Paul Wight [The Big Show] Gives His Thoughts On His Many Face And Heel Turns In Pro Wrestling

Paul Wight, best known as his time as The Big Show in WWE, has addressed the number of times he turned face or heel throughout his pro wrestling career.

Although a good face or heel turn can create an all-time moment in wrestling, such as Hulk Hogan’s iconic turn at Bash at the Beach 1996, Wight is an example of quality over quantity when it comes to the decision to have a wrestler go good or bad. With more than 30 turns during his time in the squared circle, Wight’s constant character switching was noticed by fans and became somewhat of a punchline of both his character and WWE’s creative process.

In previous interviews, The Big Show joked that he has had more turns than Nascar and has never taken issue with how he was booked. While speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Wight noted that the turns were a sign of his talent as he was able to work with a wide variety of opponents no matter the assignment:

“Arn Anderson told me, ‘The dumbest thing you ever did is learn how to work.’ So any minute, I was able to be a good opponent for what we were doing. I knew that me, personally, I don’t think I should ever have been champion. You don’t need a giant to be a champion. You need a giant to be an obstacle for the upcoming champion. You need somebody, something, a wall, a mountain, something that has to be overcome so that the next talent can be on its way. There’s a damn good living to be made in that position. I think the last time I got the title was just because I had been five or six years in title matches all the time, had won the damn thing. Well, he’s been in here while, we might want to put it on him, so get some validity out of it.”

Continuing, the former World Champion reflected on some of the stars he helped to establish, adding that he is also aware that he is wasn’t the main character:

“But I was okay with that. I enjoyed that, because I look back at my career now, I got to help create some big, big stars. I was working early with Roman and working early with Cody. There are a lot of talents that I had a great [time with], Kofi and Woods and Cesaro. Big moment, Cesaro at WrestleMania, those are all good moments for me. I always understood that I’m not, and this is no way am I putting myself down. I’m not a leading man, I’m not Rock, I’m not Stone Cold. I’m not John Cena. I’m not the leading guy, I’m the funny sidekick, or I’m Thanos, the villain. That’s where I fall in, and that’s okay.”

Paul Wight Discusses Future In Wrestling

Also in the interview, Wight, who is currently signed to AEW, was asked about how much longer he intends to compete. While not putting a number on the end date, Wight noted that he is not the athlete he once was and has undergone multiple surgeries, but is able to still give the fans something at this stage:

“It’s funny, with wrestling, I think for me to get back in the ring and compete, I’m going to have to be a certain level. I’ll never be what I was. Got two fake knees and two hips. The proprioception is different. The connection between your joints is different. You feel different as an athlete, so I have to accept what am I now, and does that enhance the product that I’m doing? Sure, I’m smart enough and old enough. There are certain things that I can do that will still give a little kickback to nostalgia, will still look like a big, dangerous giant that is my character and teach. But at the same time, if it looks like, oh, put a bullet in [him], well, I’m not going to do that. So that’s what all this hard work now is, okay, what’s the one thing that I can really control? That’s conditioning and weight. I don’t need to be 500 pounds anymore. I need to be about 350.”

Wight last competed on TV back in November 2023 as part of a multi-man match on Dynamite. Wight also competed on the Jericho Cruise in early 2024, once again in a multi-man match.

Wight made his WCW debut in 1995, and found championship success in WCW and WWE before joining AEW in 2021.

Featured image: WWE