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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Rikishi later recalled that the Stinkface began as an improvised moment in a house-show match with Big Boss Man. The crowd’s response helped take it from that live event to Monday Night Raw, though accounts differ on the city and the exact prompt. The origin is best treated as Rikishi’s retrospective account, not a fully verified contemporaneous record.
How Rikishi says the Stinkface began
In two later accounts, Rikishi described trying the move during a house-show match against Big Boss Man, whose real name was Ray Traylor. Both reports connect the crowd’s strong reaction with the Stinkface subsequently appearing on Monday Night Raw. They differ, however, on where the house show took place and how the idea came about.
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The 2017 version: a fan’s suggestion
A 2017 Wrestling Inc report summarizing Rikishi’s appearance on The World According To Wrestling podcast places the house show in Oakland, Alabama. In that telling, a fan shouted for Rikishi to turn around and put his backside in Big Boss Man’s face. Rikishi recalled that Boss Man then encouraged him to do it. The crowd reacted loudly, and Rikishi said the move was introduced on Raw the following night.
The 2022 version: Big Boss Man’s encouragement
A 2022 Wrestling Inc report summarizing Rikishi’s appearance on The Domenick Nati Show gives a different location: Mobile, Alabama. Rikishi described Big Boss Man taking a corner bump and encouraging him to go through with the move. He recalled a strong crowd reaction and said agents relayed that response to Vince McMahon before the Stinkface was introduced on live Raw.
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What the accounts agree on—and what they do not
| Detail | 2017 account | 2022 account |
|---|---|---|
| Reported location | Oakland, Alabama | Mobile, Alabama |
| Prompt described | A fan shouts the suggestion; Big Boss Man encourages Rikishi | Big Boss Man encourages Rikishi after taking a corner bump |
| Path to television | Rikishi says the crowd reacted loudly and the move appeared on Raw the following night | Rikishi says the crowd reacted strongly, agents passed the response to Vince McMahon, and the move appeared on live Raw |
The broad arc is consistent: an improvised house-show moment with Big Boss Man got a notable audience response and was followed by a television appearance. The city and the exact sequence are not consistent across the two retellings. Neither report establishes a date for the house show, so a precise date cannot be supplied from these accounts.
Who invented the Stinkface?
The available reporting supports saying that Rikishi became closely associated with the Stinkface as his signature or trademark move in WWE. It does not establish that he invented every similar maneuver or was the first wrestler ever to use one. The careful answer is that Rikishi’s own later recollections describe how he came to perform the move in this particular house-show story.
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A 2021 interview page by Chris Van Vliet lists the Stinkface among topics discussed with Rikishi and places it in the context of his WWE career and Too Cool. Its available summary provides context, but does not independently verify the move’s first performance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the first performance?
The origin story is retrospective reporting of Rikishi’s account, rather than an independently verified contemporaneous record of the first time the move was performed. The reports describe the crowd response qualitatively; they do not provide a verified audience count or other numerical measure of its reception. Nor do the available summaries provide a verified interview transcript or recording passage for a reliable verbatim quotation, so the account is best conveyed in paraphrase.
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- Super Collectible! WWE fans can find their favorite Superstar figures (each sold separately, subject to availability).
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