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Rikishi wrestled for WWE between 1992 and 2004, during which time he became one of the company's most recognizable stars. In an exclusive interview, the WWE Hall of Famer explained how he remained in the wrestling business after his full-time in-ring career ended.
Solo Sikoa and The Usos' father runs the KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy in Los Angeles, California. Many wrestlers honed their craft at the training facility before signing with major companies, including AEW's Miro (fka Rusev in WWE).
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, Rikishi confirmed he still trains wrestlers at his school:
"Yeah, I'm actually out there in Los Angeles, California. I've had an academy up there well over 15 years called KnokX Pro Academy. Knokxpro.com. Visit it!" [0:38 – 0:50]
In the video above, the former Intercontinental Champion also gave his thoughts on possibly returning to WWE to fix The Bloodline's issues.
Who else has Rikishi trained?
The WWE legend trained several Anoa'i family members, including his nephew Jacob Fatu. The 31-year-old currently holds the MLW National Openweight Championship.
Rikishi also trained Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, and Solo Sikoa before they became big names in WWE:
"We had Rusev that came out of there, Miro. My nephew Jacob Fatu came out there. Of course, my son Solo Sikoa. The Usos, they've been training out in the backyard in Pensacola, Florida, all up in those areas [laughs]." [0:55 – 1:17]
Asked whether Jey or Jimmy won the backyard brawls, Rikishi joked that his sons were always fighting each other as children:
"Oh, man, that's a hard one! I mean, when? Every time I looked out in the backyard, those boys were back out in a wrestling ring goofing around." [1:24 – 1:35]
The 57-year-old also provided some advice for Umaga's son, Zilla Fatu, ahead of his wrestling debut on July 15.
What's your favorite memory from the WWE Hall of Famer's career? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Sportskeeda WrestleBinge and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.
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