Hosts: The Coach and Dr. Tom Prichard
Guest: Rikishi and Darren Drozdov
Report by: Kevin Gregg
Ah, we are back after the Thanksgiving break last week. We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, because I know that I did. Anyway, tonight's guest on WWF Byte This! will be Rikishi Phatu, the man that ran down Stone Cold Steve Austin last year at the Survivor Series. Michael Hayes and Dr. Tom Prichard are the hosts for tonight's Byte This! as Michael Hayes is sitting in for The Coach. The two start off by talking about the UK Pay Per View this Saturday night, and Michael says he's not too crazy about going to England. Tonight, there will be two special special guests tonight! They talk about WWF Rebellion, and it will be The Rock vs. Rikishi vs. Kurt Angle and Stone Cold for the WWF Title. will Kurt Angle and Rikishi try to take out The Rock and Stone Cold? Will Kurt Angle come back as the WWF Champion to defend the WWF Title at Armageddon next week?
Droz joins the show, and he says that there's not too much going on. This week is Droz's one year anniversary of being married, says Tom. Droz corrects him and says it's about 2 weeks. Tom asks Droz what he thinks about what is going on right now with Stone Cold, Rikishi, Triple H and Kurt Angle. Droz says that he feels bad for Austin, because every time he turns around, someone else attacks him. I guess you can't feel too bad for him, because he's done that for his whole career. You reap what you sow. Anyway, he is glad that Stone Cold is back with what happened to him, and he looks good out there. Michael says that it seems that each match and each week, Stone Cold is getting more comfortable getting back to being himself. Droz says he is sure that Stone Cold had to keep that bottled up for the whole year that he has been out, and he's getting a little more fire off.
He's pretty much pissed off, and he's letting people know, in and out of the ring. Tom asks Droz what he thinks about the WWF Champion, Kurt Angle. How does he see Kurt as the Champion? Droz makes a mockery of Kurt Angle by saying he's a crybaby, and being the Champion, you have to deal with it. If you have to have a freaky match, you have to have a freaky match. There has been so many different types of matches in the WWF. Sure, he was an Olympic Wrestler. That's great and all, but he's now in the WWF. You never know what is going to happen in the World Wrestling Federation. Michael says that Kurt has accomplished more in the WWF than anyone else has done in their first year. Now that Kurt is at the top, he has to go with what is going on and work with it. Michael says this comes up a lot of times when rookies in sports has a great first year, then you worry about the sophomore jinx. Starting his second year, will there be a jinx?
Droz says he sees Kurt Angle going to new heights, and like Michael said, he has accomplished so much during his first year. He has learned so much in that first year, and he learned what it takes to stay on top of the World Wrestling Federation. He will do what it takes to keep the belt. Speaking of keeping the belts, Tom asks Droz about the WWF Tag Team Champions, the Right to Censor. What does Droz think about them? Droz says that he thinks that the Right to Censor can bite him. Anytime you try to keep people down and tell them what to think and do, it's bull crap. Droz dealt with that when he came to the WWF, because many said he wouldn't amount to anything, because of his ear rings, hair, and whatnot. Stuff like that just fires you up. They are the Tag Team Champions right now, and that's good for them. You look back at what they were, and maybe they will get tired of trying to censor people. Droz hopes they will end up back where they started.
Michael says speaking of tag teams, how does Droz grade T&A? Droz says he's a big fan of T&A, and he's glad that Matt, Prince, whatever. Especially him. They played against each other in college, and they were friends before they ended up tagging together. He has come a long way, and he's happy for him. He hopes that Test and Albert get a shot at the belts. They work good out there, and they do a great power moves. Droz hopes that they get the shot that they deserve. Michael says what they need is the Championship belts, and Droz thinks that it will find it's way to them soon enough. Michael thinks that T&A will reach their potential, but he doesn't know if it will be as a tag team or in the singles, but none the less, they will have their time. Droz talks about K-Kwik, and he has some serious moves. Michael says as long as he doesn't get injured and he keeps his head right, he can have a great career in the WWF.
Tom talks about the UK PPV, and Michael Hayes will be there. Tom asks Droz for his predictions. The Fatal Four Way will be Stone Cold vs. The Rock vs. Rikishi vs. Kurt Angle. Droz says it's going to be a knock down drag out, and he has a feeling that Kurt Angle is going to squeak away, and he's enjoying Kurt with what he has done with his title reign. It's been very entertaining, and he's been a great Champion. Everyone does hate each other in that match, but somehow, Kurt will be able to keep the belt. Tom talks about WWF Smackdown!, and he runs down the card for the show:
* Opening Segment with Kurt Angle and Foley
* The Hardy Boyz and Lita vs. The Radicalz
* Tag Titles: Road Dogg/K-Kwik vs. Right to Censor (c)
* European Title: Scotty 2 Hotty vs. William Regal (c)
* Kane and Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho/Billy Gunn
* Table: Lo Down/Tiger vs. Dudleys/Blackman
* Hardcore Match: Hardcore Holly vs. Raven
* Handicap: Edge/Christian/Angle vs. The Undertaker/The Rock
The Tag Team Titles will be on the line tonight, and Tom asks Droz how he sees that match. Droz says he would like to see Roadie and K-Kwik take it. Not that the Right to Censor aren't great tag team title holders, but the Roadie and K-Kwik are very entertaining. Every time you watch them work together, they have some great moves, and it would be great to see them win the WWF Tag Team Titles. Tom lets Droz leave the show, and he thanks him for joining the show. Darren Drozdov is always a great listen, and Rikishi will be coming up after the break. First of all, they do have to take a break, and they show some footage of The Rock and Rikishi Phatu from the Survivor Series in a one on one match. The Rock pinned Rikishi after the people's elbow to win the match, but after the contest, Rikishi Phatu gave The Rock four banzai drops!
Rikishi joins the show on the phone, and he starts off by laughing, and they welcome him to WWF Byte This!. Tom says that it's good to have him on, and he knows that he is going over to England this weekend for the big Fatal Four Way. It is going to be Rikishi, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Kurt Angle. Rikishi says that Stone Cold doesn't get enough of Rikishi, and the you come to the guy that is supposed to have his back. He doesn't have respect for either one of them, and come England, you know what time it is. Tom says Rikishi is going to try to make a big impact. Rikishi lost to The Rock at the Survivor Series but then he gave him a hurting. Rikishi says he doesn't care about winning or losing. The bottom line is, what did the people see at the end of the Survivor Series match? The Rock was left laying at the hands of Rikishi.
Michael asks Rikishi when he first revealed that he was the assailant, and then told us that he did it for his people, and The Rock, he thought it was an admirable thing, considering it wasn't an easy thing to do, but as time went on, it almost appeared that Triple H was the guy that got him to do it. It was like he didn't really do it for his people. Did he have any backlash from his people? Rikishi says that it's time for people to understand what Rikishi is really all about. The Samoan people seen his up and downs in the WWF, and now, not all of the Samoan people agree with what he has done, but there is some that agree. They don't understand the game of wrestling, but in the WWF, a man has to do what a man has to do. He has no remorse, what so ever about what he said about The Rock, or what he did to Stone Cold Steve Austin. The bottom line is that he and Triple H fooled the whole world.
As Mick appeared to be getting closer and closer to finding the suspect, no one felt that it would be Rikishi, and Michael asks Rikishi if he was getting nervous, or just waiting for it. Rikishi says you're damn right he felt nervous, and there was no way in hell that anyone would think that he done it. Of course, he was getting nervous. Of course, he was sitting there waiting for that moment when Mick Foley started to point the finger and said that it wasn't The Rock at the time. There was only two people standing in the ring, and Rikishi was one of them. When Mick pointed at him, he pointed at him, and Rikishi did what he had to do. He said what he said, and he wants to get something straight for someone who didn't understand him for the first time. This is not something that Rikishi made up. He's not playing the race card when he was talking about the great white hope. He doesn't play the race card, he is not a racist.
The only thing that he was talking about was that it was a plan all along. Rikishi danced all the way to the bank, and if it weren't for the help of Triple H, he probably wouldn't be where he's at today. There's a ton of people that want to talk to him on the phone lines, and they go to line 4. The caller asks Rikishi why he's always interfering in The Rock's matches, and why did he do what he did, because he was a fan favorite? Rikishi says when you grow up, you will understand that a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do to get ahead in this world. The Rock was selfish, and he should have stuck together with his family. How many times did Rikishi help The Rock? And how many times did The Rock help Rikishi? Tom switches gears, and he asks Rikishi his thoughts on Yokozuna, and Rikishi goes silent for a moment, and he says it's a touchy point. He was one of the greatest Champions of all time, and he seems to be emotional.
Rikishi says that Yokozuna has helped him through his career as far as becoming a top superstar in the WWF. When he says that, he wants to take everyone back to 3 weeks ago before he passed away. He and Yokozuna were talking a lot, and he's shooting when he tells everyone this. He asked Yokozuna about advice about Stone Cold, knowing that he was probably going to have the most important match of his life. It may have been the last match of his life, and he asked Yokozuna for some advice. Yokozuna told him that the only advice he would give him is to do what you do best. Give the people what they want, and do what they gotta do. After that night was over at No Mercy, he came back to his hotel room, banged up, and Stone Cold nearly ran him over. A cop car saved his life, and he was in the hotel bedroom with ice packs all over his forehead, and he got a call from England, and it was his cousin Yokozuna.
He was very happy at how the show went. He was very proud at how he performed that night with Stone Cold. His last words to him were: Now you finally know what it is like to be me. Rikishi says he's going to miss Yokozuna dearly, and it was an honor and a pleasure to grow up with such a Champion as Yokozuna. Michael Hayes says that if Rikishi were able to win the WWF Title in England, it would be great for the big Samoan. Rikishi says when they go to England, it's going to be a very touchy point, because that's where Yokozuna's life was taken away, and for him to win the WWF Title there, it would be such an honor for him, and he would dedicate that to his cousin, Yokozuna. Tom says that Rikishi has some unfinished business with Rikishi and The Rock, and he and Triple H aren't traveling over seas without something in mind. Rikishi says when you talk about Triple H and Rikishi, you are talking about guys that fooled the world.
If you can have the whole world fooled? Can you imagine what is going to happen in England? Can you imagine what type of finish they are going to come up with? Whether it be him or Triple H, the thing is, beware of Rikishi. Rikishi talks about he and Too Cool, and in the matter of 2 months, they became the top guys. To him, at the time, it was a good feeling. As far as Scotty and Sexay go, they understand. They understand the name of the game. When you get a chance to move up to something bigger and higher, you have to jump at it. Rikishi is sure that they would do the same thing. No hard feelings between the three of them. The only thing is that you have to do what you have to do. Every man has to stand for himself. They go to line 2, and the caller asks since he has been in the WWF so long, and been so many different characters, which one is his favorite one? Rikishi says that his current character is his favorite one. This is the first time that he has become somebody in the World Wrestling Federation.
He is able to show what he is able to do. Throughout the years in the WWF, when did you hear him talk? This is Rikishi. This isn't no gimmick. The only gimmick that you see is the sumo thong and stuff like that. As far as him coming out the way he dresses and the way he looks, that's him. It's the way he talks and looks. There's nothing fake about him. Michael Hayes says that he is glad to see the success of Rikishi. Rikishi says that means a lot coming from Michael, and they have been up and down the highways. A lot of times, it was Michael in Rikishi's ear pointing him in the right direction. Telling him what to, and what not to do. Tom asks Rikishi who he is looking to give a stink face to. Michael tells Rikishi that he would like to see him give Tom the stink face. Rikishi says he enjoys giving Trish Stratus the stink face! It has to be the longest stink face that Rikishi has given.
They go to another caller, and the caller says that he likes Michael Hayes, and then he asks about the whole Rock/Austin gimmick. They try to kill each other, and then the caller says that Rikishi is the man. He wishes that he would have pinned Austin fairly and squarely, because that son of a bitch never jobs. Rikishi says there's no comment there, because the caller said it all. Tom thanks Rikishi for joining them on Byte This!, and Rikishi says before he goes, he wants to thank all of his friends, all of Yokozuna's friends, all of the boys, and the fans throughout the world that have sent care letters to Yokozuna's kids. They send their love and say thank you to the whole world in support of the memorial of Yokozuna.
Rikishi says he's looking forward to England, and then he leaves the show. Tom thanks Michael Hayes for stepping in for The Coach, because he's not feeling too well. If you want all the WWF News, go to WWF.com, and you will get up to date with all the latest headlines. If you want information on Armageddon, go to WWFArmageddon.com. Let's not miss the chance to tell the fans that they are under 90 minutes away from WWF Smackdown!. Stephanie and Triple H's one year anniversary, and Mick Foley will be addressing the chaos situation, and we will find out who Kurt Angle will go against at the pay per view for the WWF Title. Next week, they are trying to get the Undertaker to be on WWF Byte This!, and he has a lot to say with all the goings on in the WWF.
Of course, you can't forget to plug this one site. WWFHardys.com with all the latest on the Hardys! If you want to know anything about Matt and Jeff, they are another pair who have worked their hearts out. Their time is awaiting them, and Michael says that their time will come as long as they stay healthy. They close the show, and Tom thanks Michael Hayes for sitting in. Tom says he hopes that The Coach is back next week, because he's a little bit easier to deal with.