10 Wrestlers Whose Weight Problems Became Gimmicks

4. Rikishi

As Fatu, Rikishi was a semi-consistent presence in WWE during the early and mid-90s - first as part of The Headshrinkers with cousin Samu, then as a motivational counselor looking to make a difference, and finally with a name change as the masked Sultan. When he returned to the company in late 1999 as Rikishi Fatu, though, the sumo-influenced name was appropriate - he had gained a lot of weight. The first few weeks of Rikishi Fatu's WWE return were aimless, but he soon became a fan favorite via an association with Too Cool. The 400-pounder became part of a dance routine with his cruiserweight teammates, and then added a move to his arsenal that would take him to the next level - the Stinkface. Simply put, Rikishi would lay his opponent in the corner, then back his rear end up into the unlucky subject's face. As silly as the move may sound to fans who didn't see it, sometimes silly things get over. Rikishi (dropping the Fatu part) was the gimmick that finally stuck, and he had a successful tenure in WWE.