WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi recently opened up about his unforgettable trip to Iraq during the very first WWE Tribute to the Troops tour in 2003. On his ‘Off The Top’ podcast, he gave clear details about flying into a war zone, dodging bullets, and staying inside one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces. The journey started right after a SmackDown taping in Jacksonville, Florida. Rikishi recalled the surprise announcement: “We just got through with a SmackDown TV taping on a Tuesday. Before the show was over, agents told us, ‘Hey, you’re not going home tomorrow.’ It was hush-hush. The group included Stone Cold, Undertaker, Big Show, Kurt Angle, John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Ron Simmons, and others.”
Once they arrived at the military base, they saw a massive cargo plane, something out of a movie. They loaded the ring and equipment on board, along with supplies like Stone Cold’s Budweiser beer, which they couldn’t touch despite being thirsty. They were each given a chance to call their families on a special military phone but had strict orders not to reveal their destination until they arrived.
Their flight took them first to Germany, where they had a brief layover. Rikishi said: “We landed in Germany in the morning, went to a base that was like a pub. We drank some German beer, played pool, and ate a little while waiting for the next plane.”
After a few hours, they boarded another plane bound for Baghdad. The approach to the city was intense: “You could hear what sounded like gunshots in the sky. It wasn’t aimed at us, but it was close enough to be scary.”
Upon landing in Iraq, they were given bulletproof vests and helmets, but Rikishi and Big Show struggled to find gear that fit. He joked about the helmets: “It was on you like a damn condom.”
The group then traveled in Humvees, zigzagging to avoid enemy fire. Many of the wrestlers, including Rikishi, felt sick from the erratic driving, a stark reminder that they were in a real war zone.
Their accommodations were unlike anything they expected. Rikishi described arriving at what looked like a giant gold palace surrounded by smaller palaces and a river. The bridge to the main palace was damaged, guarded by armed military police. He revealed: “We were staying in Saddam Hussein’s palace. The place was massive, one room was like a cathedral with high ceilings. The bathrooms even had gold-plated faucets, although some were missing because soldiers had taken them.”
The beds were army-style cots, and there was no hot water in the showers. The first night was nerve-wracking, with gunfire audible outside as everyone settled in. “We were all sitting together like, ‘Holy s**t, this is real.’”
One of the most remarkable moments came when military officers showed them a vault deep inside the palace. Rikishi recalled: “We walked down a zigzag staircase through a tunnel to a vault filled with stacks of Saddam Hussein’s money. It looked like $100 bills, but they told us it wasn’t worth anything anymore.”
He even took some of the money as a souvenir and signed it with his name and the date, marking the trip at Victory Camp.
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