Having seen The Big Show last weekend at close distance I still cannot fathom how someone that big can handle the physicality of pro wrestling. I know it is staged and the outcomes are worked in advance. What I can’t get a grip on is how these guys travel over 300 days a year and perform night in and night out. The Big Show is a marvel to me.

Paul Wight was born February 8th, 1972 in Aiken, South Carolina. Wight was born with acromegaly, a disease of the endocrine system which never limits growth. Andre The Giant also had this but Wight had corrective surgery on his pituatary gland which halts progress. By the age of 12, Wight was 6’2″, weighed 220 and had chest hair. He attended Wichita State and played basketball there. In the Wichita State media guide, Wight was listed as 7’1″, with a shoe size of 22.5 E, a ring size of 22.5, and a chest 64 inches in circumference.

Wight got into pro wrestling when he signed with WCW in 1995 simply known as The Giant. His first-ever angle was interesting as he claimed to be the son of the deceased Andre The Giant and he was coming for Hollywood Hogan who killed his “father”. The Giant remained in WCW until 1999 when he opted to head to WWE. Wight debuted as Vince McMahons bodyguard in “The Corporation” stable. He was performing under the name Paul “The Great” Wight for a few weeks before being renamed The Big Show.

Big Show was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling by management to work on his fast-rising weight and cardio. He returned to WWE in 2001 and has been around ever since with brief abscences where weight seems to be an issue.

Big Show is the only wrestler in history to hold WWE, WCW, and ECW championship belts during his career.

The real name of Paul Wight has seen its share of legal headaches. In December of 1998, Wight was charged with exposing himself to a hotel clerk but not convicted due to a lack of evidence. In March of 1999, Wight was charged with assault for breaking a man’s jaw at a hotel. he judge found him not guilty.

Wight has a daughter with his first wife who he divorced in 2000. He remarried just five days after his divorce was settled and has been happy since.

The Big Show has been misused in the past by WWE. I can recall having to watch him job to people half his size (Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy). I also hated that WWE scripted Floyd Mayweather to beat him at Wrestlemania 24. If Show fought Mayweather in real life, he could squish him like a grape. McMahon has to keep some reality in his scripts because he is such a genetic freak.

Often compared to Andre The Giant, Big Show has never looked morbidly obese like Andre did near the end. He is a much better athlete and used to be able to moonsault off of the top rope.