WWE Hall Of Famer Rikishi Reacts To Leon Slater Spot At TNA Rebellion: 'That's Bulls***'
One of the biggest stories coming out of TNA Rebellion revolves around Leon Slater's Swanton 450 splash off a support beam and the sea of competitors below failing to catch him. The spot has drawn major criticism online, with wrestling fans and in-ring veterans voicing their concerns and disappointment after witnessing Slater's rough landing. WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi is the latest name sounding off on it.
"Just by listening to it, I think that's bulls***," Rikishi said on the "Off The Top" podcast, noting that he heard of the incident, but hadn't seen its actual footage at that point. "Obviously, they all talked about that spot before. You got a guy's body that's in your hands. Hopefully this guy is okay, went to the hospital, and I'm assuming he's probably got some broken bones. But that responsibility falls on those cats that were out there. That's what's supposed to be the make-believe cushion. He's doing a 450, this is the part of the training. A lot of these wrestlers need to understand this — any given time, 30 seconds, somebody can end their career. Now, I trust you, you need to trust me as well, so if you're going to do a spot with me, well damn it, I need to be there for you."
Despite his scary landing on the floor below, Slater ultimately emerged from the spot in okay condition, and in fact, quickly returned to action at TNA's television tapings on May 1 and 2. Still, Rikishi can't help but think about the domino effect of negative consequences that could have followed, such as a fractured vertebrae, a stint in a wheelchair, or Slater's family being emotionally hurt by the potential injury. "This ain't a joke," Rikishi added.
In the respective match, Moose successfully defended the TNA X-Division Championship against Slater, Matt Cardona, El Hijo del Vikingo, KC Navarro, and Sidney Akeem in an Ultimate X Match.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Off The Top" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.