Big Show
- "Big Show" redirects here. For other uses of the name Big Show, see Big Show (disambiguation).
| Paul Wight | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | February 8, 1972 Aiken, South Carolina |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Big Show The Giant Giant Jay Paul Bunyon Paul Wight |
| Billed height | 7 ft 0 in (213 cm) |
| Billed weight | 507 lb (230 kg) |
| Trained by | Larry Sharpe, WCW Power Plant |
| Debut | July 16, 1995 |
Paul Wight, Jr. (born February 8, 1972 in Aiken, South Carolina), better known by the ring names,(The) Big Show and (The) Giant is an American professional wrestler. Wight is currently wrestling on the Extreme Championship Wrestling brand of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he is the reigning ECW World Heavyweight Champion.
Career
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 wrestling 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 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 in Detroit.
On October 29, 1995, the Battle took place atop Cobo Hall, with each man driving a monster truck and trying to force the other truck out of a circle, as in a Sumo Wrestling Contest. Hogan won the match when Wight descended from his vehicle and appeared to fall from the roof. Later that night, Wight came to the ring with The Taskmaster and challenged Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in what would be his WCW in-ring debut. Wight was awarded the victory by disqualification after interference from Jimmy Hart, Hogan's manager. Hart then revealed that the contract Hogan had signed (which he had written) had a clause stating that the title would change hands on a disqualification, and, as Hart had intentionally caused a disqualification, Wight was the new World Heavyweight Champion. The title was held up one week later as a result of the controversial decision.
Wight tried to reclaim the title at World War 3 but was foiled by Hogan, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage won the vacant title. (This plot partly echoed a WWF storyline of several years earlier, wherein André the Giant's "adviser" Ted Dibiase cheated Hogan out of the WWF title, which was held up as a result of controversy, and then won by Savage). Wight teamed with Ric Flair to defeat Hogan and Savage at the January 23, 1996 Clash of the Champions XXXII, but was decisively beaten by Hogan in a cage match at SuperBrawl.
After a short feud with The Loch Ness Monster, Wight eventually became a face, winning the World Heavyweight Championship a second time by defeating Ric Flair. After Hogan turned heel by forming the New World Order, he defeated Wight for the Championship at the 1996 Hog Wild following interference from Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. Wight would join the nWo twenty three days later, citing Ted DiBiase's money as his primary motivation. He feuded with Lex Luger and the Four Horsemen.
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 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 injured 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.
World Wrestling Federation
Wight signed a 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 broke through 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.
When The Undertaker was sidelined with injuries, Wight set his sights on the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, turning face once more. He participated in the Six Pack Challenge for the belt at the 1999 Unforgiven, but failed to win. After Steve Austin was run-over at the 1999 Survivor Series, Wight was given his place in the triple threat match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, where he pinned Triple H in a match that also featured The Rock to become champion.
At the same time, Wight feuded with Big Boss Man. After it was announced that Wight's father was terminally ill with cancer, the Boss Man had one of his crooked police colleagues (falsely) inform Wight that his father had died, and then mocked Wight's tearful reaction. Several weeks later, when it was announced Wight's father had actually died (in reality, Wight's father had died years before), the Boss Man first interrupted the ten bell toll, then later invaded the funeral and used a chain to couple the coffin to the hearse, towing the coffin away with a grief stricken Wight clinging on to it. He also visited Wight's mother and forced her to reveal that Wight's father was a different man, leading Boss Man to refer to him as a "bastard" on every possible occasion (this would later become one of Wight's nicknames, with a piece of WWF merchandise even bearing the slogan "Big Nasty Bastard"). During the 1999 Armageddon, The Boss Man faced Wight for the title, but even the presence of his protégé Prince Albert did not offset Wight's considerable size advantage, and Wight defeated him to retain the title.
On the January 3, 2000, episode of RAW Triple H defeated Wight for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, using a title shot that he had won from Vince McMahon at Armageddon. Trying to regain the title, Wight participated in the 2000 Royal Rumble, and was the runner up, losing to The Rock. Wight was convinced that he had won, and eventually produced a video tape that showed The Rock's feet striking the ground first. He was then given a match with The Rock at No Way Out, with the WrestleMania title shot on the line. Wight defeated The Rock when Shane McMahon interfered, knocking The Rock out with a chair shot. The Rock was desperate to reclaim his title shot, and eventually agreed to a match with Wight on the March 13, 2000 episode of RAW - if he won, the WrestleMania title match would become a triple threat match, and if he lost, he would retire from the WWF. Shane McMahon, now actively supporting Wight's bid to become champion, appointed himself as the special guest referee. However, The Rock triumphed when Vince McMahon assaulted Shane and donned the referee shirt, personally making the three count following a Rock Bottom.
On the March 20, 2000 episode of RAW, Triple H agreed to defend the title against The Rock and Wight on the condition that the match would not take place at WrestleMania. Triple H managed to pin Wight, but Linda McMahon forced him to defend the title at WrestleMania in a fatal four way elimination match, with Mick Foley as the fourth man. Wight was the first man eliminated from the match at WrestleMania 2000 after the other three competitors worked together against him.
After WrestleMania, Wight began to turn face once more. He would wrestle his matches while mimicking other wrestlers, lampooning Rikishi as Showkishi, The Berzerker as Shonan The Barbarian and Val Venis as The Big Showbowski. He faced Kurt Angle at Backlash 2000, and came to the ring dressed like his friend and role model Hulk Hogan. "The Showster" defeated Angle with ease.
Wight began feuding with his former manager Shane McMahon after he was shown mocking Wight as slow, stupid and highly suggestible. At Judgment Day 2000 on May 21, Shane defeated Wight in a falls count anywhere match following interference from Big Boss Man, Bull Buchanan, Test and Albert. Wight returned two months later, apparently intending to gain revenge on Shane, but instead sided with him and formed a short-lived stable known as "The Conspiracy" with Shane, Chris Benoit, Edge, Kurt Angle and Christian. After Undertaker threw Wight through a table, he disappeared for some time (he was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling to lose weight). WWF management was so unhappy with his inability to lose weight and sharpen his skills that he was removed from two of their video games: WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role for the PlayStation and WWF No Mercy for the Nintendo 64, where his character was replaced with Steven Richards. In both games, certain aspects of Big Show were still usable through the use of a GameShark: his face could be hacked in No Mercy, while his entire unfinished character (along with Ken Shamrock) was playable in SmackDown! 2.
Wight returned at the 2001 Royal Rumble, but after taking out all of the competitors with chokeslams and eliminating Test and K-Kwik, he was eliminated by The Rock. Angered by his quick elimination, he proceeded to chokeslam The Rock through the announcer’s table at ring side before he left the arena, this however did not eliminate The Rock as he never went over the top rope.
He then began competing for the Hardcore Championship, which he lost to Kane in a triple threat match which also included Raven at WrestleMania X-Seven.
Throughout The Invasion later that year Wight remained loyal to the WWF. He faced Shane McMahon, the onscreen owner of WCW, in a last man standing match at Backlash 2001, and was defeated following interference from Test. He was also part of the victorious Team WWF at Survivor Series 2001, though he was eliminated early in the proceedings.
World Wrestling Entertainment
Wight was the number six pick of Ric Flair (representing the RAW brand) in the March 25, 2002 draft. 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, at one point even losing to the much smaller Jeff Hardy. Wight began a feud with Booker T, but lost the majority of his matches. He then feuded with the Dudley Boyz, but was once again repeatedly defeated. Wight then informed General Manager Eric Bischoff that he would hurt him if he was not elevated to main event status.
SmackDown!
In late 2002, Wight was notified by Bischoff that he had been traded to SmackDown! in exchange for Randy Orton, Ivory, Maven, D-Von Dudley and Val Venis. Upon arriving on SmackDown!, 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.
In January 2003, Wight lost a Royal Rumble qualifying match to Lesnar. He then began feuding with The Undertaker, leading to Wight and his partner A-Train losing to The Undertaker at WrestleMania XIX. After that, he began a feud with Eddie Guerrero, who he defeated for the WWE United States Championship. Wight became an associate of Brock Lesnar, but abandoned Lesnar immediately before WrestleMania XX. At WrestleMania XX, Wight lost the United States Championship to John Cena.
On the April 15, 2004 episode of SmackDown!, Wight promised to quit if he failed to defeat Eddie Guerrero that night. He lost to Guerrero, and, believing that Torrie Wilson had laughed at him for losing, upended her car and threatened to throw her off a ledge. Kurt Angle ascended to the ledge to try and talk some reason into Wight, but Wight chokeslammed him from the ledge, concussing Angle and (kayfabe) breaking his leg. He was "fired" as a result.
In mid-2004, Wight was reinstated by new General Manager Theodore R. Long, and at No Mercy 2004, Wight, once more a face, fought Kurt Angle. In the weeks before the match, Wight claimed to have "lost his dignity" when Angle tranquilized him in the middle of the ring using a dart gun and shaved his head (Wight retained his bald head until October 2005).
In 2005, Wight began pursuing the WWE Championship once more, challenging John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) to a barbed wire steel cage match at No Way Out 2005. After Wight chokeslammed JBL through the ring, Layfield managed to crawl to the outside, winning the match and retaining his title.
On April 3, 2005, at WrestleMania 21, Wight faced Sumo Wrestling Grand Champion Akebono in a worked sumo match that was added to the show to attract a strong pay-per-view audience in Japan, where Akebono is considered a sporting legend. In the weeks preceding the match, Wight pushed over a jeep driven to the ring by Luther Reigns to show that he was capable of moving the marginally heavier Akebono. Wight lost to Akebono at WrestleMania.
In May 2005 Wight suffered "injured ribs" on the right-hand side of his torso and was temporarily sidelined after Carlito Caribbean Cool's bodyguard Matt Morgan used the F-5 to drive him through the announcers' table (Carlito was displeased by Wight's refusal to become his bodyguard). On June 16, Wight and Morgan fought in a singles match. Following a distraction by Carlito, Morgan was able to knock Wight out of the ring. He then attempted to drive Wight through the announcers' table once again after Carlito hit Wight with a steel chair. Wight, however, managed this time to reverse the F-5 and shove Morgan into Carlito, then chokeslam Morgan through the table, gaining a measure of revenge. Wight's feud with Morgan continued on June 23 when Muhammad Hassan was drafted from RAW to SmackDown! and immediately booked by Theodore Long to face Wight as a punishment for his arrogance. Before the match, Morgan came to ringside, ostensibly to serve as a guest commentator. When the referee was knocked unconscious by an errant blow, Morgan attempted to hit Wight with a steel chair, but failed. As Wight dispatched Morgan, Hassan struck him in the head with Morgan's chair, enabling him to secure a victory.
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's 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.
On August 15 Wight defeated The Heart Throbs in a handicap match, easily overpowering his smaller opponents throughout the brief match. The following week, he continued his rivalry with Gene Snitsky by foiling Snitsky's harassment of backstage interviewer Maria. On August 29, Snitsky hit Wight with the ring bell immediately after Wight had won a match. As a result, Wight and Snitsky were placed in a match at Unforgiven 2005 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on September 18 in which Wight defeated Snitsky. On September 26, Wight defeated Snitsky again in a street fight.
On October 17, Wight defeated Edge and was thus entered in an online poll, with the winner of the poll facing John Cena and Kurt Angle in a triple threat match for the WWE Championship at Taboo Tuesday 2005 on November 1. The poll was won by Shawn Michaels, and Wight teamed with Kane (who had also been entered in the poll) to defeat Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch for the World Tag Team Championship.
In the weeks preceding the 2005 Survivor Series, Wight became involved in the rivalry between the RAW and SmackDown! brands. He and Kane invaded the November 11 episode of SmackDown! and, along with Edge, attacked Batista (inadvertently injuring him in the process). On the November 14 episode of RAW, a tribute to Eddie Guerrero (who had died the previous day), Wight and Kane defeated SmackDown! wrestlers and reigning WWE Tag Team Champions MNM in an inter-brand, non-title match. On November 21, Wight and Kane "injured" Batista by delivering a double chokeslam onto the windshield of a car. At Survivor Series, Wight, Kane, Carlito, Chris Masters and team captain Shawn Michaels, represented RAW in a match with Team SmackDown!; JBL, Rey Mysterio, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton and Batista. SmackDown! won the match, with Randy Orton the sole survivor.
Wight drew with Rey Mysterio in an inter-promotional match held on SmackDown! after Kane interfered and the match was declared a no-contest. Following the match, Wight and Kane attacked Mysterio until The Undertaker chased them from the ring. Wight and Kane returned to SmackDown! on December 2, defeating Mysterio and JBL after JBL abandoned the match, claiming the referee had poked him in the eye. Following the match, Wight and Kane's attempt to assault Mysterio was once again foiled, this time when Batista ran in to see them off. As a result, Wight and Kane were booked to face Batista and Mysterio at Armageddon 2005 on December 18. They won the match, which pitted the Tag Team Champions from each brand against one another.
On the December 12 episode of RAW, Wight took part in a qualifying match for a shot at the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution on January 8, 2006. Wight lost to his opponent, Shawn Michaels, by disqualification after Triple H hit Michaels with a chair, intentionally costing Wight the match and the title shot. In retaliation, Wight cost Triple H his qualifying match with Kane later that evening. On the December 26 episode of RAW, during the contract signing for the announced match between Wight and Triple H at New Year's Revolution, Triple H struck Wight in the hand that Wight apparently favors when using the chokeslam with his sledgehammer. The following week, Wight attacked Triple H while wearing a cast on his hand, using the padding provided by the cast to punch a hole in a chair held by Triple H, destroying a monitor from the announcers' table that Triple H intended to throw at him and chasing Triple H away from the ring. At New Year's Revolution, Triple H defeated Wight after striking him in the head with his sledgehammer.
Wight was one of eight participants in the 2006 Road to WrestleMania Tournament, the winner of which would receive a shot at the WWE Championship. In his first round match on February 6, Wight defeated Shelton Benjamin. On the February 13 episode of RAW, Wight faced Triple H in the tournament semi-finals in a match that ended in a double count out. As a result, Wight and Triple H faced Rob Van Dam (the winner of the opposing semi-finals) in a triple threat match to determine the winner of the tournament on the February 20 episode of RAW. The match was won by Triple H after he pinned Van Dam.
In the weeks following the tournament, Wight and Kane feuded with Chris Masters and Carlito, leading to a World Tag Team Championship title match being scheduled for WrestleMania 22. Wight and Kane defeated Carlito and Masters in the opening bout of WrestleMania 22, marking Wight's first victory at WrestleMania after suffering six defeats. On the following evening, Wight and Kane lost the World Tag Team Championship to Spirit Squad members Kenny and Mikey following copious interference from the other members of the Spirit Squad. They faced Spirit Squad members Johnny and Nicky in a rematch one week later, but lost via disqualification after Kane "snapped" and left the ring to attack the other members of the Spirit Squad. The ensuing feud between Kane and Wight culminated in a match at Backlash 2006 on April 30, 2006 that ended in a no contest.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
At WWE vs. ECW Head to Head on June 7, 2006, Wight defected to the Extreme Championship Wrestling brand of WWE by removing his RAW shirt to reveal an ECW shirt during a twenty man battle royal pitting members of the RAW and SmackDown! rosters against members of the ECW roster. Wight went on to win the match for ECW by eliminating Randy Orton over the ropes. Wight went on to appear at ECW One Night Stand 2006 on June 11, 2006, attacking Tajiri, Super Crazy and the Full Blooded Italians after their tag team match before becoming a regular performer in the brand's weekly show.
On the July 4, 2006 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, Wight defeated Rob Van Dam to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship with the assistance of Paul Heyman. The victory saw him become the first ever professional wrestler to hold the WWE Championship, WCW World Heavyweight Championship and ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Since then, Big Show has been beaten by the Undertaker, and would have been beaten by him and Kane for the championship if not for the Great Khali and Heyman respectively.
Wrestling facts
- Finishing and signature moves
- Chokeslam
- Cobra clutch / Cobra clutch backbreaker
- Alley Oop (Reverse powerbomb)
- Final Cut (Inverted facelock elbow drop)
- Hog Log (Inverted leg drop bulldog)
- Big boot
- Open handed slap
- Sidewalk slam
- Double chokeslam - with various tag team partners
- Managers
Championships and accomplishments
-
- Defeated Hulk Hogan by disqualification on October 29, 1995 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
- Stripped of title on November 6, 1995 due to his controversial victory
- Wight won at the age of twenty three, becoming the youngest man to become world heavyweight champion in either the WWF or WCW.
- WCW World Heavyweight Championship (2)
- Defeated Ric Flair on April 22, 1996 in Albany, Georgia, USA.
- Lost to Hulk Hogan on August 10, 1996 in Sturgis, South Dakota, USA.
- 1996 World War 3 winner.
- WCW World Tag Team Championship (with Lex Luger)
- Defeated The Outsiders on February 23, 1997 in San Francisco, California, USA.
- Titles given back to The Outsiders on February 24, 1997 by Eric Bischoff due to a technicality.
- WCW World Tag Team Championship (2) (with Sting)
- Defeated Kevin Nash and Scott Hall on May 17, 1998 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
- Vacated on June 4, 1998 when Sting and The Giant split up.
- WCW World Tag Team Championship (3) (with Scott Hall)
- Defeated Kevin Nash and Sting on July 20, 1998 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
- Lost to Rick Steiner and Kenny Kaos on October 26, 1998 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
-
- Defeated Kane and X-Pac on August 22, 1999 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
- Lost to Rock 'n' Sock Connection on August 30, 1999 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
- WWF World Tag Team Championship (2) - with The Undertaker
- Defeated Rock 'n' Sock Connection on September 7, 1999 in Albany, New York, USA.
- Lost to Rock 'n' Sock Connection on September 20, 1999 in Houston, Texas, USA.
- Defeated Triple H on November 14, 1999 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
- Lost to Triple H on January 3, 2000 in Miami, Florida, USA.
- Defeated Raven on February 25, 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
- Lost to Raven on March 19, 2001 in Albany, New York, USA.
- WWF Hardcore Championship (2)
- Defeated Rhyno on May 21, 2001 in San Jose, California, USA.
- Lost to Chris Jericho on May 28, 2001 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Defeated Spike Dudley on July 12, 2002 in Lakeland, Florida, USA.
- Lost to Bradshaw on July 12, 2002 in Lakeland, Florida, USA.
- WWE Championship (2)
- Defeated Brock Lesnar on November 17, 2002 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Lost to Kurt Angle on December 15, 2002 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
- Defeated Eddie Guerrero on October 19, 2003 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
- Lost to John Cena on March 14, 2004 in New York City, New York, USA.
- World Tag Team Championship (3) - with Kane
- Defeated Cade and Murdoch on November 1, 2005 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Lost to Spirit Squad on April 3, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
- Defeated Rob Van Dam on July 4, 2006 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Current
- Wight becomes the first man in history to win the WWF/E Championship, WCW World Heavyweight Championship, and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.
- 1996 Rookie of the Year
Acting career
Filmography
- Reggie's Prayer (1996) as "Mr. Portola"
- Jingle All the Way (1996) as "Huge Santa"
- McCinsey's Island (1998) as "Little Snow Flake"
- The Waterboy (1998) as "Captain Insano"
- Little Hercules in 3-D (2006) as "Marduk"
Television appearances
- Thunder in Paradise (1994)
- Figure It Out (1998) (slimed for "being very tall" and "looking up")
- Cousin Skeeter (March 18, 1999) in episode "Skeeter's Suplex"
- Saturday Night Live (March 18, 2000)
- The Cindy Margolis Show (September 8, 2000)
- Weakest Link (November 12, 2001)
- One on One (November 25, 2002 in episode "Is It Safe?" as "Miles"
- Saturday Night Live (April 13, 2002)
- TV total (April 29, 2002)
- MADtv (March 13, 2004)
- Player$ (2004) in episode "Barenaked Players"
- Star Trek: Enterprise (October 29, 2004) in episode "Borderland" as "Orion Slave Trader #1"
- Hogan Knows Best (2004-2005)
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 541 lb (245 kg). His shoe size is 22 5 E, his ring size is 22.5 and his chest is 64 in (163 cm) in circumference. 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 in college (Wichita State University), Wight played basketball, and 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.
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 before shoving him. Wight defended himself by punching the fan, shattering his jaw.
Wight has numerous tattoos, including a tiger on his right bicep and his wife's name on the back of his neck.
References
- The Big Show Interview: Armageddon, being big, and why bald is beautiful
- The Big Show revels in ring success
- The show must go on...
- Wight at The Smoking Gun
- Wight at ObsessedWithWrestling.com