Like André the Giant, Wight used to have acromegaly, a disease of the endocrine system. By the age of twelve, Wight was 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall, weighed 220 lb (100 kg), and had chest hair. In 1991, as a member of the Wichita State University basketball team at age nineteen, Wight was listed at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m). He underwent successful surgery in the early 1990s on his pituitary gland, which halted the progress of this condition. His shoe size is 22 5E, his ring size is 22, and his chest is 64 inches (1,600 mm) in circumference. In 2005, Wight leased a bus and hired a bus driver because of the practical problems his size presents to air travel and car rental.
While at Wichita State University, Wight played basketball. Prior to attending Wichita State University, Wight attended Northern Oklahoma Junior College in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, competing on the basketball team. At Northern Oklahoma, his averages of 14 points and 6.5 rebounds earned him all-conference honors and helped the team win the Western Division of the Oklahoma Bi-State Conference. Wight also attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville from 1992 to 1993, was a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Cougars basketball team, and is a member of the Xi Beta Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. During his one year at SIUE, Wight scored a total of thirty-nine points for the Cougars in limited action.
In 1995, Wight signed with WCW, first appearing at Slamboree, and was then billed as the son of Andre the Giant (although this was later dropped) and accordingly used the ring name The Giant as a member of Kevin Sullivan's Dungeon of Doom stable. Wight made his professional in-ring debut at Halloween Havoc, defeating Hulk Hogan via disqualification (thanks in part of Jimmy Hart interfering during the match). In doing so, The Giant became WCW World Heavyweight Champion as a stipulation was later revealed, under which the title could change hands on a disqualification victory; under normal circumstances, it cannot. A week later, however, The Giant was stripped of the title due to the controversial finish of the match.
Wight is a seven-time world champion, having held the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice, the WWF/WWE Championship twice, WWE's World Heavyweight Championship twice and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship once (he is the only man to have held the WCW, WWE, World Heavyweight and ECW World titles). Wight has also found success in the tag team division, having been an 11-time world tag team champion, holding the WWF/World, WWE and WCW World Tag Team Championships multiple times with various tag team partners. Having also been Intercontinental, United States and Hardcore Champion, he is the 24th Triple Crown and 12th Grand Slam winner in WWE history. He has also won WCW's World War 3 in 1996 60-man battle royal and the 30-man André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31. Wight has headlined multiple pay-per-view events for WCW and WWF/WWE since 1995, including the 2000 edition of WWE's premier annual event, WrestleMania.
Wight married his first wife, Melissa Ann Piavis, on February 14, 1997. They separated in 2000 and their divorce was finalized on February 6, 2002. Together, they have a daughter. On February 11, 2002, he married his second wife, Bess Katramados. Together they have two children.
In December 1998, Wight was arrested and detained for allegedly exposing himself to a hotel clerk in Memphis, Tennessee. Wight denied the incident, and was later acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
In March 1999, Wight was charged with assault by Robert Sawyer, who alleged that Wight had broken his jaw during the summer of 1998 in the course of an altercation at Marriott Hotels & Resorts in Uniondale, New York. Wight claimed that Sawyer had verbally abused, threatened, and shoved him, and that he had responded by punching Sawyer. After three days, Judge Thomas Feinman delivered a verdict of not guilty.
On the January 3, 2000 episode of Raw, Triple H defeated Big Show for the WWF Championship. Trying to regain the title, Wight participated in the Royal Rumble match where he antagonized The Rock. The Rock eliminated him to win the Royal Rumble. Wight was convinced that he had won, and eventually produced a video tape that showed The Rock's feet striking the ground first. He was then given a match with The Rock at No Way Out, with the WrestleMania title shot on the line. Wight defeated The Rock when Shane McMahon interfered, knocking out The Rock with a chair shot. Rock was desperate to reclaim his title shot, and eventually agreed to a match with Big Show on the March 13 episode of Raw – if he won, the WrestleMania title match would become a Triple Threat match, and if he lost, he would retire from the WWF. Shane McMahon, now actively supporting Big Show's bid to become champion, appointed himself as the special guest Referee. However, The Rock triumphed when Vince McMahon assaulted Shane and donned the Referee shirt, personally making the three count. On the March 20 episode of Raw, Triple H defended the title against The Rock and Big Show on the condition that the match would not take place at WrestleMania, pinning Big Show. Linda McMahon stated this match would not occur at WrestleMania as Triple H would defend the title there in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match, with Mick Foley as the fourth man. Big Show was the first man eliminated from the match at WrestleMania 2000 after the other three competitors worked together against him.
Show returned at the 2001 Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by The Rock. Angered by his quick elimination, Wight proceeded to chokeslam The Rock through the broadcast table before leaving the arena. He then began competing for the WWF Hardcore Championship, which he lost to Kane in a Triple Threat match that also included Raven at WrestleMania X-Seven. Throughout The Invasion, Big Show remained loyal to the WWF. He faced Shane McMahon, the on-screen owner of WCW, in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash and was defeated following interference from Test. Show was also part of the victorious Team WWF at Survivor Series, though he was the first man eliminated.
Big Show has been featured in infomercials for Stacker 2 with former NASCAR drivers Kenny Wallace and Scott Wimmer, NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Elliott Sadler, retired crew chief turned Fox Sports broadcaster Jeff Hammond, and 2002, 2005, and 2011 Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart. In addition, Wight appeared on the "Thong Song" remix music video by Sisqó and Foxy Brown. Wight was featured on the game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, winning $15,000 for his chosen charity, United Service Organizations. He is the only contestant to appear on two versions of the game show in two different countries.
On the October 7 episode of SmackDown, Show returned and became number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship after he attacked Mark Henry and chokeslammed him through the broadcast table. At Vengeance Big Show fought Henry to a no contest after the ring collapsed following a superplex from Henry, similar to his match with Brock Lesnar in 2003. This time less damage was done, and the damage mainly occurred around the lower right hand ring post. Show ended up being taken out on a motorized cart with a flatbed. Show faced Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship once again at Survivor Series winning via disqualification when Henry hit Show with a low blow, afterwards he leg dropped a chair on Henry's leg, much like what Henry did to Show months before.
In mid-2004, Big Show was reinstated by new General Manager Theodore Long, as he interfered during a Lumberjack match between Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle on the September 9 episode of Smackdown. Big Show had a choice to face either Guerrero or Angle at No Mercy, choosing to fight Angle. Big Show defeated Angle at the event. In the weeks before the match, he claimed to have "lost his dignity" when Angle tranquilized him in the middle of the ring using a dart gun and shaved his head on the Smackdown 5th year Anniverasy Show. At No Way Out, he faced John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) for the WWE Championship in the first ever Barbed Wire Cage match. He chokeslammed JBL through the ring and broke the lock on the door but JBL crawled from under the canvas and won. Show attacked JBL but The Cabinet attacked Big Show until Dave Batista attacked The Cabinet and John Cena attacked JBL as he crawled away.
In the weeks preceding Survivor Series 2005, Big Show became involved in the rivalry between the Raw and SmackDown! brands. Big Show and Kane invaded the November 11 episode of SmackDown! and, along with Edge, attacked Batista (inadvertently injuring him in the process). On the November 14 episode of Raw, Big Show and Kane defeated SmackDown! Wrestlers and reigning WWE Tag Team Champions MNM in an inter-brand, non-title match. On November 21, Big Show and Kane "injured" Batista by delivering a double chokeslam onto the windshield of a car. At Survivor Series, Show, Kane, Carlito, Chris Masters, and team captain Shawn Michaels represented Raw in a match with Team SmackDown!: JBL, Rey Mysterio, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, and Batista. Team SmackDown! won the match, with Orton being the sole survivor. On the November 29 episode of SmackDown!, Big Show wrestled Rey Mysterio in an inter-brand promotional match, however, Kane interfered, resulting in the match being declared a no-contest. Following the match, Big Show and Kane attacked Mysterio until The Undertaker chased them from the ring. Big Show and Kane returned to SmackDown! on December 2, defeating Mysterio and JBL after JBL abandoned the match, claiming the Referee had poked him in the eye. Following the match, Big Show and Kane's attempt to assault Mysterio was once again foiled, this time when Batista ran in to see them off. As a result, on the December 16 episode of SmackDown!, Big Show and Kane were booked to face Batista and Mysterio, the Smackdown Tag Team Champions, at Armageddon 2005. They won the match, which pitted the Tag Team Champions from each brand against one another.
At Cyber Sunday, Show faced John Cena and King Booker in a Champion of Champions match. The fans voted for King Booker's World Heavyweight Championship to be on the line. Booker won the match following interference from Kevin Federline, who was just beginning a feud with Cena at the time. At Survivor Series, Cena wrestled Big Show in a traditional 10-man Survivor Series tag team match, with Cena and Bobby Lashley left as the survivors of the match after Cena pinned Big Show. Big Show then began a feud with Lashley, who left SmackDown! to join the ECW brand to participate in the Extreme Elimination Chamber match at December to Dismember for the ECW Championship. After busting Big Show open by breaking one of the plexiglass pods with his face, Lashley defeated him to win the title. On December 6, 2006 following an unsuccessful rematch, Big Show took time off from the ring to heal injuries he had sustained on ECW. After two months of inactivity, Wight's contract expired on February 8, 2007.
After a two-month departure from WWE, Wight replaced Jerry Lawler when the WWE withdrew him from a match with former nWo partner Hulk Hogan at the PMG Clash of Legends on April 27, 2007. Wight was introduced as Paul "The Great" Wight. He stated that "Big Show" was his slave name and that he didn't want to be owned anymore. Hogan won the match after he picked him up and bodyslammed Wight and pinned him following the leg drop.
Big Show has appeared in each of the Smackdown vs. Raw video games except Smackdown vs. Raw 2008. Big Show has been involved in most of the 2k Showcases and historical stories starting with WWE '13. Big Show has been used as a duplicate in WWE '13, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K16, WWE 2K17 and WWE 2K18. He is also as a triplicate in WWE 2K14 as Big Show, Big Show (Retro) and The Giant (whose picture is credited as Paul Wight in WWE 2K16). Big Show has appeared on the Stone Cold Podcast on the WWE Network.
On April 13, Big Show was drafted to the Raw brand as a part of the 2009 WWE draft. At Backlash, Big Show interfered in a Last Man Standing match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Cena and Edge when he threw Cena into a spotlight, thus resulting in Edge winning the title and Cena being seriously injured. He continued to feud with John Cena, losing to him at Judgment Day by pinfall and at Extreme Rules in a submission match, before defeating Cena on the June 22 episode of Raw to end the feud.
After the title loss, he attacked The Miz with a knockout punch and hugged Teddy Long. Later on in the night as part of the 2010 WWE draft, Big Show was drafted back to the SmackDown brand. He returned to the brand on the April 30 episode of SmackDown and was subsequently named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, later on in the night he interrupted World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger as he was giving his "State of Championship Address" and knocked him out with a WMD. On the May 7 episode of SmackDown, Big Show sat ringside during the Swagger/Kane main event. After Swagger was disqualified, Show chokeslammed him through the announce table. He also crashed Swagger's achievement celebration and cost him his match with Kofi Kingston in the next week. Big Show defeated Jack Swagger via disqualification at Over The Limit. On the May 27 episode of Smackdown, General Manager Thedore Long scheduled qualifying matches for the World Heavyweight Championship match at Fatal 4-Way and that Big Show had already qualified by defeating Jack Swagger via disqualification at Over the Limit. At Fatal 4-Way, Show faced Rey Mysterio, CM Punk and Swagger for the World Heavyweight Championship, but Mysterio won the title. The following night, Swagger debuted his new finishing move, The Ankle Lock, and applied it on Big Show, thus injuring his ankle and continuing their feud. Two weeks later on Smackdown, Big Show saved Rey Mysterio, whose ankle was injured by the same move, from Swagger. Later that night, Big Show fought Swagger to a double count-out. Soon he began a feud with CM Punk and his Straight Edge Society, confronting him the Friday night before the Money in the Bank event, and unmasking him to reveal his bald head. After failing to win the ladder match for the Money in the Bank contract, he fought the mysterious masked member of the SES, also unmasking him as Joey Mercury. Show's feud with the Straight Edge Society continued after he defeated them in a 3 on 1 Handicap match at SummerSlam and CM Punk at Night of Champions. Big Show was made Team SmackDown's captain for Bragging Rights on the October 8 episode of SmackDown. At the event, Big Show was counted out with Sheamus during the match but his team ultimately won with Edge and Rey Mysterio left on the team. He was on Rey Mysterio's team for Survivor Series where he was a survivor along with Mysterio. The following episode of SmackDown, he was unsuccessful in qualifying for King of the Ring as he was defeated by Alberto Del Rio by count-out thanks to interference by his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez.
Show then began feuding with Mark Henry after he attacked and injured him on the June 17 episode of SmackDown, as Big Show's frustrations and anger towards Del Rio was redirected unintentionally to Mark Henry. Henry retaliated by attacking Big Show during his match at Capitol Punishment and attacking him with the World's Strongest Slam through an announce table, causing Show to lose by technical knockout. Henry did the same thing on Kane through the broadcast table the next day on Raw after their arm wrestling match, and again on the June 27 episode. Henry then broke the cage door during the steel cage match between Big Show and Alberto Del Rio, allowing Del Rio to escape. He then attacked Show with the cage door, breaking the cage viciously. On July 17, 2011 at Money in the Bank, Henry defeated Big Show. After the match, Henry fractured Show's fibula, keeping him out of action for almost three months.
On March 31, 2012, Big Show won the first ever Slime Wrestling World Championship at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, defeating The Miz after throwing him into a tub of slime. Big Show also appeared in a Vine with Cameron Dallas, which generated over 12 million loops.
On the May 19 episode of Raw, as a result of speaking out against COO Triple H, Show was placed into a three-on-one handicap tornado tag team match against The Shield, which Show lost. Additional punishment followed with Show being forced to sit ringside and watch his friends being attacked by the Shield and Randy Orton at the risk of being fired. Following this, The Authority (Triple H and Stephanie McMahon) claimed Show was broke, and in order to save his job, forced him to knock out his friends including Daniel Bryan, Dusty Rhodes, and The Miz. When Show attempted to revolt on the September 30 episode of Raw, he was almost arrested for threatening to knock out Triple H but Stephanie McMahon came to his aid and insulted him afterwards. At Battleground, Big Show interfered in the WWE title match between Bryan and Orton and knocked out both of them, ending the match in a no-contest. During November 2013, Show started a feud with WWE Champion Orton, who was part of the Authority, but failed to win the title at Survivor Series.
At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Show teamed with Rey Mysterio to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a four-way match, also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel), and The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger). On the January 6 episode of Raw, Show confronted Brock Lesnar after Lesnar attacked Mark Henry. There was a short physical confrontation between the two, starting a feud which was settled at Royal Rumble where Show lost to Lesnar after being brutally assaulted with numerous chair shots before the match started. Big Show participated in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXX, being the last person eliminated by winner Cesaro. On July 26, 2014, Big Show made his return at a live event, defeating Cesaro. He made his television return on the August 8 episode of SmackDown, teaming with Mark Henry to defeat RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel). On the September 26 episode of Smackdown, Show started a feud with Rusev when he defeated Rusev by disqualification. At Hell in a Cell, he was defeated by Rusev via submission. The following night on Raw, Henry turned on Show and attacked him, during their match with the WWE Tag Team Champions Gold and Stardust. On the November 3 episode of Raw, he defeated Henry via disqualification when he was slammed onto the steel steps by Henry.
At Survivor Series, as part of Team Cena, Big Show turned on and knocking out Cena, causing his elimination. However, Show shook hands with his former rival Triple H, and left, intentionally getting himself counted out. The following night on the November 24 episode of Raw, Big Show explained his actions, stating he has a family to care for and the Authority had created issues for him in the past, thus he had to make that tough decision. He was interrupted by Erick Rowan who referred to him as a bully, and igniting a feud for turning his back on the team. Big Show faced Rowan in a first ever Steel Stairs match at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs pay-per-view, which he won. Later in the event, Show attacked Cena during his match with Seth Rollins but was then confronted by Roman Reigns, leading to Cena winning the match. This started a feud between Show and Reigns, which resulted in Reigns defeating Show multiple times by count-out and disqualification. On January 25, 2015, at the Royal Rumble, Big Show entered the Rumble match at #29, eliminating five superstars before being eliminated by Reigns, the eventual winner. At Fastlane, Big Show, Seth Rollins and Kane defeated Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback when Kane pinned Ziggler. Big Show won the 2nd Annual André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31. Show later reignited his feud with Roman Reigns after attacking him during his triple threat match against Ryback and Randy Orton on the April 6th episode of Raw and chokeslamming him on a taxi cab on the April 12th episode of Raw. However, Show lost to Reigns in a Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules.
At the Royal Rumble, Big Show entered the Royal Rumble match at #15 and eliminated Ryback and Titus O'Neil before being eliminated by Braun Strowman. On the January 28 episode of SmackDown, Big Show turned face by helping Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Chris Jericho fend off all the members of The Wyatt Family, whom he, Kane and Ryback defeated at Fastlane. Big Show returned on the May 30 episode of Raw in a backstage segment, giving advice to Apollo Crews on Sheamus. On the July 4 episode of Raw, Big Show was part of the main-event, where he teamed with "Team USA", which consisted of himself, Kane, Apollo Crews, Mark Henry, Zack Ryder, Jack Swagger and The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley), facing off against "The Multinational Alliance", which consisted of Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Sami Zayn, Cesaro, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) in a 16-man elimination tag team match, with Big Show and Ryder being the sole survivors. On July 19 at the 2016 WWE draft, Big Show was drafted to Raw where he has been seen in various backstage segments. On the December 5 episode of Raw, Big Show made his return as Seth Rollins' surprise opponent chosen by Kevin Owens. During the match, Owens would interfere, leading Big Show to chokeslam him, and intentionally counting himself out.
Big Show was absent from Raw for another month until returning to confront Braun Strowman before announcing his entry into the 2017 Royal Rumble match. He entered at number 9 and was eliminated by Strowman. In the main event of the February 20 episode of Raw, Show faced Strowman in a losing effort. At Fastlane, Big Show defeated Rusev. On April 2 on the WrestleMania 33 kickoff show, Big Show took part in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, from which he was eliminated by Braun Strowman. On the April 17 episode of Raw, Show wrestled Strowman in the main event, where the ring collapsed after Strowman executed a superplex on Show, resulting in the match going to a no contest, similar to his matches with Brock Lesnar in 2003 and Mark Henry at Vengeance in 2011 respectively.
Show returned to the WWE on April 6, 2018 to induct his long-time friend and rival Mark Henry into the WWE Hall Of Fame. He is expected to return to in-ring action at the Greatest Royal Rumble as a participant in 50-man Royal Rumble match.
