blows my mind. And now that the torch has been passed, the sons of Rikishi are doing him proud."

[6.0] "A very athletic person for his size which is 400 pound.He has his movements in the business.His dancing gimmick got him over in the atitude era.But he also has some stinkers which is I do it for rock and the Sultan.His team with samu was okish at best i say.Overall a nice career"

[7.0] "For being 400 pounds, few could move and sell like Rikishi could. Rikishi found most of his success in the ring as a tag team guy, he had a few runs as a single but he was never really anything more than a middle of the card babyface. His soul single title reign was when he held the Intercontinental for a mere 16 days with no clean wins before losing it to Val Venus. We all know about the famed heel run they tried with Rikishi that saw him run over Stone Cold Steve Austin for The Rock, I don't blame Rikishi for that as much as I blame it on just bad storytelling. Austin needed neck surgery and they needed a reason to write him off television for a bit, why they chose Rikishi is anyone's guess but I don't blame Rikishi for it in the slightest. The turn did absolutely nothing for Rikishi because Rikishi was over as a babyface and as apart of Too Cool. As a worker, Rikishi was decent but his athleticism and agility despite his frame was something that always impressed me."

[7.0] "A fine wrestler which changed many gimmick before finding the one perfect for him. I liked him in tag team in WCW, but my favorite Rikishi monster is as a monster heel in 2000, when there was Armageddon and he was a legit contender to the WWF Title. He had some trouble with weird gimmick in the middle '90s but after becoming Rikishi it was fine for him. I enjoy his babyface team with Scotty 2 Hotty and his dance moves after a match. Also, Stinkface is a fantastic babyface move that has been copied from many others."

[6.0] "The peak of his career was in 2000, he became an upper mid card guy when he was with too cool had a great unique look an was very entertaining, , wwf tried to push him to the top card putting him in a program with stone cold the man who ran him down he kind of came up short so true wwf had to get triple h to be the mastermind because rikishi was not on Austins level, after that his career went kind of flat, still better than your average pro wrestler thats why I gave him a six"

"Ich fand seine Tanzeinlagen sowie auch sein Moveset (auch wenn es nicht viel war) immer einwandfrei. er tat das was er konnte und tanzen und sein Tritt konnte er zu gut :) war ein netterer aufheiterer zwischen dem langweiligen Test oder Val Venis oder was auch immer und die Gastauftritte in seiner Tanzshow waren auch top. Ab 2001 wurde es dann aber leider ... naja es ging Berg ab."

[8.0] "Hard reset edit: Loved the early years of his career when paired with Samu. Loved the name "The Samoan SWAT Team". Every territory they went to: they elevated it and became a reason to watch. It was right away that he showed his phenomenal agility and outstanding kicks as well as that tremendous top rope splash. GREAT run before the WWF. The Headshrinkers was a stupid name and I didn't like the "can't climb the ropes with boots on" bit, more stupid. "Make a Difference" was inoffensive but went nowhere. I could tell he was The Sultan, I didn't really mind but still, he was better than that. Now onto Rikishi. Focusing on his buttocks was a bit too much but he definitely seemed inspired then (great chemistry with Val Venis). 2 Cool was one of the most over things in the history of life, he was the brightest spot of the team! The heel turn was notably POOR. Love watching him in Royal Rumbles. The way he does that one absurd "getting turned inside out" bump from a clothesline (you know the one) is surreal - how can a man THAT SIZE achieve such a physical act? The negatives are glaring, the positives age well. 7.75"

[8.0] "Von der ganzen Familie war Rikishi für mich schon immer einer der besten. Trotz seines Gewichts sehr beweglich, hat schöne Moves und wenn nicht sogar der Beste inklusive Rock. hätte meiner Meinung nach ein Topstar werden können wenn man ihn besser eingesetzt hätte."

[7.0] "Rikishi deserved better come the Attitude Era... A solid worker, natural charisma and wrestling royalty (coming from the Anoa'i family). The Headshrinkers were a fun call back to the Wild Samoans, arguably more polished in the ring but not nearly as natural in presence. Rikishi had amazing chemistry with one Scotty 2 Hotty, and it could be argued that their title run along with his IC championship win were his career peaks. Yet we get to that elephant in the room, his TNA run was completely phoned-in. (Was anyone truly excited to be on TNA? Well, Sting and Jeff Jarret but that's besides the point.) Moreover, the Attitude Era had some really stupid moments, and Rikishi's rump becoming a key element of his move-set is one of them. If someone walks in the room who doesn't watch pro wrestling sees men and women shoving their faces in a giant Samoan booty, you'd have a lot to explain and defending it is nearly impossible. Thus some seriousness to Rikishi is removed and damage done to the legacy. As a "good guy" Rikishi was super lovable, but as a "bad guy" something was missing and audiences seemed to disconnect a bit. Weirdly enough the whole Sultan alter-ego was super cool, shame it never fully solidified. 7.8/10 for Rikishi sounds about right."

[7.0] "The run of Rikishi is quite an unfortunate tale of the Attitude Era. He got incredibly over by sticking his rear end in the faces of his peers while his in-ring work was highly overlooked. He was a solid worker and the way he sold clotheslines/lariats was pure gold, and was very agile and daring for a man his size (ex: diving off the cage). I feel like he still could've done just as good without the stinkface and the dancing in his gimmick. He's still the most known out of any members from 2 Cool."

[6.0] "The most successful of the island boys post Jimmy Snuka (unless you count The Rock). A solid tag team wrestler then kind of a mediocre baby face singles run before hitting it big as Rikishi, then they screwed with his push by making him heel and he dropped out of site sometime in 2001 before coming back as a baby face and he stayed that way for the rest of his WWE run. 5 star wrestler, bumped up to a 6 for his best run in 2000."

[5.0] "He did it for da Rock. His career was going nowhere until Too Cool came along and he turned mostly to comedy. SST looked cool as hell but never really had great matches."

[8.0] "Unfortunately, many have stopped at the comic side that the character has had in recent years in WWE. Not remembering or without seeing him fight. In the ring he was as good as few."

[8.0] "Unfortunately, Rikishi did not get the value he deserved from this site and got a very low score. An iconic star who has been one of the main stars of the Attitude era, and has also contributed to the development of many wrestlers. One of the most important members of the Samoan wrestling family."

[8.0] "Underrated here. He was obviously the best as the Rikishi gimmick and in the first year he was pushed as a main event star. He was great in the ring, he could sell and was athletic and was obviously convincing in his offense. Outside of the comedic stinkface his arsenal of moves looked devastating, he could have great singles matches with guys like Triple H and Val Venis. He would have benefited from a longer intercontinental title reign to build him up and the whole running over Steve Austin storyline was not executed at the right time. He had the charisma to work as a face but also the ability to portray a heel convincingly."

[7.0] "Underappreciated. His early tag team work in the SST and The Headshrinkers was really solid, he had the size and aglity to work well with just about anyone back in those days. And once he finally found a gimmick in the WWE he really made it work. Say what you want about his weight size or the quality of his later matches, people are never going to forget the stinkface, or the fact that he was the only dancing fat guy in pro wrestling that actully pulled it off and didnt come off like a total geek."

[7.0] "A solid if also underrated tag specialist with the Headshrinkers and his comedic part in 2 Cool: he was big but also athletic enough to bump well and could move surprisingly fast for his size. He was a great middle card wrestler and quite reliable in his better days, even doing some insane spots like a splash from the top of a steel cage, which you definitely never see from guys his size at all if ever. If anything he was the prototypical "big guy who can actually go" kind of style that we see today. People bitch about the whole Stink Face stuff but the fact of the matter is that it got mega over and made him far more memorable than anything else he did, so while it was goofy, it was very much over goofy, so it's excused in my book. His later career wasn't great, however. Increasing weight meant that he simply couldn't work the way he used to and the quality of his wrestling went way the fuck down to the pits as he just wasn't motivated anymore."

[7.0] "Rikishi was awesome. Too cool was his best stuff but the guy was extremely athletic. Rikishi held his own In an era that was star studded from top to bottom and in a different time he would have been a heavyweight champion."

[8.0] "Nostalgia aside, there's no denying over the course of his wrestling career he proved to have the athleticism and prowess as part of the Headshrinkers, something he would maintain later as Rikishi despite his size, which itself combined with his look made him standout. Rikishi would be his best known incarnation, one that would incredibly over the crowd at the time. It was goofy sure but fitted nicely in with the era but could still give off an imposing presence when needed. His heel run was however a disaster, being too much of a likeable and fun loving persona before, not main event material, but a very solid IC/mid to upper mid card talent."

[2.0] "So his role was just to shove his ass into guys faces... man wtf was this crap, he's just a meme these days"

[8.0] "Underrated, as a worker he was quite good. On the mic he was meh, but he still had some charisma with his ass I guess."

[6.0] "Rikishi war für seine Masse erstaunlich beweglich und konnte großartig sellen. Angefangen im Team zusammen mit Samu als Samoan Swat Team/Headshrinkers fand ich die beiden wirklich ordentlich, hatten eine grandiose Harmonie miteinander und passten einfach perfekt zusammen. Als er dann Sionne zur Seite gestellt bekam und die beiden als New Headshrinkers antraten wirkte das wie ein billiger Abklatch des Originals und war zurecht relativ kurzlebig. Auch später als Singles Wrestler und mit dem Gimmick als Sultan nicht wirklich überzeugend. Seine Rückkehr als Rikishi Phatu war dann wieder etwas ordentlicher und lieferte einige nette Matches ab. Das Gimmick schwank jedoch sehr zwischen unterhaltend und nervig."

[7.0] "Scotty 2 Hotty , Grandmaster Sexay and Rikishi as Too Cool made my childhood amazing , even though I can barely remember them from my actual childhood as I was so young , sadly. Luckily , youTube exists. Worked very well for a man of his size. Truly an amazing competitor within the squared circle."

[7.0] "I hate that he became just an excuse for the Stink Face spot. When he was used better, he was really great. Was right on the cusp of joining in the main event scene for a while. His cage splash on Val Venus should really be remembered more than it is. He moved exceedingly well for a super-heavyweight. His companionship with Too Cool was exactly what he needed & was really a nice dynamic. Worst thing besides just being known as "the Stink Face guy" was "I did it for The Rock"."

[7.0] "Rikishi was always a solid worker, and was very agile for his size. In the earlier part of his career he had a good run as a tag specialist alongside Samu as the Heashrinkers/Samoan SWAT Team, but the second act of his career as a single in the WWE around the turn of the millenium will probably be his best-remembered role. He would likely have never risen to main event status, the Stinkface move did get pretty played out, and his short-lived heel turn didn't really pan out, but overall he was a reliable middle- to upper-middle-level babyface and was always over with the crowd."

[6.0] "Rikishi was a solid worker who had a decent run thanks to a somewhat goofy gimmick. He wasn't long-term main event material, Rikishi could at least be put into the mix to make up the numbers."

[4.0] "Hatte einigermaßen Charisma. Im Ring war er aber weniger gut. Abgesehen von seinem Hell in a Cell Bump kann ich mich an nicht viel erinnern."

[8.0] "Rikishi is an excellent worker in the ring. This is because of his family traits with the Anoias. Great tag partner with his twin brother Sam Fatu (Tama) and Samu as the Samoan SWAT Team/Headshrinkers. When he teamed with Sionne (Barbarian) they weren't that great and should have gotten a bigger push. When he had the "Make a Difference" gimmick in 1995-96 it was very motivational for young fans but he did not get a big push. The Sultan gimmick was horrible for him as it did not match his ethnicity. When he was Rikishi everything changed and he is a fan favorite of mine. He is a bit overrated and I was surprised that he is in the Hall of Fame. He can kick like a mule. Such a tremendous wrestler after all. Great entertainer as well. Now his Sons, the Uso Twins have followed his footsteps."

[8.0] "Ich habe Rikishi immer sehr gemocht, egal ob bei den Headshrinkers oder Solo oder als Teil von Too Cool. Er konnte sich für seinen wuchtigen Körper immer sehr gut bewegen, was z. B. die Rotation um die eigene Achse nach einem Clothline zeigt. Auch einen guten Nachwuchs mit den Usos in die Welt gesetzt."

[6.0] "Rikishi was the quintessential midcarder in his time in the WWE. An entertaining performer with a memorable gimmick, he was always able to elicit a reaction when he came out. But discarding the Stinkface and dancing, Rikishi was a very capable big man worker, he was athletic and one hell of a bumper in his prime. As weight became an issue and novelty of his gimmick wore off, he was soon phased out of the company. However, he is definitely one of the most recognizable faces of a stacked WWF midcard."

[7.0] "Yeah, he's a big ol' guy, but he's really athletic and agile. Might be the heaviest person to jump from the top of a cage? Maybe? But either way, he's a fun watch, and great worker. And he made his gimmick super memorable."

[8.0] "Rikishi is a great face mid carder with a fun gimmick wo is capable of great matches. While his heel run was sub par at best, he makes up for it with plenty of fun memorable moments."

[6.0] "Agile, and could do some fun stuff and take bumps that most fat guys can't. His dancing gimmick was fun as well. But, that kind of gimmick has a shelf life, and when they turned him heel, it was clear that he was finished."

[2.0] "Rikishi hat mich nie überzeugt oder unterhalten, egal in welcher Phase seiner Karriere. Auch die Hintern-ins-Gesicht-Nummer fand ich nie witzig, nicht mal gegen vermeintliche Heels. Das Getanze mit 2 Cool hätt ich auch nicht gebraucht, lediglich im Ring war er für das was er machte ganz ok, mehr aber auch nicht."

[3.0] "Gefiel mir in keinem seiner Gimmicks. Ein austauschbarer BigMan mit schwachem Charisma, da half auch sein komischer Tanz in den frühen 2000ern nicht. Ja, es gab schon unbeweglicherere Schwergewichte als Rikishi, das macht ihn aber trotzdem nicht weniger-langweilig im Ring. Kennt man ein Match von ihm, kennt man alle, sein move-set bestand 10 Jahre lang aus den gleichen 3-4 Moves. Dafür das er so lange bei der WWE war, hat er wenn man seine Karriere betrachtet, auch nicht viel erreicht. Ich kann auf anhieb 10 Wrestler nennen die es vor ihm in die Hall of Fame verdient hätten."

[7.0] "Rikishi durchlebte in seiner WWE-Karriere ähnlich wie Papa Shango-Kama-Godfather-Goodfather eine Reihe von Gimmickwechseln. Sein Start als Headshrinker Fatu war ganz brauchbar, wenn auch Samu meines Erachtens der bessere Mann war. Fatu - Make a Change war einfach nur traurig und letztlich genau so schnell verschwunden wie die Farce als "The Sultan". Face Rikishi war dann einfach göttlich, gerade als Tänzer mit Too Cool. Leider musste (aus welchen Gründen auch immer) er als Attentäter auf Steve Austin herhalten und sein Heel Run floppte letztlich nicht nur-aber eben auch wegen Triple H. Seine TNA Zeit, oder besser Momente kann man schlicht vergessen. Bei mir überwiegen die guten Erinnerungen als Headshrinker Fatu und als Face Rikishi."

[6.0] "I'm surprised this guy is getting inducted into the Hall Of Fame class of 2015. While not a bad worker, Rikishi has had some moments with him originating the "Stinkface" move and Undertaker pushing his ass off the cell in the six person Hell In A Cell match at Armageddon 2000."

[3.0] "Ich weiß nicht warum er für viele Leute Kult ist. Seinen ganzen Auftritt fand ich immer zum femdschämen. Alleine dass er seinen halbnackten Hintern den Gegnern ins Gesicht drückte. Vor 0 pkt rettet ihn aber noch seine Headshrinkers-Zeit wo er ganz passabel und wesentlich fiter war als zu seiner "Blütezeit"."

[4.0] "Ein unterhaltsamer Charakter, der insbesondere im Tag Team Bereich gut zu Geltung kam. Für seine Statur sehr beweglich, wobei er die Agilität nur kurzfristig in seinen Matches einsetzen kann. Dies ist unter anderem ein Grund dafür, dass er es im Singles-Bereich nie dauerhaft zu etwas gebracht hat. Bemühungen ihn in den Main Event zu katapultieren, waren da. Neben seinen Defiziten im Ring war er auch grundsätzlich überfordert, wenn so etwas wie ein Mikrofon in seine Nähe gelangte. Als Heel unbrauchbar, als Face speziell in der Kombination mit Too Cool jemand mit hohem Entertainment Faktor."

[10.0] "Wie kann man dem denn nicht 10 punkte geben. Enfach episch, das Entrance, der Finisher und das komplette Packet. Nur weil er ein paar Kilos zu viel hat trotzdem. Ein all time Legende. Too cool und die coolen Tänze sind auch Legendär."

[1.0] "Was fand ich den furchtbar. Am Mic eine einzieg Tradödie. Fürchterliches Dance Gimmick, schlimmer Finisher. Und in der TNA noch paar Stufen schlimmer. Völlig unverständlich, wie der jene Popularität zu stande kam"

[7.0] "For a man of his size and age being able to do half the stuff he's done, he's pretty impressive."

[8.0] "Sein Gimmick als Fatu von Headshrinkers hat mir am besten gefallen. Die Unterhaltung war toll, und wie sein Trainer/Manager seine Haaren zum Ring gezogen hat. Fatu streckte seine Zunge häufig, und Paar Füsse gekämpft - ohne Stiefel. Er rannte sehr schnell trotz breite Hüfte. Wenn man ihn gebrawlt hat, machte Fatu 1-2 Salto(s) in der Luft bevor er zum Boden fällt. Dann zuckte er sich am Boden ein wenig zusammen. Ich erinnere mich auch an einen Kampf, glaub Monday Night (weiss es nicht mehr so genau). Fatu stand im Ring, und ein Amateur - Anfänger kam. Fatu machte nur einen Kick, und schon hat er gewonnen. Sein Gesicht sah gleichgültig aus. Das vergesse ich nie. Als Single Wrestler macht er keinen guten Eindruck mehr, und Blond steht nicht zu ihm."

[6.0] "Ich fand ihn als Fatu bei den Headshrinkers wirklich gut, weil sein Stil sehr intensiv war. Die fette Comedy-Version in den letzten Jahren fand ich nur noch peinlich. Ganz grausam war damals der Versuch, ihn in den ME zu pushen als angeblich Fahrer des Wagens, der Stone Cold angefahren hat. Blubb."

[6.0] "Gehörte zum Anfang des Jahrtausends aufjedenfall zu der oberen Midcard und war dort auch gut aufgehoben, mit der Zeit ging auch seine Zeit. Wrestlerisch nie das große Spektakel als Powerhouse aber immer wieder mal gut eingesetzt"

[5.0] "Er konnte mich nie richtig überzeugen. Kein besonderes Mic-Work, kein besonderes Wrestling, kein besonderes Charisma. Von allem ein bisschen was, auch wenn man sagen muss, dass er sehr athletisch für sein Gewicht war."

[10.0] "My favourite comedy character of all time. And he's not so bad at wrestle too."

[7.0] "Rikishi war schon immer ganz cool, hat mir am besten in Too Cool gefallen."

[4.0] "War nie mein Fall. In seiner Rolle als arschschwingender Tanz-Samoaner gnadenlos hochgehypt - aber glücklicherweise kam nach seinem Superpush in die Topcard mit Matches gegen The Rock und Steve Austin auch schnell die Demission."

[2.0] "Fand ihn noch nie besonders gut, hatte auch kaum Richtig gute Matches in der WWE und wo er noch so war. Große Titel hatt er auch nie ABgeräumt außer den IC Titel. Das einzigste was End Coole an ihm war die Einzugsmusik in der WWE"

[6.0] "Rikishi war eigentlich auch nicht schlecht, doch als Big Men deutlich hinter den großen wie Bam Bam Bigelow oder Vader zurück, deutlich."

[7.0] "So schlecht wie in einige hier machen war er nicht, klar er wiegt auch 183 kilo aber er konnte durchaus überzeugen und war sehr unterhaltsam."

[4.0] "Extrem nervige Randerscheinung in der WWE Geschichte. Ich verstehe bis heute nicht wie soviele Massen auf den scharf sein konnten. Es gab ja durchaus Zeiten in denen er enorm viel Pops bekommen hat. Am Mic nichts, Charismatisch eher Mittelmaß und im Ring nicht so wirklich gut brauchbar. Es gibt kein Match welches mir mit ihm gut in Erinnerung blieb. Als Entertainer selbst sollte man ihn aber denoch schätzen. Deshalb gibt es noch 4 Punkte- ansonsten unnötig."

[5.0] "Die Geschichte mit dem monströsen Golfballhintern im xxxl Tangaslip, der dem Gegner ins Gesicht gehalten wurde, fand ich absolut widerlich und wusste mich nicht zu unterhalten. Ein absoluter Erfolgsschlager leider, made by Vince McMahon. Der Wrestler Phatu hingegen war nicht untalentiert und konnte trotz des Gimmick-Handicaps recht oft überzeugen. Seine Jahre zuvor im Team mit den Headshrinkers waren auch irgendwie ganz nett."

[7.0] "Rikishi fand ich immer sehr unterhaltsam, besondres im Team mit Too Cool, am Mic zwar nicht der stärkste, aber für sein Gewicht echt gut im Ring.."

[6.0] "Hatte für sein Gewicht durchaus was drauf. Was ich stets bewunderte, war sein Dreher in der Luft bei den Running Clothelines seiner Gegner - hat er also gut verkauft - und das bei dem Gewicht! Außerdem wirkte er stets wie ein lockerer und gemütlicher Kerl. Im Grunde aber wohl ein etwas abgehobener Sportler, der seine beste Zeit schon hinter sich hat."

[4.0] "Im Ring stark limitiert und am Mic schwach. Hatte nur mit den Headshrinkers damals ein kleines Hoch, als Singles-Wrestler ein Flopp und als Comedy-Act schlecht"

[6.0] "War in gewissen Phasen unterhaltsam - bspw. in der Originalbesetzung der Headshrinkers und in der Anfangsphase als Rikishi Fatu. Seine größten Rückschläge in Sachen Ernsthaftigkeit trugen die Namen "Fatu - make a change", "The Sultan" und "Stinky Face". Seine Agilität nahm linear zur Zunahme seines Gewichtes ab und zeitweise kamen mir auch Vergleiche zu Yokozuna in den Sinn, welcher ja den Hebel nicht mehr umlegen konnte. Alles in Allem kann man seinen Verfall vom hervorragenden Tag-Team Wrestler über das glaubwürdige MidCard-Powerhouse zum heutigen Status gerade zu beispielhaft offensichtlich rekonstruieren. Zudem war er die sicherlich denkbar schlechteste Auflösung der Wer-überfuhr-Austin Storyline, was auch ein erstes Anzeichen für den Herbst der Attitude-Ära war."

[4.0] "Die Headshrinker fand ich ok. Später dann zuviel Comedy. Nicht mein Geschmack. Als Worker zudem sehr beschränkt."

[5.0] "Mit 2 Cool ganz unterhaltsam, trotzdem nur durchschnittlich."

[8.0] "Hab ich immer gemocht. Hatte immer seine Nische gefunden, leider ist er nicht mehr im TV zu sehen. War ein solider Worker."

[4.0] "Als Fatu hat er noch am Besten gefallen, seine Rikishi-Zeit wurde von mal zu mal nerviger und der Heel-Turn rettete am Ende auch nichts mehr. Durchschnitt."

[2.0] "Weder lustig noch ernsthaft. Einfach nur zum weggucken. Seine Gimmicks haben nie gepasst. Nur nervig der Typ. Ist zum Glück nicht mehr im Mainstream. Unglaublich, dass der Typ mal over war, weil er seinen fetten Hintern in die Kamera gehalten hat."

[0.0] "Nur als Mitglied der Headshrinkers passabel. Als Mitglied von Too Cool einfach nur grauenhaft schlecht und lächerlich. Sein kurzer Run bei TNA war auch alles andere als überzeugend."

[2.0] "Wirklich nur in den Headshrinker-Zeiten ernst zu nehmen, alles was danach kam, waren Albernheiten und Blindgänger. Scheint mir ein sehr gefälliger Zeitgenosse, wenn ich mir seine letzten Auftritte in der WWE anschaue, grenzt das schon an Arbeitsverweigerung."

[8.0] "Das tanzen mit S2H und Grandmaster Sexay war immer ein Highlight. Wusste für seine Masse sehr im Ring zu überzeugenund er ist ein echtes Showtalent schade das er weder noch bei WWE oder TNA ist."

[4.0] "Das Gewicht bestimmt den Stil, aber trotzdem ist er dafür sogar noch recht beweglich. Vor Jahren noch ein mittelmäßiger Comedy Act, der Heel Turn kam zu früh, ansonsten hätte er durchaus funktionieren können immerhin hat Rikishi damals ja, anders als etliche Heels von Heute, noch richtige Reaktionen gekriegt."

[4.0] "Damals war er ein echter Unterhaltungs-Wrestler. Heute flopt er einfach nud, gerade was bei TNA passiert ist..."

[8.0] "Gefiel mir bei Too Cool sehr gut und in seiner sehr kurzen Zeit als "Bad Man" fand ich ihn überragend! Ansonsten aber auch generell ok im Ring und gutes Showtalent mit hohem Unterhaltungsfaktor!"

[4.0] "Als Too Cool Member habe ich ihn immer gefeiert, kann dies allerdings nicht mehr ganz nachvollziehen. Im Nachhinein betrachtet, war er schon immer ein eher schlechter Wrestler und sein Pseudo-Hip Hop-Gimmick einfach mies und unglaubwürdig. Naja, Charisma hatte er aber en masse und sympatisch ist er allemal. Da ein Wrestler für mich aber in erster Linie Wrestlen können muss, will ich ihn auch nicht im sechseckigen Ring sehen."

[4.0] "Zu seiner Hochzeit Anfang/Mitte der Neunziger ein guter Tag Team Wrestler. Nach mehreren gescheiterten Gimmicks fand er dann als Comedy-Act seine Nische. Der Versuch mit ihm als Austin-Attentäter was Ernstes zu machen, ging mächtig in die Hose, dass er sich danach trotzdem noch lange in der WWE hielt, ist erstaunlich, denn schon da ruhte er sich lange auf den 1999/2000 errungenen Lorbeeren aus."

[2.0] "Kann man wirklich so dumm sein? Da kommt er bei TNA unter und schon macht er den Jannetty. Das ist mal ne glatte 5 wert."

[4.0] "Trotz seiner Masse ist er noch relativ beweglich und langweilt nicht so sehr wie anderer in seiner Gewichtsklasse, dazu kommt noch das passende gimick und annehmbare Promos. Trotzdem nicht mehr als ein Durchschnittswrestler und zum Glück wieder weg von TNA."

[6.0] "Ein eher mittelmäßiger Worker, dennoch sehr beweglich für seine Masse. Seine beste Zeit hatte er aber IMO bei TooCool."

[4.0] "Er ist für sein Gewicht nicht wirklich schlecht, aber mehr auch nicht. Kommt natürlich nie an Leistungen, wie die von Umaga oder Samoa Joe ran."

[6.0] "Als Headshrinker top! Als wandelnder Golfball dagegen ... naja ... Für sein Gewicht und seine Statur dennoch sehr beweglich!"

[6.0] "ich weiߎnoch, dass ich die Headshrinkers sau geil fand. Als Rikishi... naja, war okay. Daher auch ein befriedigend."

[8.0] "Als Rikishi mit 2Cool sehr unterhaltsam. Aber wird wohl immer Mid-Carder bleiben - macht auch nix.."

[6.0] ""I did it for The Rock".... naja sein Push zum Top-Heel ging ja ganz schön nach hinten los! Aber als tangatragender Fetti und im TooCool Stable war er sehr unterhaltsam! ;)"

[6.0] "Im Ring wurde es teilweise langweilig, doch sein Micwork und alles was dazugehört war einfach gut."

[4.0] "Rikishi ist natürlich ein Entertainer, als ernsthaften Wrestler kann man ihn nicht gebrauchen. Immer für ein paar Comedy-Segmente zu gebrauchen, hat zudem Ausstrahlung und genießt aufgrund seiner Körperform auch große Beliebtheit bei Nicht-Smarts. In-Ring leistungen sehr limitiert, auch wenn er nicht der schlechteste ist."

[6.0] "Stellenweise ganz lustig aber in der WWE ein bisschen zu viel gepushed."

[6.0] "Erbrachte zu WWE-Zeiten immer solide Leistungen im Ring und sein Allerwertester war geballte Unterhaltung."

[6.0] "Für seine Statur ziemlich agil...... jedenfalls bevor er sich zuviel Fett anfutterte. Sein Superfly-Bigsplash war schon gigantisch. Zwar kein großer Mic-Worker aber wer braucht das auch schon bei so einem Hinterteil? !"

[6.0] "Eigentlich immer sein Geld wert. Keine Top-Leistungen, aber immer solide und zufriedenstellend."