Rikishi Praises Shoot Elements In Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk Rivalry

On the latest episode of Off The Top, Rikishi talked about how WWE blurred the lines between reality and fiction to elevate the WrestleMania 42 main event between Roman Reigns and CM Punk. Reigns and Punk appeared in a promo segment on last week’s Raw to set up their WrestleMania match in which they did a worked shoot. You can check out some highlights below:

On the Exchange:

“Sometimes the shoot promos are the best promos. You know, it is like you’re letting us as a fan know, coming through that something that we probably never even knew about. And when you bring out something personal like that, that’s what sells tickets. You don’t know if that promo was a work or shoot. But when you see those who are delivering it, they’re doing their job to engage having people like, ‘Damn it. I got this. I got to see this.’”

On The Two Being Among The Best:

“We see the best of the two of the industry right now, right? Getting ready to main event WrestleMania. So as a professional wrestler, a student of the game — if you know, you got your in-ring skills down pat. Well, a lot of it has to do too [with] your promo skills. So you might want to dissect watching these two get out there.

“Look at the facial [expressions], look at the timing, look at the volume of the words when they go up and down. Look at the emotion where they’re giving the fans that emotional attachment, to bringing them into that vibe of me and you going back and forth. Look at that. And if you can try to perfect those types of things, that can only help your career for the future.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Off The Top with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.