The Big Show

Paul Randall Wight, Jr. (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling on its SmackDown! brand, under the ring name, (The) Big Show. He is also known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as The Giant. Wight is the only man in professional wrestling history to win the WWE, WCW and ECW Championships.

Professional wrestling 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. Discovered in 1994 by Jim Strauser, owner of a Karaoke distributorship, Strauser viewed Wight as a potential NFL prospect and flew him back to Chicago. Wight showed little interest in Football but expressed interest in professional wrestling. Strauser then contacted Bonaduce, who hosted a Chicago radio show, and arranged for the meet up between Wight and Hogan. Wight trained under Larry Sharpe at Sharpe's Monster Factory for seven months and then signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in March 1995. 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 Bash at the Beach in 1995. He introduced himself as "the Giant", claiming to be the son of André the Giant and blaming Hogan for the death of his "father".'Hulk Hogan shot Andre in the chest and went to jail for 12 years'. 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 Fall Brawl, Wight attacked Hogan while he was fighting the leader of the Dungeon of Doom, Kevin Sullivan, in a steel 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. 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.[5] 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 finish of the match.

Wight tried to reclaim the title at World War 3 but was foiled by Hogan, and Randy Savage won the vacant title. 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 won the World Heavyweight Championship a second time by defeating Ric Flair. After Hogan formed the New World Order, he defeated Wight for the Championship at 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. Wight was thrown out of the nWo on December 30 for asking Hogan for a World Heavyweight Championship title shot. He 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. 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 a run-in by Scott Hall and Eric Bischoff.

Unhappy with his remuneration, Wight allowed his WCW contract to expire on February 8, 1999.

World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment (1999–2006)

1999–2000

Wight signed a ten-year contract with the World Wrestling Federation on February 9, 1999. He debuted as a member of Vince McMahon's 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. Wight subsequently served as McMahon's bodyguard.

Wight performed as "Big Nasty" Paul Wight for several weeks before being renamed "Big Show" Paul Wight. He then gradually dropped his real name, eventually being 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 Mankind at WrestleMania XV for the right to referee the main event. Wight incapacitated Mankind, but got disqualified in the process, meaning that neither man would be referee. After a furious McMahon slapped Wight, he punched McMahon. 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 The Corporate Ministry. Wight and The Undertaker later formed an unlikely alliance against X-Pac and Kane. 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. 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. He pinned Triple H in the 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 interrupted the ten bell toll by reciting an offensive poem. Later, he 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. At 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 Championship, using a title shot that he had won from Vince McMahon at Armageddon. Trying to regain the title, Wight participated in the 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 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 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 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. When Shane voiced his disapproval of Big Show's antics, Wight began feuding with his former manager. At Judgment Day 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. Instead, he attacked The Undertaker and sided with Shane, forming a short-lived stable known as "The Conspiracy" with Shane, Chris Benoit, Edge, Kurt Angle, and Christian. After The Undertaker threw Wight through a table, he was removed from WWF television for the remainder of the year. Wight was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling, a WWF developmental territory, to lose weight and improve his cardiovascular fitness.

2001–2003

Wight returned at the 2001 Royal Rumble, but 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, Wight remained loyal to the WWF. He faced Shane McMahon, the on-screen owner of WCW, in a last man standing match at Backlash 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 joined the newest incarnation of the New World Order, feuding with Steve Austin, 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.

In late 2002, Wight was traded to SmackDown!. Upon arriving on SmackDown!, Wight immediately challenged WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. He became a two-time WWE Champion and a four time World Champion (first two being the WCW Championship) when he defeated Lesnar in Madison Square Garden at the Survivor Series, after Brock's manager Paul Heyman turned on him. He lost the title to Kurt Angle a month later at Armageddon.

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. He then renewed his feud with Brock Lesnar and wrestled him four times for the WWE title (including a Stretcher match at Judgment Day) but was unsuccessful 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 Big Show as the man who retired Hogan at Madison Square Garden (where the six-man tag team match was held). In a twist of irony, at No Mercy Wight defeated Eddie Guerrero for the WWE United States Championship and then formed an alliance with the then WWE Champion Brock Lesnar; he abandoned a departing Lesnar immediately before WrestleMania XX. At WrestleMania XX, Wight lost the United States Championship to John Cena.

2004–2005

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. Paul Wight was not seen nor heard from on WWE television for months.

In mid-2004, Wight was reinstated by new General Manager Theodore Long, Wight returned two weeks earlier than his promo made out he was coming back. He returned during a lumberjack match between Eddie Guerrero & Kurt Angle and beat down everyone in his path. At No Mercy, Wight 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 to a barbed wire steel cage match at No Way Out. After Wight chokeslammed Layfield 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 Grand Champion Akebono in a worked sumo match; the match 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. Wight subsequently feuded with Carlito Caribbean Cool and his bodyguard, Matt Morgan.

On June 27, 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 returned to his rivalry with Snitsky. On August 22, he foiled 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 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 on November 1. The poll was won by Shawn Michaels, meaning that the other two options would wrestle for the Tag Team Titles. Wight teamed with Kane 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).[citation needed] On the November 14 episode of RAW, 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 Orton being 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 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 steel 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.

2006

Subsequently, 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. 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 RVD.

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 on April 30, 2006 that ended in a no contest.

At WWE vs. ECW Head to Head on June 7, Wight jumped to the returning ECW brand; he removed 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. Wight went on to appear at One Night Stand on June 11, attacking Tajiri, Super Crazy, and the Full Blooded Italians after their tag team match.

On the July 4, 2006 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, Wight beat Rob Van Dam (RVD) to win the ECW World Championship with the assistance of ECW's General Manager Paul Heyman, who declined to make the three-count for Van Dam after RVD hit his signature Five Star Frog Splash on the Big Show. Heyman then instructed Big Show to chokeslam RVD onto a steel chair, before making the three-count. The fans almost rioted when Wight became the ECW World Champion, throwing drinks and empty cups into the ring, as Heyman and Wight celebrated.[9] The victory made him the first ever professional wrestler to hold the WWE Championship, WCW World Heavyweight Championship, and ECW Championship. He is also the first non ECW Original to hold the ECW title. Over the next several weeks, Wight defeated many other wrestlers from other brands, such as Ric Flair, Kane, and Batista to retain his championship. However, he lost to Undertaker at the Great American Bash in the first ever Punjabi Prison match; he was a substitute for The Great Khali, who was removed by SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long and replaced 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 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, 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 due to a major double team with Lashley. 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 Championship. At the event, when it was Lashley's turn to come out of his pod, Paul Heyman had his men keep Bobby Lashley in his pod. Due to that, Lashley had to use his table to break out of the top of the pod. Later on, Lashley speared The Big Show and pinned him to win the match and claim the ECW Championship, after busting Wight open by breaking one of the plexiglass pods with the Big Show's face.

On December 6, following an unsuccessful rematch, WWE.com announced that Wight was taking time off from the ring to heal injuries he has sustained during wrestling in ECW. In an interview he said "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".

PMG Clash of Legends (2007)

In his sole wrestling match during his 15 month hiatus from WWE, Wight wrestled Hulk Hogan at the Memphis Wrestling independent event PMG Clash of Legends on April 27, 2007 in Memphis, Tennessee, losing following a leg drop. The bout was presented as a "rematch" of the March 29, 1987 match between Hogan and André the Giant at WrestleMania III, which Hogan won in a similar fashion. In a press conference on April 12, Wight announced that he had reduced his weight by 60 lb (27 kg/4.3 st) since leaving WWE and had given up smoking. When referred to as "Big Show", Wight stated that this was his "slave name" and that he was to be referred to as Paul "The Great" Wight ("Great White") Wight subsequently began training at the Phantom Boxing Club in Miami with the intent of becoming a professional boxer.

Return to WWE (2008–Current)

Wight returned to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under his last used ring name (The) Big Show, at No Way Out, stating that he had lost 108 pounds. He then got into a kayfabe physical confrontation with boxer Floyd Mayweather which was originally thought to had led to Wight receiving a broken nose, however, information coming from within the WWE has advised this was not the case. The confrontation occurred after Big Show threatened to give Rey Mysterio a chokeslam. On February 22, Big Show was then assigned to work on the SmackDown! brand after attacking Mysterio. (Credit: Wikipedia).

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