Solo Sikoa On Using Umaga’s Samoan Spike, His Dream Main Roster Opponent

Solo Sikoa plans to use the Samoan Spike more going forward and recently weighed in on his dream opponent on the main roster. Sikoa spoke with the New York Post for a new interview, and you can see some highlights below:

On making his debut in Madison Square Garden: “I’ve heard a lot of big things about it. I’ve seen it in movies. I’ve seen it with my dad (Rikishi) and my uncles and my brothers wrestling there. This will be my first time at the Garden, man. I’m really, really excited for it, just the experience of being in the building. It’s kind of like going to Disneyland for the first time. That’s what I’m thinking about when I’m walking into Madison Square Garden. I got this image in my head where I think it’s this big.”

On his 2022: “It’s been a roller coaster. When I got hurt in August (PCL sprain) I thought things were gonna change and the next thing you know, I got the call to come up for Clash at the Castle. Everything was just happening fast. Making the transition from NXT to the main roster I think personally for me was easy because I had my brothers up there. I had Sami (Zayn) up there and Roman and Paul (Heyman) up there to help me and guide me. It’s been fun. I’m having a blast.”

On finding out he was getting called up to the main roster: “It was actually from Roman and Hunter (Triple H). I just got the call saying my flight is getting booked for Clash at the Castle, but I was still hurt at the time. I got cleared just in time before flying out. I got cleared on a Monday and I flew out on a Friday. When I got there, nobody said anything to me. Everybody was just like quiet, even Roman and Paul. I knew what I was there for but I didn’t know because the mission wasn’t clear. When we were getting ready to open up doors for Clash at the Castle, Triple H walks in and this is my first time meeting him. Then he goes, ‘You know this is your call-up?’ I was like, ‘Nah I didn’t know.’ ‘Welcome to the main roster, you’ll be on SmackDown.'”

On settling into his ‘silent enforcer’ role: “I love the character. I’m starting to get more into it. It’s a big change coming from NXT. In NXT I was talking a lot. Moving up with The Bloodline, I’ve switched over to this character that’s just in the corner kind of like a security guard waiting for things to pop off. And when things pop off, I pop off. I’m that kind of guy.”

On using Umaga’s Samoan Spike: “It will definitely be one of my finishers now moving forward. The idea came from Hunter. Hunter pulled me aside. I think it was Paul Heyman’s idea, too, so Hunter wanted to run it by me. He goes, ‘I know your uncle was a big part of your guys’ family. I know what he meant to you guys. I wanted to ask you if you would be OK using the spike?’ I was like, I don’t know. I kind of want to stay away from it because that’s his thing. And he was like, ‘I know he passed away and yesterday was his anniversary,’ which was a Sunday and the next day was Raw. He goes, ‘I think it will be cool if you pay a tribute to him on TV by using the spike.’ I was like, ‘You know what man? Yeah, let’s do it.’ Once he said that I kind of got emotional. I was like, wow. For those who don’t remember who Umaga was, now I’m about to refresh their memory. It was a pretty cool moment for me to pay tribute to him.”

On the best advice Roman Reigns has given him: “Stay out of trouble, you know what I mean? Keep your head down and just work hard. The eyes up, the ears open, the mouth shut.”

On his dream main roster opponent: “I always thought Rey Mysterio would be cool. He is a very, very close family friend of ours, especially to my uncle Umaga. I think would be cool. Rey Mysterio is one of those guys I’d like to get in the ring with. He’s a GOAT man.”