Paul Wight

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Paul Wight Flag of United States
Statistics
Ring name(s) (The) Big Show
(The) Giant
Giant Jay
Paul Bunyon
Paul Wight
Billed height 7 ft 0 in (213 cm)
Billed weight 507 lb (229 kg)
Born February 8, 1972
Aiken, South Carolina, United States
Resides Tampa, Florida, United States
Billed from Parts Unknown (as Shonan the Barbarian)
Trained by Larry Sharpe
WCW Power Plant
Debut July 16, 1995

Paul Randall Wight, Jr. (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as (The) Giant and with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as (The) Big Show. [1]

Contents

Career

World Championship Wrestling (1995-1999)

Born in Aiken, South Carolina, Wight became involved in professional wrestling when Danny Bonaduce introduced him to Hulk Hogan at a charity basketball event in early 1994. Wight trained under Larry Sharpe at 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[citation needed].

Wight debuted in WCW during Bash at the Beach 1995. He introduced himself as Giant, claiming to be the son of André the Giant, and blaming Hogan for the death of his "father". This angle was intensely criticized by WWF owner (and then competitor) Vince McMahon, who stated that besides the fact that André and Wight weren't related, André himself never had a son.

Wight 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, Kevin Sullivan, in a cage match. After Wight destroyed Hogan's Harley-Davidson Motorcycle using a monster truck, Hogan challenged him to a "Monster Truck Battle" at Halloween Havoc in Detroit, Michigan.

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 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 VI.

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 joined 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 Starrcade 1997. 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 eventually ended 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 / Entertainment (1999-2006)

Wight signed a multi-year contract with the WWF in early 1999. It was rumored for months on the internet that he would debut as "Titan" but plans for that name were scrapped because the WWF was planning on changing Titan Sports to WWF Entertainment later that summer[citation needed]. 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. Steve Austin cage match, Wight tore through the canvas from underneath 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 Wight 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 would gradually drop his real name, and eventually referred to simply as "The Big Show", sometimes shortened to simply "Big Show". McMahon wanted to ensure that Corporation member The Rock would retain his title at WrestleMania, so he had Wight face Mick Foley (Mankind) at WrestleMania XV 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 The Undertaker later formed an unlikely alliance against X-Pac and Kane, with Wight making his second heel run in the process. Wight and The Undertaker twice won the WWF Tag Team Championship.

When The Undertaker was sidelined with injuries, Wight set his sights on the WWF Championship, turning face again. 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 Championship, where he pinned Triple H in a match that also featured The Rock to become champion.

At the same time, Wight feuded with the 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 by reciting an offensive poem, 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 Bossman to taunt him by exclaiming "You're a big nasty bastard, Paul Wight, and your momma said so!". 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 Bossman's 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. This also was the start of the Big Show's third heel run. 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 for the third time. 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, complete with skullcap/wig and yellow tights. "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, taunting him with the Tex Avery-inspired taunt of "Which way did he go?". 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 made his fourth heel run and turned on the current face, Undertaker and sided with Shane and formed a short-lived stable known as "The Conspiracy" with Shane, then heel, Chris Benoit, Edge, then WWE heel, Kurt Angle and then WWE star, 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.[citation needed]

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 and turned face for the fourth time. 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.

Wight was the number six pick of Ric Flair (representing the RAW brand) in the March 25, 2002 draft. He made his second to last heel run 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 traded to SmackDown!. Upon arriving on SmackDown!, Wight immediately challenged WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, whom he defeated in Madison Square Garden at the 2002 Survivor Series, after Lesnar's manager Paul Heyman turned on Lesnar, thus becoming a two-time World Champion. He lost the title to Kurt Angle a month later at Armageddon 2002.

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 Rey Mysterio and then renewed his feud with Brock Lesnar whom he had 4 matches against for the WWE title (including a Stretcher match at Judgment Day 2003) but was unsuccesful in his attempt to regain the title. On the June 26, 2003 edition of SmackDown! Wight, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas defeated Mr. America (Hulk Hogan), Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle in a six-man tag team match when Show pinned Mr. America. This was Hogan´s last WWE appearance as Mr. America. For several months afterwards, WWE hyped up The Big Show as the man who retired Hogan at Madison Square Garden (where the six-man tag team match was held), in order to give The Big Show some more credibility. In a twist of irony, The Big Show was first discovered by Hogan himself and in 1995 was pushed as a major threat to Hogan's WCW Championship reign. At No Mercy 2003 Wight defeated Eddie Guerrero for the WWE United States Championship and then formed an alliance with the then WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, but abandoned a departing 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.Then-General Manager of Smackdown! Kurt Angle ascended the ledge to try and talk some reason into Wight, but Wight chokeslammed Angle off the ledge, concussing him and (kayfabe) breaking his leg. He was "fired" as a result.

In mid-2004, Wight was reinstated by new General Manager Theodore 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 turned 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 instead 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 opinion 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 as 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.

Big Show performings at the Christmas 2005 Tribute to the Troops show in Afghanistan.
Big Show performings at the Christmas 2005 Tribute to the Troops show in Afghanistan.

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 jumped to the returning ECW brand by removing his RAW shirt to reveal an ECW shirt during a twenty man battle royal including members of the RAW and SmackDown rosters against members of the ECW roster. He went on to win the match for ECW by eliminating Randy Orton over the ropes. Wight went on to appear at One Night Stand on June 11, 2006, attacking Tajiri, Super Crazy and the Full Blooded Italians after their tag team match, thus turning heel once again.

On the July 4, 2006 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, Wight beat Rob Van Dam to win the ECW World Championship with the assistance of ECW's General Manager Paul Heyman. The victory made him the first ever professional wrestler to hold the WWE Championship, WCW World Heavyweight Championship and ECW World Championship. Over the next several weeks, Wight defeated many other wrestlers from other brands, such as Ric Flair, Kane, Batista and The Undertaker to retain his championship. However, he lost to Undertaker at the Great American Bash in the first ever Punjabi Prison match, acting as a substitute for The Great Khali, who was removed by Theodore Long and replaced Khali with Wight as punishment for an attack on The Undertaker shortly before the match. He also had a brief feud with Sabu, whom he defeated at SummerSlam.

Soon after, he joined Vince and Shane McMahon in feuding against D-Generation X. At Unforgiven, Wight and the McMahons were defeated by DX in the first ever Handicap Hell in a Cell match.

On November 5, 2006 at Cyber Sunday he faced John Cena and King Booker in a Champion of Champions match. The fans voted for King Booker's World Heavyweight Championship to be on the line. Booker won the match following interference from Kevin Federline, who was just beginning a feud with Cena at the time.

At Survivor Series 2006, Cena wrestled Big Show in a traditional 10 Man Survivor Series Tag Team Match, with Cena and ECW newcomer Bobby Lashley leaving as the sole survivors of the match after Cena pinned Big Show to claim the victory.

Wight then began a feud with Lashley, who left SmackDown! to join the ECW brand to participate in the Extreme Elimination Chamber match at December to Dismember for the ECW World Championship. At the event, Lashley pinned Wight to win the match and claim the ECW Championship.

On December 6, 2006, following an unsuccessful rematch, WWE.com announced that Wight is taking time off from the ring to heal injuries he has sustained during wrestling in ECW. In an interview he said quote, "I’m a raw-boned bastard that breaks things and moves the immovable objects. When I’m injured, I can’t do those things. I’m much more valuable healthy both mentally and physically, and this hiatus will help me to get there." At the end of February, Wight´s contract with WWE expired and was not renewed by Wight´s choice.[citation needed]

Wrestling facts

Wight chokeslamming The Heart Throbs.
Wight chokeslamming The Heart Throbs.
  • Finishing and signature moves
Wight performing an abdominal stretch on John Cena.
Wight performing an abdominal stretch on John Cena.
  • Nicknames
  • Big Nasty
  • The Big Nasty Bastard
  • The Extreme Giant
  • The World's Largest Athlete

Championships and accomplishments

Wight as ECW World Champion.
Wight as ECW World Champion.
  • PWI ranked him # 137 of the best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.
  • PWI Rookie of the Year Award (1996)
  • PWI Wrestler of the Year Award (1996) - The first rookie to be named Wrestler of the Year.

Note: Wight is the only individual to have held the ECW, WCW and WWE (World Heavyweight) Championships.

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

Personal life

Like 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. Wight was last measured in 1991 when he was listed at 6 ft 11 in, as a member of the Wichita State University Basketball team at age 19. 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.

Wight played basketball and football in high school at Wyman King Academy in Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina. He was a standout center for the basketball and tight end for the football team. While at (Wichita State University), Wight played basketball, and was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Wight also attended Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville from 1992-93 and was a member of NCAA Division II Cougars basketball team. During his one year at SIUE, he scored a total of 39 points for the Cougars in limited action [1].

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 performed on an episode of WCW Monday Nitro at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island. Later that night, he 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 left and right biceps and his wife's name on the back of his neck.

He has featured in commercials for Stacker 2 with drivers Kenny Wallace and Scott Wimmer, crew chief Jeff Hammond, and 2002 and 2005 Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart.

References

  1. ^ The Show Must Go On - Wrestling Digest

External links

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