Rikishi Admits He Was Nervous for His Family Traveling to Saudi Arabia

WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi is never shy when it comes to speaking about his family—and he’s being brutally honest about how nervous he was seeing them travel to Saudi Arabia for WWE’s latest tour. With The Usos, Solo Sikoa, and Jacob Fatu all performing in Riyadh for SmackDown and Night of Champions, the Anoa’i family patriarch admitted the global situation had him on edge.

Speaking on his Rikishi Fatu Off The Top podcast, Rikishi didn’t sugarcoat how he felt watching his sons and nephew head into uncertain territory.

“Nervous at all? Yes, I was, okay? Yes, I was nervous. I was nervous for the family members, I was nervous for all the roster, the staff, everybody that had anything to do with the part of the show of WWE going there.”

Rikishi explained the bigger picture of why this trip had him feeling uneasy.

“We’re going through some scary times, you know what I mean? And to be able to, you know, take a risk, to fly out there, and you know, to be while all that’s happening in the sky… we can only pray. You know, it’s that saying—the show must go on, you know what I mean?”

As a father, he made sure to send his sons messages of support and caution before they boarded the flight.

“So yes, I was nervous. And you know, text my boys to, you know, be safe out there, and you know, just take care of yourself, and then we just, you know, pray about it, right?”

Rikishi admitted it’s never easy watching your family head into a situation like that, even with the company’s precautions in place.

“It’s a very scary thing for a parent or family member, you know what I mean, to have your own, you know, knowing that they’re going into harm’s way like that.”

Despite his nerves, Rikishi still expressed gratitude to WWE and Saudi Arabia for taking care of the talent.

“Big shoutout to, you know, to Saudi Arabia and, you know, WWE to protecting all the guys. You know, they’re not here back yet, but you know, as soon as they’re making their way on back to United States, you know, we only wish them luck and safe [travels].”

At the end of the day, Rikishi might be a WWE Hall of Famer—but when it comes to watching his family step into risky situations, he’s still just a worried dad. With The Usos, Solo Sikoa, and Jacob Fatu taking care of business overseas, Rikishi’s hoping for safe travels and no drama.

What do you think—should WWE keep running shows in places like Saudi Arabia, or is the risk not worth it? Hit the comments and tell us what side you’re on.

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