WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi has opened up about the emergency surgery that sidelined him last month—and his story is a serious reminder that even the toughest superstars arenâ€t invincible.
Speaking on his Rikishi Off the Top podcast, the former WWE Intercontinental Champion revealed that the surgery was a wake-up call for him. While he chose not to go into the specific nature of the operation, Rikishi admitted it was serious enough to force him to cancel bookings—something he rarely ever does.
“Iâ€m great. Iâ€m great. You know, Iâ€m not going to go into details about everything that happened and so forth, but you know me — the one thing I would never do is miss a booking, you know what I mean? For many years, thatâ€s just a no-no for Big Ki. But for me to be down, it was an emergency type of surgery, and Iâ€m going to leave it at that.â€
Rikishi revealed the surgery lasted six hours, and when he woke up, everything changed.
“It took about six hours to be under the knife, and I woke up feeling great. You know what I mean? I just feel like a new person.â€
He also admitted that his aversion to going to the doctor and missing routine checkups may have led to the emergency.
“Iâ€m one of those guys that hates to go to the hospital… and it was just one of those things that was caught just in time. And with the grace of God and the surgeons that were there that day, Iâ€m here today to sit and talk with you and say I love you.â€
Rikishi didnâ€t just wake up healed—he woke up with a new perspective on life. He expressed a desire to let go of old grudges and start fresh.
“I woke up feeling a different way when I got wheeled back to the room in the hospital — meaning just grateful. Things that I might have had beef with, who and who back in the day — I want to make all that right. Thereâ€s so much more to life than being upset at each other.â€
The WWE legend ended his message by thanking fans, friends, and co-workers for their support, reassuring everyone that heâ€s back and better than ever.
“So I want to thank all the fans… Thank you to all my real ones out there. My co-workers, a lot of the roster thatâ€s out there — thank you guys so much for the love and respect and checking up on me. But I am fine. Big Ki is here. I ainâ€t going nowhere anytime soon.â€
Rikishiâ€s story is a powerful reminder to stop ignoring your health and listen to your body before itâ€s too late. He got a second chance—and heâ€s not wasting it.
Have you ever had a moment that made you reevaluate everything? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
November 8, 2025 12:09 pm
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