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courtesy photo:@TheREALRIKISHI |
This is a one night only performance so be sure to go and get a seat as there are limited!
According to press release and bio for the show:
WWE has been home to many giants, but few big men have been as agile as the 400 plus-pound Samoan wonder known as Rikishi.
A member of the famed Anoa'i wrestling family, known as to the world as the Samoan Dynasty, Rikishi made his WWE debut in the early 90s under the name Fatu. The Superstar immediately teamed up with his cousin, Samu, to form the Headshrinkers and the mad pair captured the World Tag Team Championship in 1994 and the rest is history, culminating in his enshrinement in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015.
While you can still see him in the ring from time to time, recently Rikishi has made his way to the small screen as an entirely new performer. First as Tsunami in Adam Sandler’s “Sandy Wexler” and most recently as one of the Wall of the World judge on the new CBS smash hit “The World’s Best” from executive producers Mike Darnell and Mark Burnett.
Now for the first time in his career, join Rikishi as he ventures on stage to share some laughs about his life in the ring, answer some questions, sign some autographs and bust out the Stink Face for this one of a kind stand-up comedy event.
*Let me add on a personal not RIKISHI is one of the NICEST People I have ever had the privilege to chat with! You can hear it in his voice he truly love what he does and loves his fans and I thought I was pumped before, but now I am really excited that he is Headed to Nashville!!! He said he is ready to hit up the Waffle House lol I Hope the Waffle House is ready for him!!!
RIKISHI was kind enough to speak to me before the show, this is what we discussed:
-Hey Man so Excited to come to Nashville can't wait to hit the Waffle House! You know we gotta get that smothered covered all the time!
What made you decide to pursue Stand-Up?
Well you know I am a fan of comedy, I am a fan of comics. In my down time when I do come home, so I always look into some old Richard Pryor and Larry The Cable Guy. I am a fan of comedy! Coming off this big show The World's Best on CBS I was one of the 50 expert Judges from around the World. I was representing the country of Samoa. And they had Drew Barrymore as an American Judge alongside Ru Paul , and also Faith Hill is from Nashville Tennessee! And I happened to be around a lot of experts out there , and in the pod if you watched the show on CBS I was actually sitting by a field of comics that where there. I was sitting by a guy from South Africa his name was Tats and so everyday and we where in the studio for a whole month shooting the season and man I found myself just laughing all the time at his jokes and so forth and when I was telling him some of my road stories, not only the Samoan Dynasty but what I like to eat, and he was laughing too as well. Then I thought If I can make this Comic laugh then I Damn sure can make my old fans laugh as well!
And on a personal note this is another platform for me to connect with my fans and in my own personal way to say thank you of all the years because my story has become their stories and memories and what better way to do that than come to comedy clubs! I like the smaller one where we are like intimate. I have always been around big arenas with 20,000 plus fans, but this one here where the rooms are like 400 or 500 I kind of like that a little better because I can kind of like sit in the crowd with you like I am just talking to you! I made my Comedy debut on March 16th in my hometown of San Francisco, California near the Bay Area where I was raised at and also been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame there in 2015, so what a beautiful way to come back and start off my Comedy journey!
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RIKISHI serving as Judge on The World's Best
courtesy photo: Kishi, Samoa Photo: Ray Mickshaw/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
What made you decide to pick Nashville as one of your Inaugural stops on the In Your Face Tour?
You know I have a Huge love for Tennessee not only with respects to the Lawler's that are out there in professional Wrestling, but one of my best friends in the business that just passed away Grand Master Sexy but this one here in Nashville the In Your Face stop is going to be a tribute to my friend!
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That is Awesome that you enjoy connecting with your fans at a level that you are willing to share these stories with all of us!
I am coming home! When I hook up with these comedy clubs its like I am coming home to my own living room. And I want to be able to shake everybody's hands I want to be able to save thank you to everybody because in big coliseums I can't do that I can't reach out to everybody. You know really I don't even call it a comedy thing to me, to me I like to call it a reunion. RIKISHI and his fans. To be able to do this, if it takes me to go all across the country and all across the world I am going into wonderful places such as the Zanies and the Punchlines and all the comedy clubs around the world I just see it like I owe it to my fans to tell my story, the story of family.
I also imagine you don't get many hecklers while you perform in fear of them getting a Stink Face?
Well you know if we get um well be ready, we know what to do with hecklers. When its time to shut up its time to shut up! Put up or shut up!
One last thought and speaking of Comedy you did he Netflix movie with Adam Sandler "Sandy Wexler" what was it like working with the Sandman?
I have been a fan of Adam Sandler for a long time and I had no idea when I was casted for this part they actually had Terry Crews and they where looking for a person to be able to play that part to Wrestle and when I read that part I said that sounds every bit like its me! So when they trained Terry Crews they actually came to Knokx Pro Wrestling Academy , which is my Academy in Los Angeles and I had to hang there and so Terry was there with a stunt coordinator and out of the blue I go to stop in and I see Terry Crews in there and I se the coordinator guy in there trying to teach him so I just rolled up in there. And Terry came to me and he was very respectful and very nice and he really wanted to learn how to take bumps, he really wanted to learn the moves, because he wanted to play that part to a tee. So we got in there and we mixed him up, you know that's what we do as wrestlers is to teach them fundamentals and the little inside techniques and next thing you know the producer set me a meeting with Adam Sandler and I went to CBS lot and I pulled around the lot and there was three bulldogs running around the grass with a trailer and I looked over there and there he is sitting with a cigar and I come around the corner and he stood up and he said RIKISHI it is nice to meet you! I am a big fan! And the producers did not know who the hell I was so Adam loves hiring people from Hawaii as well, he threw up th 'shaka sign"he hugged me and embraced me like we knew each other for a long time and that was the beginning as a new friendship. And I got hired for the part right there, I wasn't even supposed to be in the movie I got hired right there!
To here more on this story and several others go get your ticket! Once again the link is at the beginning of this article!
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