Wanting to make his father laugh despite the different aspirations his father had envisioned for him, Paul Wight (formerly known as The Big Show) had the desire to become a pro wrestler because it was an interest that both he and his dad shared together. After losing his father, grandfather, and coach all within the same year, the former two-time WWE Champion realized his calling was to be in wrestling to honor his late father.
“It was just a real weird time in my life. I had lost my father, my grandfather, and my coach all in the same year,” Wight said in his interview with “10 Tampa Bay News.” “And I was a basketball player at Wichita State at the time, and I just kind of meandered. I sold cars, I bounty hunted. I did all these different things that big guys do. I had a buddy of mine, who wanted to get me a tryout for the [Chicago] Bears to play football. And we were just sitting around talking and he says, ‘What do you want to do?’ And I said you know, I don’t know if I’ll be any good at it, but my dad was a hardworking man…The only thing that we had in common sports-wise…my dad loved wrestling. And I think I’d like to try the wrestling thing.”
Wight’s fortuitous journey started in 1994. He ultimately became a big time name for companies like WCW, WWE, ECW (briefly), and AEW. Though he wouldn’t mind getting back in the ring from time to time, he’d much prefer spending his time backstage listening and advising the roster on where they want to go in their careers.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “WTSP-TV/10 Tampa Bay News” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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