Rikishi Defends Jey Uso Amid WrestleMania 41 Ticket Sale Concerns

Rikishi isn’t having any of the chatter about Jey Uso being responsible for WrestleMania 41’s ticket sales stalling.

The WWE Hall of Famer addressed the situation on Off The Top, making it clear that his son isn’t the reason WWE hasn’t moved as many tickets as expected since the Royal Rumble.

“It ain’t because it’s my son. So let’s make that clear, right?” Rikishi said. “I don’t read a lot of stuff that’s out there, nor do I give a damn. The bottom line is, don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas started off strong, selling out a massive chunk of tickets through dual-night bundles. But since Jey Uso won the Royal Rumble 2025, sales have slowed dramatically, with WWE struggling to reach the numbers needed to expand Allegiant Stadium’s capacity. Some critics have pointed fingers at Main Event Jey as the reason for the slowdown—but Rikishi isn’t buying it.

“So let’s get the kid his flowers,” he continued. “I’m always going to stand up for my boy. And just be thankful, I’m thankful for the opportunity that he has gotten to be able to— as a pro wrestler. Let’s not say he’s even my son. As a pro wrestler, you and I and everybody that’s an independent wrestler that’s listening—tell me for one second, nobody dreams to ever be able to get an opportunity to main event WrestleMania, the biggest show on Earth.”

Rikishi also took aim at those doubting Jey’s star power, pointing out that his merchandise numbers speak for themselves.

“You talk about tickets? Go check the revenue on merchandise,” he said. “Look at your kids, look at your family—who’s merch are they wearing? You got ‘Yeet, Yeet!’ Even the pets are saying ‘Yeet.’”

The ticket sales debate continues, but one thing is certain—Rikishi isn’t letting anyone take away from what Jey Uso has accomplished.