Big Show aka Paul Wight, Jr. (born February 8, 1972 in Aiken, South Carolina, now residing in Tampa, Florida), best known by his ring names, The Giant, and, later, The Big Show, is an American professional wrestler, currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on the RAW brand. He is currently one half of the World Tag Team Champions with Kane.
World Championship Wrestling
Paul Wight became involved in professional wrestling when Danny Bonaduce introduced him to Hulk Hogan at a charity basketball event in early 1995. Wight trained at Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory for seven months and then signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He polished his skills at the WCW Power Plant, where at one point he possessed the ability to perform a moonsault.
Wight debuted in WCW during the 1995 Bash At The Beach. He introduced himself as The Giant, claiming to be the son of the late André the Giant, and blaming Hogan for the death of his "father." He joined the Dungeon of Doom, who were at war with Hulk Hogan and his allies, and immediately began a heated feud with Hogan. At the 1995 Fall Brawl, Wight attacked Hogan while he was fighting the leader of the Dungeon of Doom, "Taskmaster" Kevin Sullivan, in a cage match. After Wight destroyed Hogan's Harley-Davidson Motorbike using a monster truck, Hogan challenged him to a "Monster Truck Battle" at Halloween Havoc, which was to be held, fittingly enough, in Detroit.
After being thrown out of the nWo on December 30, 1996 for asking Hogan for a World Heavyweight Championship title shot, Wight fought against the nWo along with Sting, Scott Hall and Lex Luger, winning the WCW World Tag Team Championships twice. In 1997 he began a feud with nWo member Kevin Nash, who constantly dodged Wight, failing to appear for their scheduled match at the 1997 StarrCade. In 1998 at Souled Out the two finally met in the ring, but Nash accidentally broke Wight's neck when he botched a Jackknife Powerbomb. When Nash left the nWo and formed his own stable, the Wolfpac, Wight rejoined the nWo to oppose Nash and his allies. Nash would eventually end Wight's WCW career when he defeated him following interference from Scott Hall and Eric Bischoff. He left WCW in 1999 for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE).
Big Show in World Wrestling Federation
Wight signed a lucrative multi-year contract with the WWF in early 1999. He debuted as a member of Vince McMahon's heel stable, The Corporation, at the February 1999 St. Valentine's Day Massacre event. During the McMahon vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin cage match, Wight came from under the ring and attacked Austin. However, he cost McMahon the match when he threw Austin into the side of the cage and the cage broke, spilling Austin outside to the floor and granting him the victory. This meant that Austin would face The Rock at WrestleMania XV for the WWF Championship.
Wight performed as "Big Nasty" Paul White for several weeks (a jab at "Big Sexy" Kevin Nash) and was eventually renamed "The Big Show" Paul Wight and acted as McMahon's bodyguard. Wight later dropped his real name, and was from then on referred to simply as "The Big Show". McMahon wanted to ensure that Corporation member The Rock would retain his title at WrestleMania, so he faced Mick Foley (Mankind) at WrestleMania for the right to referee the main event. Wight incapacitated Mankind, but disqualified himself in the process, meaning that neither man would be referee. After a furious McMahon slapped Wight, he punched McMahon and was arrested, turning face. Wight concluded his feud with Foley in a Boiler Room Brawl before joining Mankind, Test and Ken Shamrock in a stable known as "The Union" who fought against the Corporation, and later against the Corporate Ministry. Wight and Undertaker later formed an unlikely alliance against X-Pac and Kane, with Wight turning heel in the process. Wight and The Undertaker twice won the WWF Tag Team Championships.
Big Show in World Wrestling Entertainment
At the March 25, 2002 Roster Split, Wight was drafted to RAW by Ric Flair. He turned heel by betraying Steve Austin in the course of a match and rejoining the newest incarnation of the New World Order, but the stable disbanded after Kevin Nash was injured. Wight achieved little success on RAW after this, not wrestling at WrestleMania X8, and at one point even losing to the much smaller Jeff Hardy.
Big Show in SmackDown!
Wight was eventually traded to SmackDown! in exchange for Ivory, Maven, D-Von Dudley and Val Venis. Wight immediately challenged WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, who he defeated at the 2002 Survivor Series following interference from Lesnar's manager Paul Heyman, thus becoming a two time World Champion. He lost the title to Kurt Angle a month later.
Big Show in RAW
On June 27, 2005, Wight was traded back to RAW in the 2005 WWE Draft Lottery, preventing him from participating in a scheduled six-man elimination match for the SmackDown! Championship. He successfully pinned Gene Snitsky in a tag team match which degenerated into a singles match when both men's partners brawled backstage. After squashing his scheduled opponents for several weeks, Wight approached Chris Masters on July 18, volunteering to try and break Masters' Master Lock, after Masters boasted that no-one, no matter how big, could break free from the hold. Masters refused to accept Wight's challenge and retreated up the ramp and away from the ring. In the following weeks, Wight faced Masters in many tag team matches before the angle was dropped without explanation and Wight returned to his rivalry with Snitsky.
Big Show Finishing and signature moves
* Showstopper (Chokeslam)
* Final Cut (Inverted facelock elbow drop)
* Hog Log (Inverted leg drop bulldog)
* Alley-Oop (Reverse powerbomb)
* Sidewalk slam
* Open handed slap
* Big boot
* Double chokeslam (with Kane)
Big Show Acting career
* Wight had a fight scene against Hulk Hogan in a Thunder in Paradise episode where he was credited as "The Giant Paul Wight". His character was initially seen to be winning the fight, surviving all of Hogan's attacks, but was eventually rendered unconscious by a stone that was thrown at his head.
* Wight played a giant Santa Claus in the movie Jingle All the Way.
* Wight appeared in The Waterboy as Adam Sandler's wrestling icon, Captain Insano.
* Wight played himself on the March 18, 1999 episode of the Nickelodeon sitcom Cousin Skeeter ("Skeeter's Suplex").
* Wight appeared in a segment on Saturday Night Live with Vince McMahon, Mick Foley and Triple H. The Rock was hosting the show, and McMahon ordered the wrestlers not to interfere. McMahon then noticed that Wight was hiding something behind his back, which turned out to be a steel chair.
* In October 2004, Wight made a cameo appearance as an Orion slave trader in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Borderland."
* Wight appeared on two episodes of Figure It Out in 1998. He was "slimed" once in both episodes, with the secret slime action of each episode "being very tall" and "looking up" respectively.
Personal life
Like his famous predecessor, André the Giant, Wight has acromegaly or "gigantism", although he underwent successful surgery in the early 1990s on his pituitary gland which halted the progress of this condition. By the age of twelve, Wight was 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) tall, weighed 220 lb (100 kg) and had chest hair. His height peaked in the early 2000s at 7 ft 1 in (216 cm), with his weight reaching a maximum of 507 lb (230 kg). His shoe size is 22 5 E, his ring size is 22.5 and his chest is 64 in (163 cm) in circumference.
Wight has numerous tattoos, including a tiger on his right bicep and his wife's name on the back of his neck.
While in college (Wichita State University), Wight was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. While in WCW, he was arrested and detained for allegedly exposing himself to a hotel clerk in Memphis, Tennessee. He was later released due to a lack of evidence.
Wight is married, and his wife, Bess, is of average height. He also has a daughter, Sierra, from a previous marriage. He is also well-known behind the scenes and in the media for his easygoing, affable nature and his sharp sense of humor. In 2005, Wight leased a bus and hired a bus driver because of the practical problems his size presents to air travel and car rental.
While appearing on the Howard Stern Show, Wight told the story of how he had been cleared of all charges after a professional wrestling fan initiated a lawsuit against him for assault. Wight had been in a hotel lobby when the fan approached him and began verbally abusing him, then shoving him. Wight defended himself by punching the fan, shattering his jaw.
External links
Current Status of Rey Mysterious
Current Status of Rey Mysterious
