Rikishi is a proud father after seeing Jey Uso win singles gold for the first time.
The WWE Hall of Famer spoke on Off The Top With Rikishi Fatu, where he spoke about Jey Uso’s Intercontinental Championship victory over Bron Breakker on Raw.
Rikishi stated how proud he was of his, calling him a company man who is a role model to many.
“Besides Jey’s sons, [I’m probably] his number one fan. I always have been, and I’m happy. I’m proud—proud to be his dad and proud that the fans are proud too. I don’t know who was more excited, me or the fans, because when I got back to the room, and got a chance to see what happened in Boston, man, the reaction of the fans, and the reaction of my boy—it just hit me.”
“You think about it, it’s been a long road, what, 15 or 14 years? [He] dominated the tag team division, then you finally break off into singles competition. You don’t know how it’s gonna go, but look at him now. The fan favorite.”
“You see his entrance, you see everything about the character of Jey, but for me, Jey is not just a character—that’s really him. He’s a lovable kid who talks to everyone. He’s not a troublemaker, not a liability—he’s a company man. He’s a good role model.”
“He’s the kind of guy that corporate loves, you know? He’s great for the community. A role model not just to kids but to parents too. He’s been through some stuff, growing up as a wrestler’s son and seeing the road life. You can go left or right, and all throughout his career, he’s made the right choices.”
“And now look at him—your new Intercontinental Champion.”
Rikishi Says Watching Jey Uso Win The Title Was Emotional
Rikishi continued. He called the title win “emotional”, revealing he teared up seeing his son win singles gold for the first time.
“It’s emotional, you know?” Rikishi said. “All I was saying months ago when I talked about giving Jey an opportunity—I kind of got a lot of heat for it from the fans and all that. ‘Let him grow,’ they said. But I’ve always done that. Let him grow. And at the end of the day, a father will always give their kids advice. No matter who says what or when, you’re always going to guide your kids, whether they take it or not, whether the fans agree or not. It doesn’t matter. That’s what a father does. You just want the best for them, and you want them to have a fair shot.
“When I saw my boy win that title, man, I can’t lie. I teared up. But it wasn’t out of sadness. I was just so proud. After all these years of hard work, of pounding his body, putting in the effort… that little 230-pound frame of his, who knows how many broken bones he’s got in there? How much longer can his body keep going at this pace? But you can just see. He’s in his moment.
“When he comes out and starts dancing on the stage, man, I’m dancing with him. In the hotel room, just watching the screen, I’m bobbing my head right now just thinking about it. It’s like, ‘Me and Uce, we’re in this!’
So yeah, it’s a good feeling to see someone you love be successful.”
