10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Rikishi

10. Hildegard

When discussing the worst wrestling angles of the 2000s, the whole HLA debacle is usually right up there. WWE actually presented 'Hot Lesbian Action' on Raw in an effort to attract viewers. The ratings didn't really budge but the company did receive many complaints from the public and the network about the segments. HLA was incorporated into the Stephanie McMahon versus Eric Bischoff feud. The two were fighting for brand supremecy (or something) and agreed to a match between Raw's Three Minute Warning and Smackdown's BIlly and Chuck at Unforgiven 2002, with the stipulation being that if Raw's boys beat Steph's team that she would have to perform some HLA live on the PPB but it the GLAAD guys triumphed, then Bischoff would have to kiss Stephanie's a**. Bischoff's team won and Steph was set for some HLA. Long story short, Bischoff brought out the 'biggest, ugliest lesbo' that he could find, the 'horrible HIldegard' (in the words of commentator Jerry Lawler). Hildegard was, of course, Rikishi in drag and heavy makeup. One superkick and stinkface later and Steph was celebrating and another stipulation was reneged upon. WWE were very keen to humiliate Bischoff when he joined the company, considering the bad blood that had existed between him and Vince McMahon stemming from the Monday Night Wars. A stinkface was inevitable, but this whole angle was just awful. It was so obviously Rikishi in a dress and the sight of Stephanie making out and dancing with him wasn't good for anyone.