Yoko thread got me thinking about the other banzai drop. Was it more famous via Rikishi? Also did you buy into any of his main event run? Did it for the Rock was a meme, but did you take it seriously? Era of 2 world titles, yeah that coulda had a run I think.

Member when he was in TNA and he said the word jabroni. Didn't that feel indirectly like he was a jabroni for using the phrase. There are just trademarks you don't use and that felt like... bruh stop that. I know it has a real meaning beyond Rock's phrase, but still. It's like someone using Assclown and it's not Jericho.

Did he ever have a feud with one of the BOYS(tm) Billy Gunn?

"And you call yourself the big show the ass man?"

His transitional uranage much like Taz looked quite impactful. Moreso than most rock bottoms.

Feb 19, 2023 2:28:36 GMT @ness said:

Yoko thread got me thinking about the other banzai drop. 1. Was it more famous via Rikishi?
2. Also did you buy into any of his main event run?
3. Did it for the Rock was a meme, but did you take it seriously?
4. Era of 2 world titles, yeah that coulda had a run I think.

5. Member when he was in TNA 

6. Did he ever have a feud with one of the BOYS

1. Nope
2. No
3. Hell no
4. Nah
5. No
6. He WAS one of the boys!

I never gave a single hoot about Fatu prior to November 1999. He had utterly failed to make a difference. And he had go away heat with me from the lame heel turn on. But for that one magical near year in between I'll confess to being Kish Kid.

He started getting over with me by squashing Crash on Heat or Jakked right after returning. I popped so hard for the Rikishi Driver. Loved that move. Then he paired up with fellow Baker Boys Too Cool and it was just one of those things that got over with me in a stupid 1998 Al Snow sort of way. Then he had that great Smackdown match with HHH, the Royal Rumble dance party, the Raw 10 Man Tag, the 6 man at No Way Out, and the dude was just on fire. It didn't really last, though I did like the Judgment Day 6 man, and he had weirdly good chemistry with Val Venis.

Plus I just thought it was cool to see this veteran journeyman bust his ample backside to become an overnight sensation after a decade in what he had to have known was his last chance. I could respect the hustle. The years of failed gimmicks and disinterest on my part were laid to rest after he picked up some cool new moves, a whole lot of weight, and finally found a winning gimmick that worked for him. 

Everything after the heel turn was really was awful though. The heel turn was bad enough, but going back to the dancing fat guy in a thong may have been even worse. His 15 minutes were up. "I didn't do it" was no longer funny. Didn't they give him and Scotty the tag titles in like 2004? Good grief! If so, that's real "Bossman & Earthquake getting pushed in 94-95 WCW" vibes. Still, we'll always have 99-00. 

The only match that Rikishi had that I thought was fun was against Val in a steel cage.