On his Off The Top podcast, Attitude Era veteran Rikishi talked about Nixon Newell and Miranda Alize, who recently walked out of AEW Collision after being told they would lose in a three-minute match. Rikishi said the two wrestlers may have permanently damaged their careers with that decision.
When the story was brought up on the podcast, Rikishi immediately shook his head at the situation. “It’s not a good thing,” the WWE Hall of Famer said. “You’re stained in the industry now – not only from AEW, but throughout all the promoters.” He said promoters need to trust that wrestlers will follow through with what they’re assigned, and walking out on a finish completely shatters that trust. “If promoters can’t trust you to be written into a program, why write you in in the first place?”
Rikishi emphasized that their decision could haunt them everywhere they go. “They might as well start trying to set up bookings on the independent circuit,” he said. “And that’s going to cause a problem too. Promoters don’t want to book people that walk out three minutes before a match.”
He doubled down by echoing Taya Valkyrie’s statement, praising her for getting the business side right. “That’s a great answer from a person that gets it,” Rikishi said. He referenced Valkyrie’s message that whether you have one minute or 45, it’s an honor to be on TV at all. Rikishi agreed completely, saying, “This is a business. Whether you go over or under, whether you get opportunity or not – you already know you’re coming to a company and you’re the talent. Make it count.”
Rikishi then drew from his own long career, revealing that having your match time cut is extremely common – even at WrestleMania. “100% it has happened to me,” he said. “But I didn’t walk out. I was trained to understand what it is.” He explained that talent must always remember the bigger picture: the main event is the show’s anchor, and other matches have to adjust. “If you get it, you understand. If you don’t understand and boo-hoo about it because you don’t see the big picture – shame on you.”
Rikishi then delivered a hard truth: “Everyone, and I mean everyone, is replaceable in this industry.” He warned that losing your spot due to ego is the fastest way to end up back on low-level indie shows. “Just because you were on AEW or WWE TV doesn’t make you a superstar,” he said. “Know your role – you are an enhancement talent. And if you play your cards right, one day you can become a superstar.”
He even addressed indy talent who raise their booking fees just because they appeared briefly on AEW. “Don’t work a worker,” Rikishi warned. “If your fee was 5 dollars, I’ll give you 7. But don’t think a 30-second squash match makes you worth big money.”
Rikishi concluded that Nixon Newell and Miranda Alize made a huge mistake. “It wasn’t the smartest thing,” he said. “They shot themselves in the foot. They’ll be marked for that.” He delivered a final warning to all wrestlers listening: “Fly low. The less people know about you, the better it is. Because one bad decision, and they’ll tell you, ‘We don’t need you anymore.’ And then what?”
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