How many gimmicks did Rikishi play in WWE?
WWE Superstars portraying multiple gimmicks in their careers is not new, and one of the stars who has experienced quite a handful is Rikishi. Before he was known as such, the Hall of Famer was addressed by other names, and with a different look.
The 57-year-old began his wrestling career in 1985 under the name Prince Alofa and would mostly join his cousin Samula Anoa'i, known as Samoan Swat Team. In 1992, they began their careers in WWE (then WWF) as Samu and Fatu, now known as The Headshrinkers. Although their names changed, the team's "savage" gimmick did not.
In 1995, Fatu returned after a brief hiatus as a singles wrestler with a 'role model' gimmick, remembered mainly by his phrase "Make a Difference." The character would usually share inspirational messages and touch up on Fatu's real-life upbringing.
In 1996, Fatu became the masked wrestler The Sultan. The Hall of Famer's character never spoke, and he was managed by The Iron Sheik and Bob Backlund. The character disappeared in 1998.
The following year, fans were introduced to Rikishi Fatu, the character fans are most familiar with. The WWE veteran later dropped the last name. He wore a mawashi, bleached blonde hair, and is known for his post-match dance routines after joining the team Too Cool. This era was also one where he started using his signature move, the Stink Face, where he would use his behind to attack the faces of his opponents.
In 2000, Rikishi retained his gimmick but this time around as a heel. The character began after he admitted to running over Stone Cold Steve Austin a year earlier for The Rock. Before he departed from the promotion in 2004, his character turned face.
Five gimmicks later, the Samoan was then inducted into the promotion's Hall of Fame in 2015 and made a few appearances for the company.
Rikishi had to ask for his family's opinion about one of his WWE gimmicks
The Hall of Famer is part of the Anoa'i family, consisting of The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Roman Reigns, and more. As it turns out, Rikishi had doubts about using his sumo-like gimmick since it was similar to the one of Yokozuna.
The wrestling veteran spoke about how he originally turned down Vince McMahon's idea of a sumo character. Eventually, he had to consult his family to see if they were okay with him playing the role.
"In regards to my characters, I was honored to do this character Rikishi. I didn’t want it to have a spinoff of my cousin’s character [Yokozuna, out of] respect to him; so when that character came to me from Vince McMahon, we talked about it...I went home, and I showed the picture to my kids, and I showed my family...But I just wanted to get confirmation from my family that they were ok with it. And soon when I got the green light from my family, the rest was history.""
Do you have a favorite gimmick Rikishi portrayed? Share your thoughts below!