Rikishi had spent everything on his new home when Yokozuna gave him a blank cheque

Before Rikishi became one of WWE’s recognisable stars, there was a period when simply keeping his new family home running had become a financial problem. According to the various online reports, he had put almost everything he had into a Florida property while wrestling as Fatu, leaving little money for an essential repair. At the same time, his cousin Rodney Anoa’i was enjoying a very different level of success as Yokozuna, having risen to the top of the WWF and become one of its biggest earners. When Rikishi found himself unable to afford a new heating system, Anoa’i offered help in a way that Rikishi would remember for decades.Rikishi’s early WWF career came with a much smaller paydayRikishi, whose real name is Solofa Fatu Jr., was already working in the WWF when his cousin Rodney Anoa’i was becoming a major attraction under the Yokozuna name. The two were members of the same wider wrestling family, but their positions on the roster and their earnings were far apart.Fatu was performing as one half of The Headshrinkers alongside Samu, while Yokozuna had moved into championship programmes and main-event matches. According to ITR Wrestling, by 1993, Yokozuna had become WWF Champion...