For almost 20 years, Paul Donald Wight II has been towering over WWE competitors as the seven-foot, near-500lb villain-turned hero The Big Show - but despite his famous physique, he was unhappy with his size.

That's why the self-styled World's Largest Athlete has been on a months-long quest to slim down and tone up, one that's seen him shaving 70lbs off his massive frame.

But the 45-year-old admits that as a harsh critic of himself - and someone who doesn't lose weight easily - it was a struggle until a joke from John Cena put him on the right path.

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Showing off: Paul Wight II, aka WWE's The Big Show, is famous for his round physique (left in 2008). But now he's giving himself a tighter body (right this year), and has lost a massive 70lbs

Pound for pounding: Wight's personal trainer Dodd Romero (left) helped him. But he says the biggest factor is a controlled diet and proper exercise. He exercises daily when not working

'John’s always been a very committed athlete,' Wight told WWE.com. 'John sets the bar pretty high for every Superstar, and I'm not just kissing his butt because he's John Cena.'

He continued: 'He's a hell of an individual, and we were joking one day. We were talking about getting in shape and I said, "Ah, what the hell is a giant gonna do with abs?"

I said, 'Ah, what the hell is a giant gonna do with abs?'



John [Cena] looked at me with a straight face and said, 'Yeah. A giant with abs. That wouldn't be marketable at all.'



And he walked off.

'And John looked at me with a straight face and said, "Yeah. A giant with abs. That wouldn't be marketable at all." And he walked off.

'It was kind of a shot, but [later] John reached out and congratulated me on the work I’ve done. That meant a lot. To have that respect from him was a big boost.'

Wight, who joined WWE in 1999 and whose phenomenal size is caused by a tumor on his pituitary gland that caused growth spurts from the age of nine on, has struggled to keep himself in shape.

One problem, he says, is that he's a 'really hard critic' of his own body. 'I'm not the "Power of Positivity," trust me,' he said.

But with daily training - only taking time off when he's in the ring throwing people around - and the help of a coach, he's managed to get the pounds off.

Part of that is going to the gym every day, whether you're doing '200 sit-ups' or 'a couple of sets of arms'. 'Make yourself go,' he said. 'You'll feel better.

It also took research, he said - because the key is knowing how your body responds to different things. He's had to change up his diet and look into 'good' and 'bad' carbs and amino-acids.

Cena and heard: Wight says that he was making self deprecating comments about his shape when John Cena (pictured) made a pointed remark that inspired him to get in shape

Give him a big hand: Wright measures up to boxer Floyd Mayweather in 2008. A tumor on his pituitary gland in childhood caused him to grow to his current size, and naturally gain body fat

'When you take the time and do the research it’s more about what suits you, not what suits everybody,' he said.

'That's the thing I think people who want to make a serious commitment to changing their life should understand. You have to find out what works for you.'

It’s more about what suits you, not what suits everybody... You have to find out what works for you Paul 'The Big Show' Wight

And it is a serious commitment, too, he says - especially for someone who is hyper-critical about their own body.

'You just have to stay diligent and stay on the path. I think that’s why a lot of people give up. I think that’s why I gave up in the past, because I didn’t understand that this is not an easy process. This is not a diet.

'The first three letters in the word diet are D-I-E, and that’s why people fail. This is a lifestyle change, and you have to make a lifestyle commitment, you know?'

However, he admits that in his experience, '90 per cent of losing weight and losing body fat is all what you put in your face.'

The work he's putting in is certainly paying off. While he accepts that he'll never have quite the same body as some of his WWE peers, like Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson or Triple H, he says he can 'take the assets that I have and try to accentuate them.'

Realistic goals: Wight says he knows he'll never have a body like The Rock (left) or Triple H (right), but is instead giving himself the best body he can, using dieting and exercise

'The main thing is we’re going to continue on this road and try to be inspiring to others, hopefully, that want to make a change or don’t believe they can make the change.

'There is nothing more powerful, in the world, than the human spirit and the human will. It’s taken us to the moon, for God’s sake.

'So there is nothing that anyone can stop you from doing if you really want. I hope this interview helps some people. That’s all you can do, right?'

Ultimately, he says, it comes down to a choice.

'For me, the days of slammin' ice cream and enjoying pizza and meatball subs are gone.

'I just have to choose: Do I want to be healthier, live longer and look better, or do I want to enjoy really good food all the time?'