Booking Challenge: Rikishi - WWF Champion

[chunkylover53]

After years of struggling in the midcard as "Make a Difference" Fatu and The Sultan, the fun loving Samoan finally found his niche to get him over with the fans. Even though his "dancing fat man" gimmick was mostly comedy, he was treated as a serious threat in the mid card. He was booked strongly in the Royal Rumble, won the IC championship, was in the King of The Ring finals, jumped off a steele cage(though missed), the WWF was really onto something with him.

Then on October 9th, 2000, he made a shocking heel turn as the guy who ran over "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Even though he had a supporting role in the main event, it seemed out of place for a variety of reasons - 1)Fans didn't buy him as a heel, 2)He was getting his ass handed to him by Austin, thus not making him appear to be a threat, and 3)He was demoted to Triple H's lackey, plus, he was pushed down the card significantally shortly thereafter.

Even after he turned back face, he didn't have the same momentum he did in the year prior, so you can say the heel turn killed his career.

I understand in a booking standpoint the writers wanted to be shocking and capitalize on his popularity, but it was done wrong in both ways.

That being said, can you come up with a convincing storyline where Rikishi captures the WWF championship? His reign can be as long or short as you like.

I'll come up with mine after I see a few replies.

[fw91]

Just have him win the match against hhh that he had when he won that lottery. Then he''ll be screwed out of it a couple weeks later dropping it right back to hhh

[chunkylover53]

Dec 28, 2010 13:40:31 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Just have him win the match against hhh that he had when he won that lottery. Then he''ll be screwed out of it a couple weeks later dropping it right back to hhh

That was in the beginning of his run. That'd be too soon in my opinion.

[Porky's Butthole]

He wins it in the six pack challenge or whatever it was called when all the top 6 guys were in HIAC.

Instead of taking that chokeslam off the top of the cage, inside, after UT gives Angle the Last Ride, he superkicks UT, taking him out and gets the cheap pin.

He then loses the title at the next ppv(Rumble) back to Angle

[Shazam]

I dunno, I always kinda liked Kishi. I thought he could have had a great run as a heel.

Of course, this would involve him actually winning matches against Austin and HHH, so right there Vince would cut my nuts off as soon as it was suggested.

But anyway...

A)Rikishi is discovered to be super driver #1. Rock isn't in the ring. Rock isn't even mentioned frankly. Instead, Rikishi states that he was tired of being a dancing buffoon, and nobody giving him a chance. He knew if he took out Austin that would open a spot, and when he admitted to running him over, he'd get that spot. Simple enough logic. Then he kicks the crap out of Foley. I mean really destroys him. And he unleases a new finishing move... something akin to say a Samoan Drop off the top rope. Something that demonstrates his agility and his girth all in one shot. Foley stretchered out. JR complains that the man has a family or something like that.

B)Rikishi / Austin at next PPV. Austin tears ass for 10 minutes straight. Rikishi doesn't get one move in. Then, as Austin goes for the Stunner, Kishi traps his leg, and Gargoyle suplexes the hell out of him. From there on, it's all Kishi. The next 5 minutes are just him unloading with power move after power move (and NO STINK FACE, it never happens in his heel run), ending with the Samoan from the top or whatever he does. 1.2.3. Stunned crowd, stunned announcers, happy Kishi.

C)Kishi comes out on Raw the next night, bragging as to how he's shown why he belongs, how he was held back, he's championship material. Out comes Angle, throws down the gauntlet. Next PPV is their match, both trade back and forth, Austin comes out, tries to screw Kishi up, out comes Haku/Meng, whatever, chops the holy hell out of Austin's neck and then clobbers Angle, Rikishi pins and wins.

D)Slides into HIAC ppv where Rikishi does a FAR more convincing sell off the top of the cage from Taker which is more dramatic since he's the champ, Angle comes back and wins the title off of somebody else, this leads into Kishi/Taker feud for a month or two and puts the title back in Angle's hands.

The end. Autographs to the right, complaints to the left.

[fw91]

Dec 29, 2010 2:26:28 GMT -5 Shazam said:

I dunno, I always kinda liked Kishi. I thought he could have had a great run as a heel.

Of course, this would involve him actually winning matches against Austin and HHH, so right there Vince would cut my nuts off as soon as it was suggested.

But anyway...

A)Rikishi is discovered to be super driver #1. Rock isn't in the ring. Rock isn't even mentioned frankly. Instead, Rikishi states that he was tired of being a dancing buffoon, and nobody giving him a chance. He knew if he took out Austin that would open a spot, and when he admitted to running him over, he'd get that spot. Simple enough logic. Then he kicks the crap out of Foley. I mean really destroys him. And he unleases a new finishing move... something akin to say a Samoan Drop off the top rope. Something that demonstrates his agility and his girth all in one shot. Foley stretchered out. JR complains that the man has a family or something like that.

B)Rikishi / Austin at next PPV. Austin tears ass for 10 minutes straight. Rikishi doesn't get one move in. Then, as Austin goes for the Stunner, Kishi traps his leg, and Gargoyle suplexes the hell out of him. From there on, it's all Kishi. The next 5 minutes are just him unloading with power move after power move (and NO STINK FACE, it never happens in his heel run), ending with the Samoan from the top or whatever he does. 1.2.3. Stunned crowd, stunned announcers, happy Kishi.

C)Kishi comes out on Raw the next night, bragging as to how he's shown why he belongs, how he was held back, he's championship material. Out comes Angle, throws down the gauntlet. Next PPV is their match, both trade back and forth, Austin comes out, tries to screw Kishi up, out comes Haku/Meng, whatever, chops the holy hell out of Austin's neck and then clobbers Angle, Rikishi pins and wins.

D)Slides into HIAC ppv where Rikishi does a FAR more convincing sell off the top of the cage from Taker which is more dramatic since he's the champ, Angle comes back and wins the title off of somebody else, this leads into Kishi/Taker feud for a month or two and puts the title back in Angle's hands.

The end. Autographs to the right, complaints to the left.

i dony think beating austin wouldve worked as it was his return match. i think a viscous beatdown after the match would've been more realsistc

[Shazam]

Precisely. That's why it would be stunning.

(No pun intended for Austin, har har)

[Enrico Palazzo]

In the weeks building up to No Mercy have Austin say he knows who run him down and he intends to make them pay.

The week before the show have Angle get mysteriously 'injured' and have the commentators play up that it was Austin who did it, in revenge for Angle running down Austin. Have Foley pannick and issue a Battle Royale to determine who would face the Rock at No Mercy. Have Rikishi win against the odds dumping Triple H over the rope.

On Sunday night Heat Angle storms into Foleys office and demands to be put back into the title match, even if it means its a triple threat. Foley agrees, and the show continues.

Later Angle delivers and interview stating that he wants the title and will punish Austin for taking him out, even though he was innocent, and hadn't properly started in the WWF when it occured (drop hints).

Later that night during the main event, with the ref out, and Rikishi and The Rock standing tall, Austins music hits and he charges down to the ring, to attack the man who put him out of action. As he enters the ring Angle puts him in the Angle Slam, before walking into a Rock Bottom, when Rikishi kicks the Rock in the face and pins Angle to a rapturous reception, and shock from the Commentators. After winning the belt Rikishi takes it and quickly walks up the stage as it fades to black.

The next night, Rikishi celebrates his title win, and then Austin comes out, with the commentators assuming he wants a title match. Austin then claims that Rikishi run him over, which Rikishi denies, only to be hit with a Stunner. Then Austin begins to beat on him before refs pull him off and Rikishi scarpers backstage. Here he sees Too Cool and they ask him if it's true, which leads Rikishi to laugh and walk out of the Arena.

On Smackdown Rikishi comes out and admits he did it, and would do it again, as it helped get his foot in the door, and help him get the contract he needed. He needed to make an impression and thats what he did, by taking out the biggest star in town. And it helped him achieve his dream of holding the WWF Title.

At Survivor Series he drops it to Austin in the return match, who goes on to fued with Triple H (the man who gave Rikishi the orders, and the contract).

[chunkylover53]

Dec 30, 2010 22:16:34 GMT -5 Enrico Palazzo said:

In the weeks building up to No Mercy have Austin say he knows who run him down and he intends to make them pay.

The week before the show have Angle get mysteriously 'injured' and have the commentators play up that it was Austin who did it, in revenge for Angle running down Austin. Have Foley pannick and issue a Battle Royale to determine who would face the Rock at No Mercy. Have Rikishi win against the odds dumping Triple H over the rope.

On Sunday night Heat Angle storms into Foleys office and demands to be put back into the title match, even if it means its a triple threat. Foley agrees, and the show continues.

Later Angle delivers and interview stating that he wants the title and will punish Austin for taking him out, even though he was innocent, and hadn't properly started in the WWF when it occured (drop hints).

Later that night during the main event, with the ref out, and Rikishi and The Rock standing tall, Austins music hits and he charges down to the ring, to attack the man who put him out of action. As he enters the ring Angle puts him in the Angle Slam, before walking into a Rock Bottom, when Rikishi kicks the Rock in the face and pins Angle to a rapturous reception, and shock from the Commentators. After winning the belt Rikishi takes it and quickly walks up the stage as it fades to black.

The next night, Rikishi celebrates his title win, and then Austin comes out, with the commentators assuming he wants a title match. Austin then claims that Rikishi run him over, which Rikishi denies, only to be hit with a Stunner. Then Austin begins to beat on him before refs pull him off and Rikishi scarpers backstage. Here he sees Too Cool and they ask him if it's true, which leads Rikishi to laugh and walk out of the Arena.

On Smackdown Rikishi comes out and admits he did it, and would do it again, as it helped get his foot in the door, and help him get the contract he needed. He needed to make an impression and thats what he did, by taking out the biggest star in town. And it helped him achieve his dream of holding the WWF Title.

At Survivor Series he drops it to Austin in the return match, who goes on to fued with Triple H (the man who gave Rikishi the orders, and the contract).

Well thats certainly better than what we got in reality. I actually wouldn't know how I would do it. I'd have him slowly evolve out of the dancing gimmick(the heel turn never occurs) and have him be a full fledge main event player by the summer of 2001, perhaps winning the WWF title at Summerslam.