In professional wrestling, Big Show is a five-time world champion, having won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice, the WWF/E Championship twice, and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship once, making him the only person ever to hold all three championships. In addition to these championships, he has also won the United States Championship once, the World Tag Team Championship five times (twice with The Undertaker, once with Kane, once with Chris Jericho, and once with The Miz), the WWE Tag Team Championship twice (with Chris Jericho once and The Miz once) and the Hardcore Championship three times.
Billed as "The World's Largest Athlete", The Big Show initially came to prominence through his career in the now defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1995 until 1999, then known simply as The Giant. In addition to being a two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and the youngest man to ever hold the title, he is a three-time WCW World Tag Team Champion and the winner of the 1996 World War 3. Outside of professional wrestling, Wight has starred in feature films and television series' such as The Waterboy and USA Network's comedy-drama Royal Pains.
WWE AND WWF 1999 PRESENT
DEBUT
Wight signed a ten-year contract with the World Wrestling Federation on February 9, 1999,[9] debuting as a villain and a member of Vince McMahon's stable, The Corporation, at St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House. During the McMahon versus Steve Austin cage match, Wight tore through the canvas from underneath the ring and attacked Austin. However, Wight cost McMahon the match when he threw Austin into the side of the cage and the cage broke, spilling Austin outside to the floor and granting him the victory. Wight subsequently served as McMahon's bodyguard.[7]
Wight performed as "Big Nasty" Paul Wight for several weeks before being renamed "Big Show" Paul Wight.[9][not in citation given] He then gradually dropped his real name, eventually being referred to simply as (The) Big Show. McMahon wanted to ensure that Corporation member The Rock would retain his title at WrestleMania, so he had Wight wrestle Mankind at WrestleMania XV for the right to referee the main event. Wight incapacitated Mankind, but got disqualified in the process, meaning that he could not be referee. Mankind won the right to be the official but was taken to a hospital following the match with Wight (although he eventually returned during the Championship match). After a furious McMahon slapped Wight, he punched McMahon. Wight concluded his feud with Foley in a Boiler Room Brawl before turning into a fan favorite and joining Mankind, Test, and Ken Shamrock in a stable known as The Union who fought against the Corporation, and later against The Corporate Ministry. On the May 10 edition of Monday Night Raw, Wight was against The Undertaker's manager Paul Bearer. On the June 7 edition of Raw, Wight faced The Undertaker for the WWF Championship. Undertaker attempted a clothesline from the top turnbuckle however Wight caught him and delivered a chokeslam which sent Undertaker crashing through the ring mat; the referee was forced to stop the match so the Undertaker retained his title. Following the match Bradshaw, Faarooq, and Mideon all ran down to attack Wight and were all subsequently chokeslammed as well. Wight and The Undertaker later formed an unlikely alliance, wrestling against X-Pac and Kane. As a team, Wight and The Undertaker won the WWF Tag Team Championship twice.[7]
When The Undertaker was sidelined with injuries, Wight set his sights on the WWF Championship. After Steve Austin was injured at the 1999 Survivor Series, Wight was given his place in the triple threat match for the WWF Championship. In that match, which also featured The Rock, he pinned Triple H to become champion.[7][9] At the same time, Wight feuded with the Big Boss Man. After it was announced that Wight's father was terminally ill with cancer, the Boss Man had one of his crooked police colleagues inform Wight that his father has died, and then mocked Wight's tearful reaction. Several weeks later, when it was announced Wight's father had actually died (in reality, Wight's father had died years before), the Boss Man interrupted the ten bell toll by reciting an offensive poem. Later, Boss Man invaded the funeral and used a chain to couple the coffin to the hearse, towing the coffin away with a grief stricken Wight clinging on to it. At Armageddon, Wight defeated Boss Man to retain his championship, despite interference by Bossman's protégé Bull Buchanan web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/1999/results/|title=Armageddon 1999 Results|accessdate=2008-03-18| publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment}}</ref>
On the January 3, 2000 episode of Raw, Triple H defeated Wight for the WWF Championship. Trying to regain the title, Wight participated in the Royal Rumble match and turned heel when 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.[7] 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 The Rock out with a chair shot. The Rock was desperate to reclaim his title shot, and eventually agreed to a match with Wight 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 Wight'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 following a Rock Bottom.
On the March 20 episode of Raw, Triple H defended the title against The Rock and Wight on the condition that the match would not take place at WrestleMania, pinning Wight. 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. Wight was the first man eliminated from the match at WrestleMania 2000 after the other three competitors worked together against him.[7]
After WrestleMania, Wight became a fan favorite again by starting a comical gimmick where he began mimicking other wrestlers, lampooning Rikishi as Showkishi, The Berzerker as Shonan the Barbarian, and Val Venis as The Big Showbowski. He defeated Kurt Angle at Backlash dressed like his friend and role model Hulk Hogan, complete with skullcap/wig and yellow tights.[7] Wight began feuding with Shane McMahon after Shane voiced his disapproval of Big Show's antics. At Judgment Day, Shane defeated Wight in a Falls Count Anywhere match following interference from Big Boss Man, Bull Buchanan, Test, and Albert.[25]Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, and Edge and Christian. After The Undertaker threw Wight through a table, he was removed from WWF television for the remainder of the year. Wight was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling, a WWF developmental territory, to lose weight and improve his cardiovascular[7][9][26] Wight returned two months later, apparently intending to gain revenge on Shane. Instead, he became a villain again and attacked The Undertaker thus siding with Shane once more, forming a short-lived stable known as "The Conspiracy" with Shane, fitness.
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