Paul Wight (born February 8, 1972 in Tampa, Florida), best known by his ring names of The Big Show or simply The Giant, is a professional wrestler currently working for WWE on the SmackDown! brand.
He stands 7'2" tall (2.15 m) and weighs approximately 470 pounds (220 kg). However, unlike his famous predecessor, André the Giant, he does not have acromegaly or "gigantism." He is simply a very large man; however, he does suffer from the same condition that was to eventually claim Andre the Giant's life. He underwent successful surgery in the early 1990s on his pituitary gland, which halted the progress of this condition.
Wight made his professional wrestling debut in 1995 with WCW, and won his first WCW World Title in April 1996 at the age of 24, becoming the youngest man to become the top champion in either WWE or WCW. He also held the WCW World Tag Team titles with both Sting and Scott Hall in 1998 before joining the WWF in early 1999.
He won his first WWF World Title in November 1999, and has since held another World title (in 2002) as well as the WWF World Tag Team titles (with The Undertaker in 1999), the United States title, and the Hardcore title.
In recent storylines, he was responsible for disabling wrestler Kurt Angle, by chokeslamming him off a ledge. Due to his then-enraged attitude, he was fired from SmackDown! but returned in mid-2004 by instruction of new General Manager Theodore R. Long.
During No Mercy 2004, he fought Angle. This came about after he "lost his dignity" when Angle tranquilized him in the middle of the ring, like an animal, and shaved his head.
On April 3, 2005, at WrestleMania 21, Wight faced Sumo Wrestling Grand Champion Akebono in a sumo style match that was added to the show to attract a strong pay per view audience in Japan, where Akebono is considered a sports legend. The match itself wasn't pretty and Big Show was forced to job to the guest performer, but Wight appeared to take the loss in stride.
Wight is well-known behind the scenes and in the media for his easygoing, affable nature and his sharp sense of humor. In October 2004, he made a well-publicized cameo as an alien slave trader in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Borderland."
Signature and finishing maneuvers
Last updated: 09-03-2005 18:37:12
