The Big Show was recently interviewed by CBS San Francisco to discuss his remarkable physical transformation.

For many years, Big Show stated that he felt he had to maintain a certain heavy weight to fulfill the role of the Big Show character. By the time he was 12 years old, he was 6'2" and 220 pounds, and people were prejudging him and leaving him out of activities. However, these tough moments carved a personality that became popular in school. Big Show commented on feeling that he needed to fill a certain role with his character.

"For the longest time, I felt, to perform in my career, I had to be the Big Show," he said. "I had to be the biggest guy in the ring. I had to be 500 pounds, I had to be a giant."

However, as his career began to wind down, he started to reconsider having to maintain a certain look.

"As my career started winding down, so to speak, I realized I didn't need that any more. I didn't need that to be successful," Big Show explained. "I needed to be lighter, I needed to be in better shape. And it was just a personal challenge."

Big Show credits a conversation with John Cena to motivate him to change his diet and lose a significant amount of weight. Particularly, a conversation backstage at a WWE event the two had about the subject.

"The whole thing is John Cena's fault," said Big Show. "John Cena and I were watching the show in a monitor. Usually if you go to our shows, if John and I aren't working, we're sitting there watching the show together. John and I were just cracking jokes on each other, and I made the comment about a giant with abs, who'd want to see that? And John Cena looked me square in the eye and said, 'Yeah, a giant with abs. Who would want to see that?'

"And he walked off. But the way he said it, he challenged me that I couldn't do it. And it really upset me so bad that I got my act together that week and started in. It took me a little over a year and I dropped 90 pounds."

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Big Show stated that his path to success was all through diet, since he could not do an intense amount of cardio due to the recovery of his hip. Finding a good nutrition plan that worked for him was what he needed to start his transformation.

"I think that's the thing, you have to get a point in your mind where you can ask for diet advice, you can ask for meal plans," said Show. "You have to make a commitment in your mind that you're ready to do it. And it's a different journey for everyone. Sometimes some of us, I always associated food with comfort. Thanksgiving, holidays, family, you're having a bad day, you eat something good because it comforts you. You have to learn to find another way to comfort yourself and give yourself, basically give yourself a hug without giving yourself bad food that's gonna make you worse in the long run."

According to Big Show regarding Cena's reaction to his weight loss, "He gives me a thumbs up, you know. I know that John Cena loves me, though he'll never admit it in public, John Cena loves me. At least I think he does maybe? Possibly? Probably? Could be."

Source: CBS San Francisco