Rikishi wanted to be part of the match, but he never got the call.
Brothers and former tag team partners Jimmy and Jey Uso clashed in a singles match at WWE WrestleMania XL. Leading into the match, their father, Rikishi, teased getting involved, as he noted that he was going to be in Philadelphia over WrestleMania weekend. However, the match came and went without an appearance by Rikishi, and Jey scored the win.
Speaking on Rikishi Fatu Off The Top, the WWE Hall of Famer shared his thoughts on the match.
“First of all, I’d like to send a big shoutout to my sons. To be able to finally their dream match in this industry that they’ve been wanting for a long time, I felt like they went out there, they delivered. I only wish that they could have had a little bit more time. I felt like there was a missing puzzle there, which is the guy who you’re listening to now. Hashtag I never got to ‘Call Rikishi.’ So I felt had…they did great without me, but just to add a little more into the match, it would have been a great opportunity, not only for the fans but also myself, on a personal level, to be able to grace the stage with your kids. That’s a memory that will forever be in stone in our family. But at the end of the day, I don’t make the calls. I didn’t lie about it. I was right close by, I was in Philadelphia. Everybody knew where I was at, but I never got the call," Rikishi said.
Rikishi was then asked to confirm that WWE never called him to be a part of it, and he did. He noted that he could have been a special referee, a guest commentator, or even a spectator in the front row. Rikishi made it clear that he wanted to be a part of the match, but he never got the call.
“Absolutely not. That’s why I was absent. Hey, I don’t know. After watching the match, maybe…what would be right for me to be a special guest referee. That’s what I felt. I couldn’t be a manager because then it would show favor, which side I’m leaning to. Or I could have just been part of the commentary for that one match, if they’d seen fit. Who knows? Maybe the company felt like, ‘Oh, maybe Kishi couldn’t do the referee. Maybe blah blah blah.’ Whatever the case may be, right. But there’s still something that they could have put me at. Be it the front row or be it at commentary, or just something. Whatever it was. But at the end of the day, I don’t call the shots. I don’t work for WWE. I’ve been gone from them for well over 25 years, and the only reason why I’m relevant in this wrestling game, and I’ll shoot with it, is because of my fans. Anything the Bloodline does, anything my kids does, anything any family does that is relevant on TV, you can guarantee my name is gonna pop up. So to me, it’s like, the fans, when they speak, somebody's gotta listen. Somebody has to listen, and to be able to either, one, honor what the fans are asking for, or two, then so be it. So it’s that. That’s why I’m very happy, I’m working on this album now," Rikishi said.
Rikishi then noted that he expressed himself on his new album.
Jey Uso previously said he wanted Rikishi to be involved in his then-potential WrestleMania match against Jimmy Uso. Check out his comments here.
Rikishi previously said that he wanted to see Jimmy and Jey coming out of WrestleMania XL holding hands. Click here to see what he had to say.
On the April 15 episode of WWE Raw, Jey Uso is set to face Finn Balor. Check out the card here.
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