WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi delivered pointed criticism regarding a recent high-risk maneuver involving TNA wrestler Leon Slater at the Rebellion pay-per-view, using the incident to emphasize the crucial importance of safety, trust, and match psychology in professional wrestling. Slater performed a Swanton 450 splash from atop the Ultimate X structure (reportedly around 15 feet high) onto a group of wrestlers below, but the catch appeared botched, resulting in Slater taking a hard landing on the floor. While reports indicate Slater avoided serious injury, the incident drew widespread concern.
Speaking on his “Rikishi Fatu Off The Top” podcast before knowing Slater’s condition, Rikishi, who hadn’t seen the footage but heard the description, didn’t mince words about the responsibility of those meant to catch Slater. “I think that’s bull,” Rikishi stated. “Obviously they all talked about that spot before… You got a guy’s body that’s in your hands… That responsibility, it falls on those cats that were out there, that that’s what’s supposed to be the make believe cushion for this guy… Shame on those guys.” He stressed the potential career-altering nature of such moments: “At any given time 30 seconds, somebody can end their career… If you’re going to do a spot with me… damn it… I need to be there for you.”
HOLY FXCKING SH!T!!!!! 😱😱
LEON SLATER WITH THE WILDEST SWANTON 450 IN HISTORY!!!! #TNARebellion pic.twitter.com/6CaHysBMGd
— 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐕𝐞𝐧 (@WrestlingCovers) April 28, 2025
Rikishi, known for his own high-risk bumps including being thrown off the Hell in a Cell structure onto a truck bed below, drew a distinction. He explained that while his Hell in a Cell bump involved calculated risks with crash pads (albeit minimally effective for his size) and was ultimately his sole responsibility, spots like Slater’s rely entirely on the collective trust and execution of others. “If that was me, and nobody caught me, I would have had to take a chair to everybody’s head out there… There would have been a shoot fight when I came through the locker room,” he said, highlighting the severity of the broken trust. “If you guys are listening, man, this, this ain’t a joke, man… Understand that.”
The Hall of Famer used the discussion to advocate for a deeper understanding of wrestling psychology and storytelling over a reliance on purely dangerous stunts to elicit crowd reactions. “You don’t really need to do all those big high spots,” he argued. “You can still have a pop by learning how to do psychology, theatrical movement, to be able to tell a story… learn to tell stories.” He advised younger talent to focus on conveying emotion through facial expressions and body language, connecting with fans on an emotional level rather than just through fleeting “wow” moments. “Perfect your craft, perfect your craft, and understand this, that this is not a game.” Note for PWMania and WrestlingNewsSource: (Please link back to this article when you use the transcribed quotes from here)
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Rikishi Fatu Off The Top with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
