10 Exact Moments Great Wrestlers Jumped The Shark

4. Rikishi Did It For The Rock

Of all the bone-headed ideas WWE Creative have had throughout the past few decades, unveiling Rikishi as the man who ran 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin over ranks among the worst.

The big Samoan turned heel at the tail-end of 2000, but was universally rejected in his new villainous role. He'd gone from Too Cool's thong-clad dance partner to an attempted murderer without warning. The audience refused to buy into it, and Rikishi's overness plummeted, despite a brief dalliance with the company's main event scene.

Rikishi's explanation was particularly laughable. The former Intercontinental Champion's "I did it for The Rock" speech became a meme when memes were localised to social groups, with fans everywhere mocking the idea that he'd taken Austin out to pave his cousin's way to megastardom. Rikishi looked like a total goober, and sadly, there was no coming back.

He was relegated to the midcard by the start of 2001, and turned face towards the end of the year, but his popularity never recovered. Once one of WWE's most over upper-midcarders, Rikishi had become a listless performer for the first time since his pre-Too Cool days, and it all stemmed from the Austin angle.