At 7 feet tall and nearly 500 pounds, Paul Wight's physicality is as show-stopping as his wrestling career (he's won every title WWE has to offer). Wight, a.k.a. Big Show recently visited Manila this week to meet the press and fans and promote WWE LIVE MANILA® where he will face John Cena. His recent visit, before he returns this September with fellow wrestling superstars, is to promote the one-night-only show, WWE LIVE MANILA®, happening at Mall of Asia Arena. Big Show also held a meet and greet session where fans got to have their photos taken with him and have him sign autographs.
The World’s Largest Athlete held an exclusive roundtable interview session with selected friends from the media at Conrad Hotel, Manila. Read on for the highlights of the Q&A with Big Show as he shares more about himself, professional wrestling, and the world of WWE. Spoiler alert: Big Show is not just the biggest, but also one of the kindest and funniest people around — totally different from the giant we see chokeslamming his opponents on the ring!
Question: Having been in the business for 21 years, what's it like watching generations pass by, watching the new crop of superstars come up?
Big Show: It's funny–I've been through attitudes, eras, invasions, brands… now this is the "new era." It's an exciting time for sports entertainment, for WWE. I think this is one of the–probably since the late 90s–the best crop of superstars we've had. There's a lot of talent in NXT, the women's division is absolutely amazing in NXT. You look at what the women's division has already done in WWE, with Charlotte and Becky Lynch and Sasha [Banks], and how they've just really changed the entire women's division… It's an exciting time. We've got brands splitting up now. We've got two distinct shows, there's going to be inter-company competition, that's always very good. Dedicated writing teams for each brand, a chance to see your favorite superstars, new superstars, get involved in some better angles and we all know that the angles of what the superstars are involved in is what endear them to your heart. It's how they make a connection to the WWE universe.
I like to see a lot of guys up and running, you know? I'm looking for big things with Enzo and Cass, from Corbin–I really like [Baron] Corbin a lot. I know he won the Battle Royal Wrestlemania [Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal] but I've been on the field on a lot of the shows he's worked and Corbin does a lot of little things right, he's still got a ways to go, but he does little things that seasoned guys do. He does it already. If you've been in the business and you understand it, and you watch the kid move, you know what I'm talking about. Big Cass has a huge future ahead of him, him and Enzo are great. I look forward to seeing what those guys bring to the table. We've got Finn Bálor coming up. It's gonna be an exciting time. I mean, we've got the Cruiserweight Championship [Cruiserweight Classic, a 32-man tournament for participants from around the world] — you guys watching that? That's actually insane, right? And I come from the era of Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero and Chavo, and Billy Kidman… All those guys were just amazing 190-pound guys back then. So this Cruiserweight tournament is fantastic.
How do you stay on top of your game given the rigors of your profession?
How do I stay on top of my game? Well I've only got three moves, so it's not like I gotta remember much. I'm a monkey that way–I've got a chop, a chokeslam and a K.O. punch! [Gives thumbs-up] I'm like Rambo, you drop me off in the jungle with a knife and I'm good. For me, the biggest thing that I had to deal with the past few years has been wear and tear. I've had three knee surgeries on my left knee, PCL and ACL on my left knee. I've had bone on bone, so I've had to have microfracture on this. I've had a torn labrum on my left hip two years ago; I've herniated the L4, L5 discs on my back. I've had S1 spinal injury which caused a little atrophy so it's hard for me to–when I'm really tired I tend to limp, because my left foot stops working. I've torn rotator cuffs on my shoulders, I've got arthritis on my elbows. I've broken my hand two dozen times… You ask me if I would do it all over again? Absolutely in a heartbeat.
For me, I have a little saying 'motion is lotion.' I do a lot of swimming, a lot of biking, most of my workouts are very rep-conscious. Prime example, on the bench I'll do 135 for 50 reps, I'll do 185 for 35 reps, I'll do 225 for 25 reps. And I don't usually go much heavier than 225, because you know–hey, I can do 315, I can probably do 405, but it's just too heavy. I try keep all my reps high and keep everything moving and loose. Besides, they say that the 40s is the new 30, and 60 is the new 40–whatever thing that people say to lie about themselves that we're all getting younger. Luckily, there's a lot of good fish oils and all that healthy stuff out there that's making us still move. I think if you eat right–common sense–be flexible, stay mobile. You'll live a happy life.
If you could be Vince McMahon for a day, what would you do?
Check myself in for therapy. [Everyone laughs] Vince McMahon, I have been with him 17, 18 years. He is like a father in the respect that he challenges you and he pushes you. He will piss you off, but at the end of the day, yes–does it work out well for WWE? Yes, but it also works out well for me personally. Vince has challenged me since I came into this business to be a better superstar, better businessman, better husband, better father. If he likes you, he's pretty hard on you–he must love me because he's always on my ass everyday. It's been like that since day one, so I assume he loves me.
He's brilliant. I don't know how else to put it. He's crazy, there's no doubt about it. I mean, he has his eccentricities that I guess all billionaires have, or else they won't be billionaires if there weren't a little bit weird, you know? If I was a billionaire I would have a midget playing the violin around me, I guess it'd be cool wherever I went, you know? And even if I was terrible at school no one would say anything to me because I'm a billionaire and I have a midget playing the violin. It's like you know, it's my mood music. [Laughs]
But when you've got someone that has the vision that he has, and the ability to understand human emotion and human psychology and the pulse of America, and when to change the business and modify the business for the current times… He's always been able to do things, I can't tell how many times he's done things that I'm like, "That'll never work, you're outta your mind." And six months later, yup, that worked, you're right! That's happened so many times that I can't even begin to count. I will say that working with him as long as I have, I've learned to just nod my head and say "Okay!" What I can see, isn't what he's seeing. That's why he has the vision, that's why he has a drive, and that's why we have the global powerhouse that we have now.
And we've got a lot of people that contribute–we've got one of the most brilliant people ever in this business: Triple H is now really involved in it. I've known Paul [Levesque] since my WCW days, and he was a real student of the business back then, like he understood athletes, he understood psychology, and now that he is in a position [Triple H is WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events & Creative] of building the future generations with what he's doing with NXT, and some of the things he's even doing with independent companies that aren't even part of WWE. He's helping a lot of independent companies and helping them build their reputation, so the guys are trying to work in their territories because they know Triple H is looking for NXT guys in this territory, or that territory.
What Paul's doing is he's trying to build an industry where the sports entertainment athlete is protected on all grounds. We have athletic trainers, we have orthopedic doctors on staff, we have training facilities. Our performance center in Orlando is the most ridiculously wonderful, amazing thing ever–for learning how to compete, for learning how to cut promos, from learning how to wrestle in front of a crowd, learning how to wrestle in a TV show, to rehabilitating sports injuries. The medical staff there in Orlando, the equipment, and the sports medicine trainers–literally, if you have a surgery, you go to the performance center in Orlando, you're in your environment, you're in around your people. So they're not looking at you and saying "Oh that's that weirdo wrestler, he's here." No, you're in your group, your family and you get on track, you get healthier, and you get back faster. So to see from where our business started years ago when guys used to tape our own ankles and you know, you get whacked in the head, your ears are ringing and you're just like, you know, "Oh I can't drive tonight I got hit in the head." Now we do concussion testing, they offer financial advice classes, and they go out of their way to protect the athlete like never before.
I think that's one thing that WWE really doesn't get the credit for and it should. From where our business started many years ago, when I got in it being carnival business, to not knowing if you're going to get money from which promoters, to a business now of entire athletes protected now from insurance to heart check-ups, to computers testing concussions, bloodwork done 3 times a year, I mean, there's so much available to the athletes… They're able to complete online degrees. They've really gone out of the way to build a legit superstar athlete and build that superstar's brand. From the infant stages from where this business started, to where it is now? I can only imagine where it's going in the future. These kids right now that are coming out are so lucky to be a part of this. With social media and all the access and all the tools we have now, to communicate to our WWE fans, to our universe. These kids are right in the heart of it. I can't imagine what kind of stars they're gonna be 20 years from now.
Do you see yourself as a role model to these young superstars?
Do I see myself as a role model? Well, I'm asked that question a lot. I don't think any celebrity should be a role model. I really don't. I mean, I'm a role model for my kid. I'm her father. When I walk through the door, Big Show stops at the front door and Dad is when he walks through the front door. I think a lot of parents that have kids nowadays — everybody'd be a lot better off if they did the job of being a role model for their kids and being their parents. My dad was my hero growing up, I didn't have any other role model. I wanted to be like him. So, as far as myself being a role model? Okay, if somebody thinks I am doing the right thing, thank you, I appreciate it. But I would like for parents to be role models to their kids, you know? Spend your time with your kid. I mean, I travel a lot, I get it–both parents have to work, time is tough. Find time to spend with your kid. If you find time, trust me, it will mean the world to your kid. Find the time.
Who do you think will win in a fight: Son Goku from Dragonball or Superman?
Oooh… You're talking to the wrong guy, because Imma pick Superman over anybody. Unless you got kryptonite, what can you do against Superman? Nothing! Nothing! I mean, Batman, if he didn't have kryptonite, okay, he's Bat "can" food! "Batman's better!" Batman?! Batman, no! Superman! Okay? Superman. That's everything! Like, the key to the Fortress of Solitude is a hundred million tons! What do you want?! It's a compressed star! Like, really? Superman! Yeah, I'm with Superman.
Let's talk about you being part of nWo. How cool was it being part of nWo?
nWo? Man, I'm old. I don't remember… That was like 20 years ago, what are you talking about?! nWo, I'm like the fourth nWo member that nobody remembers. So it's Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, and X-Pac… Like, really? I was there too! …It was funny because that whole time period was really insane and crazy in a creative way. And I remember Scott and Kevin were just like, "Well, we can't beat you, so why wouldn't we put him in the group?" And I'm like, "Okay," because you remember they beat me up one week and also the next week I joined the nWo. Politically they were smart enough to put me on their team and that way they didn't have to put me over. It was good business, it was fun, they were exciting times. I remember when we first started, it was really shock in the business 'cause Kevin and Scott did things that nobody did. They were cool heels. Like the old days, the heel is a jerk, always took the butt of the jokes, always made the babyface look good. Scott and Kevin were barely babyfaces. If they weren't cool, they weren't gonna fake it. Like, no bro, you're a nerd, deal with it. I remember getting out on the limos one time, there used to be one limo that Scott, Kevin, X-Pac and I got. And then one day we pull up to Nitro, and there's like five limos and there's like 40 guys getting out and we're like, "Who's left in WCW? Sting?" I'm going back to the other side again!
So yeah, it was a crazy time for the business because the changed the rules of the game. They made it possible for, I think, Scott and Kevin made it possible for heels to actually really be likeable and cool. I mean, we still loved our Roddy Piper heels, we loved our Rick Rudin heels, but they were still heels. Scott and Kevin added a more real dynamic to it, they were bad guys that had a personality that you liked about them, which gave way for rougher babyfaces. Like Stone Cold. Nothing that Stone Cold did was babyface! I mean, he flipped the crowd the bird, he drank beer, he slung mudholes at people, he cut promos. None of that was your standard white meat babyface stuff, but worked out well for him because it felt real to them. Scott and Kevin and nWo felt real to them, that transitions over to our business now. A lot of the guys do stuff, and the fans resonate to it because it feels real to them.
Do you enjoy it more as a heel [villain] or a face [good guy]?
I think I have more fun as a bad guy because I think I'm better at it. I think I do a great job of making people hate me. Either that or people just don't like me to begin with. [laughs] I think it's easier for me to tell the David and Goliath story. All our matches, if you do it right, has a beginning, a middle, and an end just like a play. There's a shine, there's a heat , there's a comeback, there's a finish. I think for me being as big as I am, I can tell that story when I'm beating up John Cena–you actually think John Cena is in trouble, hey we need to cheer for him. If I'm beating up Roman Reigns, you go, hey, we need to cheer for Roman, he's in trouble! You know what I mean? You can see that. If I'm getting beat up, they go–hey, Big Show needs to get his ass up! What's he getting beat up for? [laughs] So it's harder for me to get the fans' sympathy, because if I get beat up, it's like, "Oh, he's lazy today."
It's been a unique relationship. Creatively you guys know me, my character's basically this schizophrenic, so I can turn heel. Yeah, I dunno how many times I've flipped! I mean, somebody said I have more turns than a NASCAR! I'd like to think of it as that I'm a versatile role player. Here's the thing, I'm very proud of the fact that Arn Anderson is one of my mentors and one of my very very dear friends. And Arn Anderson tells me all the time, I'm a victim of my own success. "It's the dumbest thing you ever did, kid, was that you learned how to work," that got me thinking I was like, yeah, when I didn't know crap, I beat everybody. Once I learned how to work, I didn't beat anybody.
You know, not being funny, but I'm proud of the fact that whatever role I need to do, I've been there for 21 years, I can go out right now, I can turn a crowd and I can be a heel, and I can get a babyface over, or I can go out and smile and wave, and shake my butt and be a big friendly giant. It just depends on whatever needs to be done at that time. So I'm thankful for my versatility, I think it's given me a long career, it's definitely giving me an exciting career–you show up every Monday and you don't know what you're doing. It's like you're walking in front of a firing squad. Are you going to be shot today or not? What's going on today, am I a good guy or a bad guy or I don't know… I remember one week I wrestled John Cena on Raw, and 3 days later I wrestled CM Punk in a cage in like 3 days later. And I'm like"But I just wrestled Cena!" "Yeah I know, we need a babyface opponent to wrestle CM Punk in Seattle," so I had to go to Seattle and be a babyface. When I just beat the stars out of Cena earlier. I was confused by the end of the week, I didn't know whether to yay or boo myself.
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WWE returns to the Philippines with WWE LIVE MANILA® on Friday, 9 September at the Mall of Asia Arena. Tickets can be purchased online (www.smtickets.com) or by calling the SM Tickets customer hotline (+632 470 2222), or by visiting any SM Tickets outlet. WWE programming, including Raw®, SmackDown®, Main Event™, NXT™, WWE Superstars™, Vintage™, BottomLine™, AfterBurn™, WWE Experience™ and This Week™, airs every week on FOX Philippines.
