WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi shared his thoughts on the recent WWE debut of Jeff Cobb, now competing under the name J.C. Mateo, praising the former Olympian’s journey and readiness for the big stage.
Speaking on his Off The Top podcast, Rikishi expressed pride in Cobb’s success after years on the independent scene:
“To be able to come from independent, and then come right there to the top with the crew, be a part of the storyline, the way they brought him in, I was surprised. I was happy for him.”
Rikishi made it clear he’s long believed Cobb had what it takes to thrive in WWE:
“To me, Jeff Cobb has been ready a long time, and good for him because what he has learned and went through with the independent circuit… dealing with a lot of promoters, dealing with his own business… I’m sure he was ready by the time he came to WWE.”
The Hall of Famer also pointed out the benefit of WWE’s structure and security:
“Financial security now—whether he works in a week or doesn’t in a month, he still gets a weekly paycheck. So that to me is the number one winner.”
While optimistic, Rikishi acknowledged that adjusting to WWE’s system will take effort:
“He’s going to find out exactly how the WWE works. A lot of things are gonna have to change for Jeff, and he’s gonna have to find it… There might be some people that don’t like to be suplexed… or don’t want to work Jeff’s style.”
Still, Rikishi believes Cobb will thrive thanks to his character and work ethic:
“He’s under good hands with the boys. Jeff is a likable person. When I crossed paths with him, I felt he was very respectful.”
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more updates on J.C. Mateo’s WWE journey and exclusive reactions from industry legends.
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
