WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi expressed his happiness for Jeff Cobb, now known in WWE as J.C. Mateo, upon his recent arrival in the company, stating it’s a “big deal for Jeff personally.” He noted Cobb’s readiness for the WWE stage after years on the independent circuit.
Speaking on his Off The Top podcast, Rikishi said, “To be able to come from independent, and then come right there to the top with the crew, be a part of the storyline, the way they brought him in, I was surprised. I was happy for him.”
He added, “To me, Jeff Cobb has been ready a long time, and good for him because what he has learned and went through with the independent circuit, dealing with a lot of promoters, dealing with his own business as far as how to negotiate deals, blah, blah, blah, I’m sure he was ready by the time he came to WWE.” Rikishi pointed to the benefit of “financial security now, whether he works in a week or doesn’t in a month, he still gets a weekly paycheck. So that to me is the number one winner.”
While praising Cobb’s passion, Rikishi also pointed out the adjustments required: “He’s going to find out exactly how the WWE works. Once you come from the independent circuit, and now you’re up there, a lot of things are gonna have to change for Jeff, and he’s gonna have to find it. He’s gonna have to adapt to working with different people… There might be some people that don’t like to be suplexed… or don’t want to work Jeff’s style.” He concluded positively, “He’s under good hands with the boys. Jeff is a likable person. When I crossed paths with him, I felt he was very respectful.”
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.
