Livin' large: there's no ifs, ands, or butts about it, rump-shaking Rikishi is the king of the WWE super-heavyweights - Special section: the heavyweight - Interview

Wrestling Digest, August, 2002 by Jim Varsallone

USUALLY EMPLOYEES LOOKING to make a good impression try kissing up the boss. So you can imagine how surprised Rikishi was when he was recently told to give his signature Stinkface--a move that basically involves smothering an opponents face with his massive derriere--to his boss, WWE impresario Vince McMahon.

"When I went to the building and they told me what I was going to do, I thought it was a joke. I thought they were kidding," he says. "They weren't. Here's my first time coming back [from the rotator cuff injury injury that sidelined him for eight months], and I'm getting ready to kick some booty and do my thing. I never thought in a million years I was going to back my booty up into the boss' face. It was definitely an experience, and I'll definitely go down in history for that one."

The Rock, Rikishi's cousin, it seems, didn't take too much kindly to McMahon's latest gimmick of forcing people to kiss the boss's age-old tail. Turnaround is fair play, the Rock figured, so the wrestler who made the Rock Bottom famous made McMahon kiss someone's bottom.

After teasing a very pleased McMahon with Trish Stratus' backside, the rock called for the real deal. Out from the curtain appeared the injury-free Rikishi, complete with his stinky, pimply booty.

With the crowd roaring in approval, McMahon had the displeasure of receiving an extra special, long-from Stinkface.

"I never thought in a million years my big butt would be my moneymaker," Rikishi says. "I used to hate my booty. Now I love it."

Rikishi has overcome several lame personas and various injuries to become one of the biggest stars in the WWE--literally.

"The injuries are very frustrating, Rikishi says. "I was on this roller-coaster ride, changing characters. So I take some time off, and I come back in 2000 and get this character that finally works for me. Then the next year I get injured."

Rikishi's first stint on the DL came courtesy of a "Stone Cold" Steve Austin shot to the Samoan's left ear. "I had to get my ear reconstructed," Rikishi says. "That put me out for two months."

After missing WrestleMania X-7 in April 2001, Rikishi returned in a match against the Undertaker on "Raw." "I did a simple move, a DDT," Rikishi says, "and I tore my rotator cuff. That put me out another eight months. So 2001 wasn't a good year for Rikishi. For eight months, I went through therapy and rehab."

On the shelf, Rikishi had plenty of time to think. "It made me question myself not only about whether I wanted to come back but also about my body weight," he says. "Keep in mind, when I left I was 424 pounds. When I came back from the rotator cuff injury, I was 350. My body feels a lot better."

While he was recuperating, the WWE (formerly the WWF) purchased the rival WCW. "We never knew in a million years that both companies were going to combine," he says. "These younger guys today are going 100 miles per hour. If you're not up where you can stay up with them, you're pretty much in trouble. That's why I'm blessed to have the Stinkface because that's one of my biggest moves. That's actually like my rest hold."

While Rikishi and his Stinkface missed WrestleMania in 2001 because of injury, in 2000, he teamed with Kane at WrestleMania against Christian and Edge. Before the match, Rikishi Stinkfaced baseball great Pete Rose. In 2002, he competed in a tag-team match during the Wrestlemania X-8 preview show.

"Rikishi is a enjoyable guy," WWE star Albert says. "He is always happy and offers a lot of help as well."

Giving back is important to Rikishi, who hails from one of wrestling's greatest families. His uncles Afa and Sica, were the multiple WWE tag-team champions the Wild Samoans. Other family members who also smoothed the path include the late great High Chief Peter Maivia, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, and Rocky Johnson.

"I was the kid who carried Afa and Sica's bags into the dressing room," Rikishi says. "I just fell into the business. I was the guy they practiced their moves on before they faced the greats like Bruno Sammartino and High Chief Peter Maivia.

"It was very tough. I was happy to have family in the business to teach me the knowledge of the business. It helped, without a doubt. But when you have such great family in the business and the reputations they had, there was a lot of pressure on you to do well. They were all great professional wrestlers.

"My uncles would say, `You have to top what we do. You have to keep the family name up and reputation up.' That was very hard."

Raised in the Bay Area of Northern California, Rikishi played basketball and football at Balboa High School in San Francisco.

"When my uncles came to wrestle in town at the Cow Palace is when I got a chance to carry their bags," Rikishi says. "I got the itch to wrestle after that. Then while I was playing football, I was also training for pro wrestling."

Following high school, Rikishi moved to Hampton, Conn., close to the Stamford, Conn., base of the WWE. His uncles trained him in Connecticut.

"In 1986, my uncles sent me to the Canadian leagues where they had Rick Martel and Dino Bravo and others," Rikishi says. "I worked that territory two years. Overall, I was out on the independent circuit eight years before I came to the WWE."