Big Show, also known as Paul Donald Wight II, is a professional wrestler and performer from the United States who competes for World Wrestling Entertainment’s RAW brand at the moment. (WWE). He was working odd jobs when he encountered Danny Bonaduce, a South Carolina native who later introduced him to Hulk Hogan. Hogan was greatly impressed by Wight’s performance in the arena and brought up his name to a number of his coworkers, including Vice President of World Championship Wrestling Eric Bischoff. He debuted in professional wrestling in 1995 for WCW using the ring moniker “The Giant.” He joined the New World Order (nWo) stable during his time in the promotion, which in the late 1990s effectively dominated WCW programming. Wight switched to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), their main rival, in February 1999, and took on the ring moniker “Big Show.” Big Show became one of the most popular and successful professional wrestlers in the annals of sports entertainment over the following years. He has held the titles of WWF/WWE Champion, WWE World Heavyweight Champion, ECW World Heavyweight Champion, and WCW World Heavyweight Champion four times each. Wight made his acting début in the 1996 movie “Reggie’s Prayer” and has since made appearances in several other movies, such as “The Waterboy,” “MacGruber,” and “Countdown.”
Early Childhood & Life
In Aiken, South Carolina’s Aiken County’s largest metropolis and county seat, Paul Wight was born on February 8, 1972.
Wight experienced acromegaly, a condition in which the pituitary gland overproduces growth hormone, just like his hero André the Giant. He was already 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters) tall, weighed 220 pounds (100 kilograms), and had chest hair at the age of 12. Wight was 7 ft 1 in tall when he was 19 years old and competing for the Wichita State University basketball squad. (2.16 m).
Wight had a bright future as a competitor. He played on the basketball and American football teams at Wyman King Academy in Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina, where he attended secondary school.
On the football field, he was a tight end, and on the basketball floor, he was a star center. However, following a disagreement with the instructor, he decided to give up football. In his sophomore year, he joined the cheerleading group and continued to support the team.
Following his high school graduation, Wight temporarily enrolled in Tonkawa, Oklahoma’s Northern Oklahoma Junior College, where he played basketball. He moved from Northern Oklahoma to Wichita State University to enroll. Wight also participated in their basketball squad.
He attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville between 1992 and 1993, where he became a member of the Xi Beta Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and the NCAA Division II Cougars basketball squad.
A career in Professional Wrestling
After completing his schooling, Wight worked odd jobs like bouncing and bounty hunting. In addition, he was taking inquiries for a karaoke business. During this time, he and Danny Bonaduce first connected over a live amateur radio program competition. Bonaduce introduced Wight to Hulk Hogan.
Hogan recognized Wight’s potential after seeing him entertain the audience at a WCW promotional basketball game and later spoke with Eric Bischoff about him. Wight originally applied to join the WWF, but they turned him down because he lacked experience.
Then, he got in touch with Larry Sharpe’s Monster Factory and gave them $5,000 for instruction. Sharpe, however, was dealing with gout at the moment, so Wight wound up working with Johnny Polo.
Wight made his professional wrestling début on December 3, 1994, in Clementon, New Jersey, losing to WWA Heavyweight Champion Frank Finnegan. His only fight for the promotion also happened to be his first match in the WWA. He then inked a lucrative deal with WCW in 1995.
He was advertised as André the Giant’s son during the first few months of his employment with WCW, but that was soon dropped. At the 1995 Halloween Havoc, he competed in his first match for the company as The Giant against WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hogan. After winning the fight, he took home the championship belt and ruled for a few days before being stripped of it.
He entered the stable in 1996 and remained a member of the stable until December after engaging in a conflict with nWo members for several weeks. He attempted to face Hogan for the World Heavyweight title match during this time after winning the World War 3 battle royal. He was turned down and expelled from nWo. He then got into a famous argument with Kevin Nash.
By 1999, Wight had lost hope in his chances of joining the WCW. He allowed his contract with the promotion to expire after realizing that he was being paid considerably less than the main wrestlers. On his 27th birthday, February 8, 1999, he was declared a free agent.
Wight joined the WWF on February 9, 1999, after agreeing to a ten-year contract with the organization. He subsequently took on the ring name “Big Show.” At the 1999 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre: In Your House, he made his debut as a part of Vince McMahon’s stable, The Corporation.
He engaged in conflict with The Rock, Kane, The Undertaker, and McMahon himself in the ensuing months. He also temporarily allied with The Undertaker. Big Show defeated The Rock and Triple H to capture the WWF Championship for the first time at the 1999 Survivor Series.
In the months that followed, Big Show continued his feud with Triple H and The Rock and was one of the main attractions at WrestleMania 2000. Big Show held the title until January 3, 2000, when he lost it to Triple H. After that, he began a comedic persona in which he imitated other professional wrestlers.
He once belonged to a stable called “The Conspiracy.” He was then transferred to Ohio Valley Wrestling, a WWF training organization, to shed some pounds and strengthen his heart.
He returned at the 2001 Royal Rumble and was a key character in The Invasion plot. Big Show won over Brock Lesnar at the 2002 Survivor Series to win the WWE Championship for a second time. A month later, Kurt Angle won the title from him.
He defeated Eddie Guerrero to win the United States Championship at No Mercy in 2003. In a professionally staged sumo fight at WrestleMania 21, he lost to Japanese sumo legend Akebono.
He collaborated with Kane starting in October 2005. Initially forming a tag team, they would go on to capture the World Tag Team Championship. However, they would later begin a feud, which would lead to two no-contest matches.
On July 4, 2006, he captured the ECW World Heavyweight Championship as a member of WWE’s new ECW brand. However, he sustained several critical wounds during his time working for the company. He had to take some time off to recover. His WWE contract eventually came to an end.
He participated in one battle for Memphis Wrestling before joining WWE again and teaming up with Kane in 2011. He first claimed the World Heavyweight Championship at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in 2011. At the 2012 Hell in the Cell, he would regain the title that day after having lost it to Daniel Bryan. He has since taken part in the majority of the WWE’s main narratives, including The Authority plot.
He allegedly took a break from the sport of professional wrestling in September 2017 to undergo surgery, but he later made a comeback on April 4, 2018, to officially induct his lifelong friend Mark Henry into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Career in Acting
In the sports drama “Reggie’s Prayer” from 1996, Wight made his acting début as Mr. Portola. He also had the opportunity to work that year on the Christmas family action comedy-drama “Jingle All the Way,” which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, and Phil Hartman.
He made two cinematic appearances in 1998. He co-starred with Hulk Hogan in the action comedy “McCinsey’s Island” his debut film. Later, he played Captain Insano, Adam Sandler’s hero, in the hugely popular sports comedy “The Waterboy.” Little Hercules in 3-D, a family movie from 2006, was his subsequent release.
In the 2010 action comedy “MacGruber,” which was based on a “Saturday Night Live” sketch that itself was a parody of the 1985 program “MacGyver,” Wight was hired as Brick Hughes.
Wight portrayed Walter Krunk, the lead character, in the offensive farce “Knucklehead.” He featured as himself in “Countdown” and co-starred with Dean Cain in “Vendetta” (2015) in more recent years. (2016). In “The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania!” he also provided the voice for a character modeled on his persona in professional wrestling.’
Wight has appeared as a guest on some TV programs throughout his career, including “Shasta McNasty” (1999), “Star Trek: Enterprise” (2004), and “Psych.” (2013).
Bigger Works of Big Show
Big Show has taken part in several iconic bouts throughout his long and successful career. Unquestionably, his battle against The Undertaker at the 2008 No Mercy is his greatest match in terms of narrative development. Big Show ultimately defeated The Undertaker with ease.
Individual Life of Big Show
Paul Wight had an operation at the beginning of the 1990s, which stopped the growth of his pituitary gland. Due to the inconvenience his size created, he decided in 2005 to stop renting cars and flying. However, because of his line of work, he must travel frequently. He then hired a bus driver and leased a bus.
Wight has had two marriages. On Valentine’s Day in 1997, he wed Melissa Ann Piavis; they have a daughter together called Cierra. Their divorce was finalized on February 6, 2002, two years after they split in 2000. He wedded Bess Katramados, a woman, for the second time just five days later. Together, they are parents to two kids.