On the latest episode of the Something to Wrestle With podcast, WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) reflected on the 25th anniversary of one of the Attitude Era’s most controversial storylines: the reveal of Rikishi as the man who ran over “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. JBL defended the creative logic behind the decision, even while acknowledging that it ultimately did not resonate with the audience.
The storyline began in November 1999, when Austin was written off television to have neck surgery after being struck by a car in a parking lot, kicking off a year-long “who done it?” mystery. In October 2000, the driver was revealed to be Rikishi, who famously declared, “I did it for The Rock”. The angle was met with a negative reaction from fans, who were unwilling to accept the beloved, dancing babyface as a calculating heel.
JBL, however, argued that from a creative standpoint, the decision made sense. “You know, on paper, I think this worked. I think it worked really well,” he stated. “You want to turn a hot baby face heel. You don’t want to turn a stagnant baby face… you want to turn a hot baby face heel. And Rikishi was a beloved character. This whole thing made perfect sense”.
He continued to praise the logic behind the story, pointing to the built-in motivation. “He’s the Samoan dynasty, the Polynesian dynasty, and he did it for the rock. I mean, the whole thing, to me, made sense,” JBL said. “The people not buying it, that’s one thing that you can’t control… sometimes you put it out there and it doesn’t work”.
JBL was adamant that the failure of the angle had nothing to do with Rikishi’s ability as a performer, praising his versatility. “Rikishi, by the way, great worker, one of the greatest of all time. Rikishi was a terrific worker,” he said. “He was a great heel. He was a great baby face. And for some reason this storyline, when it came through, people just didn’t, they didn’t buy it like we thought they would”.
Ultimately, JBL believes the audience’s affection for the fun-loving Rikishi character was too strong to overcome. He recalled how Rikishi’s dancing segments would get the entire roster, including himself and his APA partner Ron Simmons, to break character and have fun. “Maybe people just didn’t want that be taken from them,” he concluded. “Sometimes when you take it from them, that makes them a really hot heel. In Rikishi’s case, I think they just loved him so much. They just didn’t want him to be that heel”.
The full discussion is available on the Something to Wrestle With podcast, which can be found on all major podcast platforms and the show’s YouTube channel.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit AdFreeShows.com with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
