Professional wrestler Paul Donald Wight II is best known by his stage name Big Show which is the perfect depiction of his mountain-like looks. Since he came to the scene of wrestling at the RAW brand of the World Wrestling Entertainment, he has been quite a sensation over the last two and a half decades and counting in the entertainment industry.
Big Show is endowed with a massive body size which was all the advantage he needed to succeed in his chosen career; but despite his intimidating size, the 7-time world wrestling champion has not been left out of feuds in the world of wrestling. It might be speculated that his size would discourage anyone from feuding with him but this has not been the case. Talking about the feuds he has had in his career, they have been short-lived but intense and often characterized by broken rings and tables. We gathered some of the most popular ones.
The Giant Heat Feud Of 2018 Between Big Show And Great Khali That Left Him Crying
Beginning with the most recent is the Big Show vs Great Khali feud which resulted in a backstage fight. Great Khali and Big Show had been at great odds with each other for many years. The two monsters had what many knew as the giant’s heat brewing between them. According to Chris Jericho in his book The Best In The World: At What I Have No Idea, they both resented each other for being Brobdingnagian, and thus, there has been this silent jealousy and competition between them.
The tension between the two escalated when Khali began using one of Big Show’s trademarked moves. Show warned him more than once not to but Khali didn’t give a damn. The feud escalated when Khali went ahead to use Big Show’s trademarked heavyweight overhand chop on the chest to take out Undertaker in the ring. Big Show was furious! Returning backroom, the Brobdingnagians had the most earth-quaking duel in the history of WWE. One could feel the shockwaves of their punches by just watching! This duel ended in a stalemate, even though Big Show had to apologize to Great Khali for throwing the first punch without a match.
The Great Khali, however, never used Big Show’s trademark technique again. This feud is one that would not be easily forgotten in the history of WWE. Although the video of the confrontation seems to have been taken down, Great Khali had this to say about it. Click here to watch.
The Braun Strowman Feud Ended In A Steel Cage Match
Braun Strowman’s feud with Big Show was a match nobody was expecting to work out. Every time the rivals were in the ring, it was a colossal clash! For weeks, their feud lingered on, and during one of the many battles, the ring collapsed. The Braun Strowman–Big Show feud ended when the former threw Show to the walls of a steel cage, dealing great damage to the mammoth wrestler. It is a memorable feud and the fans loved it.
The 2012 Hell In A Cell Match Between Sheamus & Big Show Was Considered The Best Feud Of The Year
One of the most pleasant surprises of 2012 was the pairing of Sheamus and Big Show. Sheamus’s long-standing reign as the World Heavyweight Champion was put to the test by Big Show at Hell in a Cell. Events that followed after this match were classic, making it one of the most memorable feuds in Big Show’s wrestling career, although some critics consider it an awful, complete disaster and a waste of people’s time and money, others applauded it as the best feud of the year.
The tense moments of the feud were stupendously electrifying and WWE fans all over the world loved the raw, skilled entertainment which was the highlights of this feud. The feud came to a climax when Sheamus hit Show with a steel chair, bringing the giant to his knees, vulnerable!
His Feud With Floyd Mayweather Was The Most Bizarre Ever
What do you get when an undefeated boxing champion enters the ring with a mountainous man? Sheer sweet entertainment! Fans were not convinced when the mismatched fight was first announced back in 2008 but the WWE did not leave them disappointed when the boxing great appeared in the ring in one of the most bizarre feuds in history with the 7ft goliath.
The feud has gone down in history as the most popular celebrity match of all time. With Floyd pumping Show’s face with blows after taking him down with a steel chair. It was a juicy fight, which ended with Show having a broken nose and a battered body.
After the fight, Big Show told the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, that he allowed Floyd to break his nose; if he didn’t do something huge that night, our angle was dead in the water,” he added. WWE fans will never ever forget this feud, ever.
The Rey Mysterio & Big Show Feud Was A Very Violent One
No fan of the two wrestlers would forget the feud between these two in a hurry. This is probably one of his longest, as well as one of the most dangerous feuds of his career. Their fights were more like the biblical David vs Goliath encounter. How could the human-sized Rey Mysterio take on a behemoth Goliath?
This feud drew so much attention from lovers of wrestling across the world; fans were practically hooked to their screen watching as the underdog babyface hero Rey Mysterio took on big bully, Big Show.
The clashes were furious with dangerous moves that should never be practiced outside the ring. One of such dangerous moves was where Big Show strapped Mysterio to a stretcher and smashed it against the ring post, the feud between the two was a very violent one indeed.
Undertaker VS Big Show Feud Of 1999 Is The Greatest And Most Prominent Of Them All
This list wouldn’t be complete if the feud between Big Show and the unearthly wrestler, Undertaker does not reflect here.
In 1999, their feud was the greatest of its time. Undertaker had bad-mouthed Big Show so much after he joined WWE that it was difficult not to have a feud when Show finally came on board.
Big Show was just a newbie on WWE and he was on the receiving end as Undertaker chewed him out. The feud between the two didn’t only announce Big Show’s career further but also gave him a place in the heart of a lot of people.
Big Show Hasn’t Had A Rosy Career All The Way
The prominent wrestling superstar began from a not-so-smooth phase before hitting the peak of his career. He engaged in many off-the-jobs such as bouncing, bounty hunting, and lots more. Howbeit, he had quite a promising future as he was good at athletics while in high school. He was a major part of his high school’s basketball team and was also showing prominence in American football where he played as a tight end. His stint in the football team was short-lived as a dispute between himself and his coach made him quit but his relentless support for his team was still very visible from the cheerleading stand.
After an impressive athletic showdown in high school, Wight moved on with his educational pursuit by enrolling in Northern Oklahoma Junior College in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, where he still put his athletic skill to work by playing for the basketball team. At some point in college, Wight decided to make a change and move to Wichita State University, where he also played for the basketball team before he decided to switch over to wrestling where he has made a name for himself.
His walk towards wrestling came up when he met with Danny Bonaduce at a live microphone amateur contest on his morning radio show. He trained under the guidance of Johnny Polo and made his first in-ring debut in December 1994 with World Wrestling Association (WWA) in Clementon, New Jersey. He had his first and final fight for WWA with Frank Finnegan and lost.
In 1995, he landed a lucrative deal with WCW and debuted under the ring name ‘The Giant’. He had his first match against WCW Champion Hogan. When his contract with WCW expired, he decided not to renew it and become a free agent. In February 1999, he landed a ten-year contract with WWF and debuted in the same year under Vince McMahon’s stable.
After sustaining injuries in the early 2000s, Big Show had to leave, breaking his contract with WWE. He came back in 2011 and reunited with his tag team partner, Kane. But, he was again derailed by a surgery after which he went on a hiatus and made a major comeback in 2018, as he inducted his long-time friend Mark Henry into the WWE Hall of Fame.
His Accumulated $20 Million Wealth Didn’t Come From His Wrestling Career Alone
Big Show is one of the most successful and accomplished wrestlers of all time. His current net worth is estimated at $20 million. This includes his assets and annual salary of $850,000.
Asides from wrestling, he has also done well as an actor. Wight had his movie debut in 1996 as he appeared in the sports drama Reggie’s Player. Since then, he has starred in movies such as McCinsey’s Island (1998), The Waterboy (1998), McGruder (2010), Vendetta (2015), and lots more. In 2020, he began starring on the Netflix series The Big Show Show.
His Father May Not Have Died In 1999 As Popularly Believed
Big Show was named Paul Donald Wight Jr at birth. He was born on the 8th day of February 1972, in Aiken, South Carolina. His father has been identified as Paul Wight Sr but his mother’s name is not known. His father reportedly died in 1999 from cancer but it was later discovered to be a lie and some sort of stunt as another report revealed the man had died prior to 1999.
When it was announced in 1999 that his father had died, Big Boss Man – WWE rival crashed the supposed funeral, as part of a WWE stunt. Investigating deeper into the matter, it was discovered that there could be some truths in Big Boss Man’s claims. However, it is still unclear when Show’s father actually passed on. It is not certain if Big Show is an only child or had siblings. However, just like his idol, Andre the Giant, Wight suffered from acromegaly, which is a disorder in which the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone.
This condition was diagnosed early when he began developing way too much for his age. By the age of 12, Big Show was already standing tall at the height of 6 feet 2 inches, weighing 100 kg, and was already developing chest hair. By the time he was playing basketball for the Wichita State University basketball team as a teenager, he had already reached a height of 7 feet 1 inch.
Big Show Is A Doting Husband & Father
So far, Big Show has exchanged marital vows with two women. He got married for the first time in 1997 to Melissa Ann Piavis, whom he had a daughter named Cierra with, before their marriage hit the rocks in 2000. They got separated at the time and finalized their divorce two years later in 2002.
The wrestling champion is currently married to Bess Katramados who he met and began dating during his last days with Melissa. The two got married just after his divorce from Melissa was finalized in 2002 and they have remained together ever since and have two sons together. Big Show reportedly got custody of Cierra when she was 14 and she lives with her dad, stepmom, and brothers.
Although the height difference between Bess and Big Show has been an interesting topic of discussion for the media, it has been a binding force for the two. Despite his mean looks, the crazy and scary mood in the ring, he is a great family man.
