Training and early career (1994–1995) Wight paid $5,000 to train at
Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory, but due to Sharpe's
gout at the time, he was only very minimally trained (
Johnny Polo taught him the
collar-and-elbow tie-up). Wight wrestled the first match of his career on December 3, 1994, at a World Wrestling Association (WWA) show in
Clementon, New Jersey; he lost by count-out to WWA Heavyweight Champion Frank Finnegan. The Giant teamed with
Ric Flair to defeat Hogan and Savage at
Clash of the Champions XXXII in January 1996, but was defeated by Hogan in a
cage match at
SuperBrawl VI the following month. A grudge between the Giant and fellow Dungeon of Doom member
Loch Ness soon developed over who was the only true giant of WCW, with Giant defeating Loch Ness at
Uncensored in March 1996. On the April 22, 1996 episode of
WCW Monday Nitro, the Giant teamed with WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair to face
WCW World Tag Team Champions Sting and Lex Luger (who was also the
WCW World Television Champion) in a match with all three titles on the line. The match ended in a disqualification when Flair accidentally threw hot coffee in the Giant's eyes, leading the Giant to issue a challenge to Flair. Later that night (in a match that aired on April 29, 1996), the Giant pinned Flair following a
chokeslam to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship for a second time. At
Slamboree in May 1996, he successfully defended the title against Sting. At
The Great American Bash in June 1996, he successfully defended the title against Lex Luger. At
Bash at the Beach in July 1996, the Giant teamed with Kevin Sullivan to defeat
Arn Anderson and
Chris Benoit. After Hulk Hogan formed the
New World Order (nWo), he defeated the Giant for the title at
Hog Wild on August 10, 1996 following interference from
Scott Hall and
Kevin Nash.
New World Order (1996–1999) The Giant joined the nWo in September 1996, citing
Ted DiBiase's money as his primary motivation. At
Fall Brawl '96: War Games later that month, he defeated
Randy Savage with the assistance of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. He went on to feud with
Lex Luger and the
Four Horsemen. At
Halloween Havoc in October 1996, he defeated aspiring Four Horsemen member
Jeff Jarrett by disqualification after Four Horsemen leader
Ric Flair gave him a
low blow. After winning the
World War 3 match at
World War 3 in November 1996, the Giant asked Hogan for a World Heavyweight Championship title match. For this, he was thrown out of the nWo on December 30. He fought against the nWo along with
Sting and Luger, winning the
WCW World Tag Team Championship twice. The Giant began a feud with nWo member Kevin Nash, who constantly dodged the Giant, including no-showing their scheduled match at
Starrcade in December 1997. At
Souled Out in January 1998, the two finally met in the ring, with Nash accidentally injuring the Giant's neck when he
botched his signature
jackknife powerbomb. The botch was worked into a storyline, according to which Nash had intentionally dropped the Giant on his head in order to break his neck. When Nash left the nWo and formed his own stable, the
nWo Wolfpac, the Giant re-joined the original nWo to oppose Nash and his allies. While back with the nWo, the Giant won two more WCW World Tag Team Championships, once with Sting as an unwilling partner (as the match was signed before the Giant returned to the nWo) and once with Scott Hall. In the interim between those two reigns, he lost his half of the titles to Sting in a singles match where only the winner would remain champion and could choose a new partner. On the October 12, 1998 episode of
Nitro,
Bill Goldberg defeated the Giant in a no-disqualification match. In a show of strength, Goldberg executed a
delayed vertical suplex before executing the
Jackhammer on the Giant. After the nWo Hollywood and nWo Wolfpac stables merged again in January 1999, Hogan declared that there was only room for one "giant" in the group, forcing Giant and Nash to wrestle for that spot. On the January 11, 1999 episode of
WCW Monday Nitro, Nash defeated Giant following a
run-in by Scott Hall and
Eric Bischoff. The Giant was then attacked by the entire nWo; this marked Wight's final appearance in WCW. On the "Building An Army" episode of the
Monday Night War feature from the WWE Network, Wight stated that he was making a fraction of what the main eventers were making and his salary was not increased after he requested it be by Eric Bischoff; as a result, Wight allowed his WCW contract to expire on February 8, 1999, his 27th birthday.
World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (1999–2007) WWF Champion (1999–2003) Wight signed a ten-year contract with the
World Wrestling Federation in the midst of the promotion's "
Attitude Era". He debuted on February 14, 1999 under the name "Paul Wight" at
St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House, establishing himself as a member of
Vince McMahon's villainous stable,
the Corporation. During McMahon's cage match against
Stone Cold Steve Austin, Wight tore through the canvas from underneath the ring and attacked Austin, establishing himself as a heel. After he threw Austin into the side of the cage, the cage broke, causing Austin to fall outside to the floor, resulting in Austin winning the match. Wight served as McMahon's
enforcer and was renamed Big Show. At
WrestleMania XV on March 28, Big Show faced
Mankind for the right to referee the main event between Austin and The Corporation's
WWF Champion The Rock. Big Show incapacitated Mankind and was disqualified. After the match, McMahon slapped Big Show, so he punched McMahon, turning face and leaving The Corporation. Big Show lost to Mankind in a
Boiler Room Brawl at
Backlash on April 25. Big Show and Mankind eventually formed a stable with
Test and
Ken Shamrock known as
The Union, who fought against the Corporation and later The
Corporate Ministry. At
Fully Loaded on July 25, Big Show defeated
Kane. Big Show turned heel again by teaming with
The Undertaker; they won the
WWF Tag Team Championship from Kane and
X-Pac at
SummerSlam on August 22, but lost them to
Mankind and The Rock the following week on
Raw is War. Big Show and The Undertaker regained the titles in a
Buried Alive match on the September 9 episode of
SmackDown!, before losing them again on the September 20 episode of
Raw is War. via the
SmackDown! entranceway in October 1999 After The Undertaker was side-lined with injuries, Big Show turned face once again and began a feud with the
Big Boss Man around the death of Big Show's father (in reality, Wight's father had died years before). At
Survivor Series on November 14, Big Show replaced Austin in a triple threat match against The Rock and WWF Champion
Triple H after he was (
kayfabe) run over by a car, winning the WWF Championship. Big Show retained the title at
Armageddon on December 12 against Big Boss Man, before losing it to Triple H on the January 3, 2000 episode of
Raw is War. They started a storyline where Big Show turned heel once again by producing a videotape that showed The Rock's feet striking the ground first, leading to a match with The Rock at
No Way Out on February 27, with the
WrestleMania title shot on the line, which Big Show won. The 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 defeated Big Show when Vince 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 2000 on April 2, 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, but Big Show was the first man eliminated from the match. Big Show turned face again and took on 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. Shane voiced his disapproval of Big Show's antics, leading to a
Falls Count Anywhere match at
Judgment Day on May 21, which Big Show lost. Big Show returned two months later, apparently intending to gain revenge on Shane. Instead, Big Show turned heel again and attacked The Undertaker and sided with Shane once more, forming a short-lived stable known as "The Conspiracy" with Shane,
Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle and
Edge and Christian. After The Undertaker threw Big Show off a stage through a table on the August 7 episode of
Raw is War, he was removed from WWF television for the remainder of the year and sent to the WWF's
developmental territory,
Ohio Valley Wrestling, to lose weight and improve his
cardiovascular fitness. Big Show made a surprise return as the 23rd entrant in the
Royal Rumble match on January 21, 2001, but was immediately eliminated by The Rock. Big Show won the
WWF Hardcore Championship from
Raven at
No Way Out on February 25, but lost it back to Raven on the March 19 episode of
Raw is War. Big Show lost to Kane in a triple threat match for the Hardcore Championship also involving Raven at
WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1. Big Show lost to Shane McMahon, the on-screen owner of WCW, in a
Last Man Standing match at
Backlash on April 29. Big Show then turned face and, throughout
The Invasion, remained loyal to the WWF. At
Invasion on July 22, Big Show teamed with
Albert and
Billy Gunn in a loss to
Chris Kanyon,
Hugh Morrus and
Shawn Stasiak. Big Show was also part of the victorious Team WWF at
Survivor Series on November 18. After
WrestleMania X8, on March 17, 2002, Big Show was drafted to the
Raw brand. At
Judgment Day on May 19, Big Show and Ric Flair lost to Austin in a handicap match. After the stable disbanded due to Kevin Nash getting injured, Big Show achieved little success on
Raw, notably losing to
Booker T in a No Disqualification match at
Vengeance on July 21. In October, Big Show was traded to the
SmackDown! brand, immediately challenging
Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship, which he won at
Survivor Series on November 17, ending Lesnar's undefeated streak with help from
Paul Heyman. Big Show lost the title to Angle at
Armageddon on December 15. At
Royal Rumble on January 19, 2003, Big Show lost a Royal Rumble qualifying match to Lesnar. Big Show then began feuding with The Undertaker after Big Show threw him off the stage, injuring his neck. Big Show lost to The Undertaker on February 23 at
No Way Out and teamed with A-Train in a loss to The Undertaker at
WrestleMania XIX on March 30. After defeating
Rey Mysterio on April 27 at
Backlash, Big Show renewed his feud with Lesnar, but failed to win the WWE Championship in a
stretcher match at
Judgment Day on May 18. In a title rematch on the June 12 episode of
SmackDown!, Lesnar
superplexed Big Show off the ropes and the ring imploded. On the June 26 episode of
SmackDown!, Big Show,
Shelton Benjamin and
Charlie Haas defeated Mr. America (a disguised Hulk Hogan), Lesnar and Angle when Big Show pinned Mr. America, which was Hogan's last appearance as Mr. America. Big Show again failed to win the WWE Championship in a triple threat match at
Vengeance on July 27.
United States Champion (2003–2005) in the ring with
Brock Lesnar in February 2004 At
No Mercy on October 19, Big Show defeated
Eddie Guerrero for the
WWE United States Championship. Big Show was a part of Lesnar's team at
Survivor Series on November 16, but was eliminated by
John Cena. Big Show was the last man eliminated by
Chris Benoit at the
Royal Rumble on January 25, 2004 and failed to win a triple threat match for a WWE Championship match at
WrestleMania XX at
No Way Out on February 15. At WrestleMania on March 14, Big Show lost the United States Championship to Cena. On the April 15 episode of
SmackDown!, Big Show promised to quit if he lost to Guerrero that night, which he did, and, believing that
Torrie Wilson had laughed at him for losing, upended her car and threatened to throw her off a ledge.
SmackDown! General Manager Angle ascended the ledge to try to talk some reason into Big Show, but he chokeslammed Angle off the ledge, (kayfabe) concussing him, breaking his leg and causing the back of Angle's head to bleed. Big Show was not seen or mentioned on television for months as he underwent knee surgery. Big Show had a choice to face either Guerrero or Angle at
No Mercy on October 3, choosing to fight Angle, turning face in the process. Big Show defeated Angle at No Mercy. In the weeks before the match, Big Show 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 fifth anniversary episode of
SmackDown!.
JBL in January 2005 Big Show unsuccessfully challenged
John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) for the WWE Championship in a triple threat match involving Angle at
Royal Rumble on January 30, 2005, and in a barbed wire steel cage match at
No Way Out on February 20. At
WrestleMania 21 on April 3, Big Show faced
Sumo Grand Champion
Akebono in a
worked sumo match. In the weeks preceding the match, Big Show pushed over a
jeep driven to the ring by
Luther Reigns to show that he was capable of moving the marginally heavier Akebono. Big Show lost to Akebono at WrestleMania 21. Big Show subsequently feuded with
Carlito and his bodyguard,
Matt Morgan, losing to Carlito at
Judgment Day on May 22 after Morgan interfered. On the June 27 episode of
Raw, Big Show was drafted to the Raw brand in the
2005 WWE draft lottery, defeating
Gene Snitsky in a tag team match, which turned into a singles match when both men's partners brawled backstage. Big Show and Snitsky continued feuding over the next few weeks in singles and tag team matches on
Raw. At
Unforgiven on September 18, Big Show defeated Snitsky. On the September 26 episode of
Raw, Big Show defeated Snitsky again in a
Street Fight to end their feud.
Teaming with Kane (2005–2006) On the October 17 episode of
Raw, Big Show defeated
Edge and was entered in an online
opinion poll, with the winner of the poll facing John Cena and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship at
Taboo Tuesday on November 1. The poll was won by
Shawn Michaels, meaning that the other two wrestlers competed for the
World Tag Team Championship. At Taboo Tuesday, Big Show teamed with Kane to defeat
Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch for the World Tag Team Championship. They successfully defended the titles against Cade and Murdoch in a hardcore match on the November 7 episode of
Raw. In the weeks preceding
Survivor Series on November 27, 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 and inadvertently injured
Batista. On the November 21 episode of
Raw, Big Show and Kane "injured" Batista by delivering a
double chokeslam onto the
windshield of a
car. At Survivor Series, Big Show, Kane, Carlito,
Chris Masters and team captain Michaels represented Raw in a match with Team SmackDown! (JBL, Rey Mysterio,
Bobby Lashley,
Randy Orton and Batista). Big Show was eliminated by Mysterio and Team SmackDown! won the match, with Orton being the sole survivor. Following the event, Big Show and Kane began feuding with WWE Tag Team Champions Mysterio and Batista, leading to a tag team match at
Armageddon on December 18, which Big Show and Kane won. The week prior on
Raw, Big Show lost a qualifying match for a shot at the WWE Championship in an
Elimination Chamber match at
New Year's Revolution on January 8, 2006 to Michaels by
disqualification after
Triple H hit Michaels with a chair, intentionally costing Big Show the match and the title shot. In retaliation, Big Show cost Triple H his qualifying match with Kane later that evening. At New Year's Revolution, Triple H defeated Big Show after striking him in the head with his
sledgehammer and a
Pedigree. Big Show and Kane next feuded with Masters and Carlito, who they defeated to retain the World Tag Team Championship on April 2 at
WrestleMania 22. The following night on
Raw, Big Show and Kane lost the championship to
Spirit Squad members
Kenny and
Mikey following copious interference from the other members of the Spirit Squad. They faced Spirit Squad members
Johnny and
Nicky in a rematch one week later, but lost via disqualification after Kane "snapped" and left the ring to attack the other members of the Spirit Squad. The ensuing feud between Kane and Big Show culminated in a match at
Backlash on April 30 that ended in a no contest.
ECW World Heavyweight Champion (2006–2007) in July 2006 At
WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7, Big Show
joined the newly debuted
ECW brand as he removed his Raw shirt to reveal an ECW shirt during a twenty-man battle royal including members of the Raw and SmackDown! rosters against members of the ECW roster, which he won by last eliminating Randy Orton. Big Show then appeared at
ECW One Night Stand on June 11, attacking
Tajiri,
Super Crazy and
The Full Blooded Italians after their tag team match. On the July 4 episode of
ECW, Big Show defeated Rob Van Dam to win the
ECW World Heavyweight Championship with the assistance of ECW's
Representative Paul Heyman, who declined to make the three-count for Van Dam after he performed the
Five Star Frog Splash on Big Show. Heyman then instructed Big Show to chokeslam Van Dam onto a chair before making the three-count so Big Show won the title, making him the first non-ECW Original to hold it. The fans almost rioted when Big Show won the title, throwing drinks and empty cups into the ring as Heyman and Big Show celebrated, turning heel in the process. The victory made him the first ever professional wrestler to hold the WWE Championship, WCW World Heavyweight Championship and ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Big Show lost to The Undertaker at
The Great American Bash on July 23 in the first ever
Punjabi Prison match, replacing
The Great Khali, who was removed by SmackDown! General Manager
Theodore Long and replaced with Big Show as punishment for an attack on The Undertaker shortly before the match. Big Show defeated Kane to retain the now renamed ECW World Championship two nights later on
ECW. Big Show also had a brief feud with
Sabu, whom he defeated at
SummerSlam on August 20 to retain the ECW World Championship. Also at SummerSlam, Big Show was one of the "resources" used by Vince and Shane McMahon in their match against
D-Generation X (DX). Big Show teamed with Vince and Shane against Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a 3-on-2 handicap
Hell in a Cell match at
Unforgiven on September 17, which was won by DX. During the match, DX shoved Vince's head up Big Show's
buttocks in a mockery of Vince's Kiss My Ass Club. At
Cyber Sunday on November 5, Big Show faced John Cena and
King Booker in a Champion of Champions match, with the fans voting for King Booker's World Heavyweight Championship to be on the line. Big Show lost the match when King Booker pinned Cena following interference from
Kevin Federline, who was beginning a feud with Cena. At
Survivor Series on November 26, Big Show competed in the traditional 10-man Survivor Series tag team match, but was the last man pinned by Cena. Big Show then began a feud with Bobby Lashley, who left
SmackDown! to join the ECW brand to participate in the
Extreme Elimination Chamber match for the ECW World Championship at
December to Dismember on December 3, where Big Show lost the title to Lashley. Following an unsuccessful rematch two nights later on
ECW, Big Show took time off to heal from injuries. On March 8, 2007, it was announced that Big Show's WWE contract had expired.
Memphis Wrestling (2007) Wight replaced
Jerry Lawler when the WWE withdrew him from a match with former nWo partner Hulk Hogan at
PMG Clash of Legends on April 27, 2007. Introduced as Paul "The Great" Wight, he stated that "Big Show" was his slave name and he did not want to be owned anymore. Wight lost the match to Hogan. Big Show lost to Mayweather at
WrestleMania XXIV on March 30 by knockout after a shot to the jaw with
brass knuckles. Big Show then turned face in a feud with The Great Khali, defeating him at
Backlash on April 27. At
One Night Stand on June 1, Big Show defeated
CM Punk,
John Morrison,
Chavo Guerrero and
Tommy Dreamer in a
Singapore Cane match to become the number one contender for the ECW Championship at
Night of Champions on June 29. During the bout, Big Show received a black eye and deep gash along the eyebrow, which required stitches after Morrison swung a Singapore cane to his knee, which caused him to fall with the steps. As he fell, the steps accidentally moved to the right, which hit Big Show in the eye. Big Show failed to win the title in a triple threat match at Night of Champions after
Mark Henry pinned Kane to win the title. Big Show was then assigned to the SmackDown brand, where he turned heel by siding with
Vickie Guerrero in her ongoing feud with
The Undertaker, attacking him at
Unforgiven on September 7. Big Show defeated The Undertaker by knockout at
No Mercy on October 5. However, Big Show lost to The Undertaker in a fan-voted
Last Man Standing match at
Cyber Sunday on October 26 and a casket match at
Survivor Series on November 23. On the December 5 episode of
SmackDown, Big Show lost to The Undertaker in a steel cage match to end their feud. At
No Way Out on February 15, 2009, Big Show competed in an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship, but was eliminated by Triple H. at a
live event in June 2009 In March, it was revealed by John Cena that the Big Show was having secret relations with Guerrero. At
WrestleMania 25 on April 5, Big Show was involved in a triple threat match for the
World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Cena. On April 13, Big Show was drafted to the Raw brand as a part of the
2009 WWE draft. At
Backlash on April 26, Big Show interfered in Cena and Edge's Last Man Standing match for the title, throwing Cena into a spotlight, resulting in Edge winning the title and Cena being seriously injured. Big Show lost to Cena at
Judgment Day on May 17 and at
Extreme Rules on June 7 in a submission match, before defeating him on the June 22 episode of
Raw to end the feud., known as
Jeri-Show, as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions in September 2009 At
Night of Champions on July 26, Big Show was introduced as
Chris Jericho's new tag team partner due to
Edge needing time off to tend to an injury. Together,
Jeri-Show successfully defended the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship against
The Legacy. Jeri-Show successfully defended the titles against
Cryme Tyme at
SummerSlam on August 23,
MVP and Mark Henry at
Breaking Point on September 13 and Rey Mysterio and Batista at
Hell in a Cell on October 4. At
Bragging Rights on October 25, Big Show represented Team Raw, but betrayed and attacked his teammates, which led to Team SmackDown winning so that he could receive an opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship. At
Survivor Series on November 22, Big Show failed to win the title in a triple threat match against The Undertaker and Jericho. Jeri-Show lost the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship at
TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on December 13 to
D-Generation X (DX) in a
Tables, Ladders and Chairs match. As a member of the SmackDown roster, Jericho could only appear on
Raw as a champion, so DX intentionally disqualified themselves in a rematch to force Jericho off the show. On the January 4, 2010 episode of
Raw, DX again defeated Jeri-Show, ending their team. On the February 8 episode of
Raw, Big Show regained the titles from DX with his new tag team partner
The Miz in a triple threat tag team elimination match also involving the
Straight Edge Society (CM Punk and
Luke Gallows). On February 16, Big Show and The Miz successfully defended the titles against
Yoshi Tatsu and
Goldust on the final episode of
ECW. On the March 1 episode of
Raw, Big Show and The Miz defeated DX in their rematch. At
WrestleMania XXVI on March 28, Big Show and The Miz retained the titles against John Morrison and
R-Truth. At
Extreme Rules on April 25,
ShoMiz competed in a tag team gauntlet match where the team that beat them would earn a title match the next night on
Raw. In the gauntlet, ShoMiz defeated Morrison and R-Truth and MVP and Henry, before losing to
The Hart Dynasty (
David Hart Smith and
Tyson Kidd). On the April 26 episode of
Raw, ShoMiz lost the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship to The Hart Dynasty.
Championship pursuits and reunion with Kane (2010–2011) Following the match, Big Show attacked The Miz with a knockout punch and hugged Theodore Long, turning face in the process. Later in the night, as part of the
2010 WWE draft, Big Show was drafted back to the SmackDown brand. Four days later on
SmackDown, Big Show was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship and began feuding with champion
Jack Swagger. Big Show defeated Swagger via disqualification at
Over the Limit on May 23, but did not win the title. With this victory, Big Show qualified for a fatal four-way match for the World Heavyweight Championship at
Fatal 4-Way on June 20, but lost as Rey Mysterio won the title. On the following episode of
SmackDown, Swagger debuted his new ankle lock finishing move and applied it on Big Show, injuring his ankle. Big Show then feuded with Punk and his
Straight Edge Society, unmasking Punk to reveal his bald head on the July 16 episode of
SmackDown. Big Show failed to win the SmackDown
Money in the Bank ladder match at
Money in the Bank on July 18. Big Show next unmasked the mysterious masked member of the SES, who was revealed as
Joey Mercury. Big Show defeated the SES in a 3-on-1 handicap match at
SummerSlam on August 15 and Punk at
Night of Champions on September 19. At
Bragging Rights on October 24, Big Show was the captain of Team SmackDown; despite being counted out with
Sheamus, his team was victorious. Big Show was on Mysterio's team at
Survivor Series on November 21, where he and Mysterio won as the remaining survivors. in December 2010|358x358px On the January 7, 2011 episode of
SmackDown, Big Show lost a fatal four-way match to determine the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship due to interference by former Nexus leader
Wade Barrett. The next week, Big Show defeated Barrett via disqualification when former Nexus members
Heath Slater and
Justin Gabriel attacked him.
Ezekiel Jackson then appeared to help Big Show, but instead attacked him. Barrett, Slater, Gabriel and Jackson formed
the Corre and continued to assault Big Show in the following weeks. At
Elimination Chamber on February 20, Big Show participated in an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, eliminating Barrett before being eliminated by Kane. The following month, Big Show reunited with Kane to fight the Corre, teaming with
Santino Marella and Kingston to defeat them at
WrestleMania XXVII on April 3. On the April 22 episode of
SmackDown, Big Show and Kane defeated Corre members Gabriel and Slater to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. Big Show was drafted back to the Raw brand as a part of the
2011 WWE draft. Big Show and Kane then started feuding with the New Nexus, successfully defending the titles against Barrett and Jackson at
Extreme Rules on May 1 and Punk and
Mason Ryan at
Over the Limit on May 22, before losing them the next night on
Raw to
Michael McGillicutty and
David Otunga. Big Show was sidelined with an injury after being run over by
Alberto Del Rio's car, driven by his ring announcer
Ricardo Rodriguez. Big Show returned on the June 13 episode of
Raw during a match between Kane and Del Rio, attacking Del Rio and Rodriguez. Big 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 Henry. At
Capitol Punishment on June 19, Henry retaliated by attacking Big Show during his match and attacking him with the ''World's Strongest Slam
through an announce table, causing Big Show to lose to Del Rio by knockout. Henry did the same thing on Kane through the broadcast table the next night on Raw
after their arm wrestling match, and again on the June 27 episode of Raw'' when Henry broke the cage door during the steel cage match between Big Show and Del Rio, allowing Del Rio to escape. Henry then attacked Big Show with the cage door, breaking the cage viciously. On July 17, at
Money in the Bank, Henry defeated Big Show. After the match, Henry fractured Big Show's
fibula, keeping him out of action for almost three months.
World Heavyweight Champion (2011–2013) On the October 7 episode of
SmackDown, Big Show returned and became the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship after attacking Henry and chokeslamming him through the broadcast table. At
Vengeance on October 23, Big Show fought Henry to a no contest after the ring collapsed following a superplex from Henry. He won a title rematch by disqualification when Henry hit Big Show with a low blow on November 20 at
Survivor Series, after which he crushed Henry's ankle with a chair. At
TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on December 18, Big Show defeated Henry for the title in a chairs match. Afterwards, Henry knocked Big Show out with a
DDT onto a chair and
Daniel Bryan immediately cashed his Money in the Bank contract on Big Show to win the title, giving Big Show the shortest-ever World Heavyweight Championship reign at 45 seconds. On the January 6, 2012 episode of
SmackDown, Bryan retained his title against Big Show by disqualification when he goaded Henry into attacking him. The next week on
SmackDown, Big Show's rematch for the title, contested under no disqualification, no countout rules, ended in a no contest after he accidentally crashed into and injured
AJ (Bryan's
storyline girlfriend) at ringside. At
Royal Rumble on January 29, 2012, Big Show faced Bryan and Henry in a triple threat steel cage match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but Bryan escaped the steel cage to retain his title. At
Elimination Chamber on February 19, Big Show was the second man eliminated in the titular match for the World Heavyweight Championship by
Cody Rhodes. in April 2012|252x252px In the following weeks, Big Show began a feud with Rhodes, who highlighted Big Show's embarrassing moments in previous WrestleManias, causing Big Show to lose matches in the process. At
WrestleMania XXVIII on April 1, Big Show defeated Rhodes to win the
Intercontinental Championship, becoming the twenty-fourth wrestler to win the Triple Crown Championship and the twelfth Grand Slam Champion in the WWE; he is the most recent wrestler to complete the original Grand Slam format. Big Show then began highlighting embarrassing moments in Rhodes' career. He lost the Intercontinental Championship back to Rhodes on April 29 at
Extreme Rules in a tables match. In a rematch on the May 7 episode of
Raw SuperShow, he defeated Rhodes via countout after Rhodes walked out on the match. The following week, Big Show was fired by Raw and SmackDown General Manager
John Laurinaitis for making fun of his voice. At
Over the Limit on May 20, Big Show seemingly appeared to help John Cena in his match against Laurinaitis; instead, he knocked out Cena, allowing Laurinaitis to pin Cena and turning heel. The following night on
Raw SuperShow, Big Show explained that his actions were of necessity to keep his job in the WWE, therefore resulting in Laurinaitis re-signing him to an "
ironclad contract with a big fat bonus", also stating that nobody showed him any sympathy when he got fired. Due to the terms of his contract, he attacked Cena and other wrestlers over the following weeks. On the June 11 episode of
Raw SuperShow, he accidentally knocked out
Vince McMahon after he decided that Laurinatis would be fired if Big Show lost to Cena in a steel cage match at
No Way Out on June 17, which he did, thus per stipulation, Laurinaitis was fired. At
Money in the Bank on July 15, Big Show competed in the
WWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match, which Cena won. On July 23, at
Raw 1000, Big Show attacked Cena during his WWE Championship match against CM Punk, causing a disqualification. The following week on
Raw, a WWE Championship number one contender's match between Big Show and Cena ended in a no contest due to interference from Punk. Raw General Manager AJ Lee inserted both Big Show and Cena in the championship match at
SummerSlam on August 19, but Punk retained the title. in November 2012The following month, Big Show defeated Randy Orton to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. At
Hell in a Cell on October 28, Big Show defeated Sheamus to win his second World Heavyweight Championship. On November 18, at
Survivor Series, he lost a title rematch to Sheamus by disqualification, but retained the title. After the match, Sheamus attacked Big Show and repeatedly hit him with a chair. At
TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on December 16, Big Show defeated Sheamus in a chairs match to retain the championship. On the December 28 episode of
SmackDown, Big Show defended his title against Alberto Del Rio, however, the match ended in a no-contest after Sheamus interfered and attacked Big Show. Three days later on
Raw, Big Show defended the title against Del Rio's ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez, defeating him via disqualification after Del Rio attacked Big Show from behind. On the January 11 episode of
SmackDown, Big Show lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Del Rio in a Last Man Standing match, ending his reign at 72 days. He failed to regain the title from Del Rio in another Last Man Standing match on January 27 at
Royal Rumble and on February 17 at
Elimination Chamber. In March, Big Show began feuding with
The Shield and aligned himself with Orton and Sheamus. On the March 15 episode of
SmackDown, Orton and Sheamus were allowed to pick a third partner to face the Shield in a six-man tag team match at
WrestleMania 29 and originally chose
Ryback. However, three days later on
Raw, Ryback was booked in another match at the event, leaving the spot open. Later that night, Big Show saved the two from an attack by The Shield and was immediately recruited as their partner. At WrestleMania on April 7, Big Show, Orton and Sheamus lost to The Shield, after which Big Show knocked out both Orton and Sheamus. The following night on
Raw, Orton and Sheamus faced off in a match to earn a match with Big Show, however, the match ended in a no contest after Big Show interfered. Big Show was then defeated by Orton and Sheamus in two handicap matches on
SmackDown and
Raw. On May 19, at
Extreme Rules, Big Show lost to Orton in an Extreme Rules match.
The Authority (2013–2016) After a hiatus, Big Show made his televised return to WWE as a face on the August 12 episode of
Raw, saving Henry and Rob Van Dam from an attack by The Shield. They defeated the Shield in a six-man tag team match on the August 16 episode of
SmackDown. After speaking out against COO Triple H on the following
Raw, Big Show was placed into and lost a three-on-one handicap tornado tag team match against The Shield.
The Authority (Triple H and Stephanie McMahon) subsequently claimed Big 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. At
Battleground on October 6, he interfered in the WWE Championship match between Bryan and Orton (who was allied with the Authority), knocking out both of them, ending the match in a no contest. He then faced Orton for the WWE Championship in a losing effort on November 24 at
Survivor Series. At
TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on December 15, Big Show and
Rey Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged
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). He subsequently started a feud with Brock Lesnar, but lost to him at
Royal Rumble on January 26. On April 6, Big Show participated in the
André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at
WrestleMania XXX, being the last person eliminated by Cesaro. In September, he feuded with
Rusev, which ended in a submission loss for Big Show on October 26 at
Hell in a Cell. Memorial Trophy in March 2015, by winning the namesake battle royal during the
WrestleMania 31 Kickoff ShowOn November 23, at
Survivor Series, Big Show turned heel when he joined the Authority after knocking out John Cena, causing him to be eliminated from the Survivor Series elimination match against the Authority. On December 14, Big Show defeated
Erick Rowan in a stairs match at
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. Later in the event, Big Show attacked Cena during his tables match with
Seth Rollins, but was stopped by
Roman Reigns. On January 25, 2015, at the
Royal Rumble, Big Show entered the Royal Rumble match at number 29, eliminating five wrestlers before being eliminated by the eventual winner Reigns. At
Fastlane on February 22, Big Show, Rollins and Kane defeated
Dolph Ziggler, Rowan and
Ryback. Big Show went on to win the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at
WrestleMania 31 on March 29. At
Extreme Rules on April 26, Big Show lost to Reigns in a Last Man Standing match. After a brief hiatus, Big Show returned on the June 1 episode of
Raw, where he knocked out
The Miz and confronted
Intercontinental Champion Ryback. At
Money in the Bank on June 14, he defeated Ryback in a title match by disqualification after The Miz attacked him. He failed to win the title in a triple threat match at
SummerSlam on August 23 and on the August 31 episode of
Raw following a distraction from The Miz. On the November 9 episode of
Raw, Big Show entered a 16-man tournament to crown a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but lost to Reigns in the first round. On the January 28, 2016 episode of
SmackDown, Big Show turned face by helping Reigns,
Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho fend off
The Wyatt Family, whom he, Kane and Ryback defeated on February 21 at
Fastlane, but lost to in a rematch the next night on
Raw. At
WrestleMania 32 on April 3, Big Show participated in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal; he faced off with
Shaquille O'Neal, but they were eliminated simultaneously by several wrestlers. Big Show and Kane's feud with the Wyatt Family ended when they defeated
Braun Strowman and
Erick Rowan on the April 19 episode of
Main Event.
Sporadic appearances (2016–2021) in a cage match in September 2017 Big Show was drafted to Raw as part of the
2016 WWE draft. At
Royal Rumble on January 29, 2017, he entered at number 9, but was eliminated by Strowman. After defeating Rusev on March 5 at
Fastlane, he was again eliminated by Strowman in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at
WrestleMania 33 on April 2. Two weeks later on
Raw, Big Show fought Strowman to a no contest after the ring collapsed when Strowman
superplexed him. Big Show next feuded with
Big Cass, but lost to him at
SummerSlam on August 20. On the September 4 episode of
Raw, Big Show lost to Strowman in a steel cage match, after which he was thrown through the cage by Strowman. This was done to write Big Show off television as he required hip surgery. His next appearance was on April 6, 2018, when he inducted his long-time friend and rival
Mark Henry into the
WWE Hall of Fame class of
2018. Big Show returned on the October 9 episode of
SmackDown, where he lost to Randy Orton. The following week, on
the 1000th episode of SmackDown, Big Show formed a short-lived alliance with
The Bar (
Cesaro and
Sheamus) by helping them defeat
The New Day for the
SmackDown Tag Team Championship, turning heel in the process. This alliance ended on the November 27 episode of
SmackDown, after Big Show performed a KO Punch on Cesaro backstage. Following this, Big Show was written off television due to a
hamstring injury. He was inactive in 2019. On the January 6, 2020 episode of
Raw, Big Show returned from injury over a year later as a face, teaming with
Kevin Owens and
Samoa Joe to defeat Seth Rollins and
AOP via disqualification. In a match filmed after
WrestleMania 36 ended, which aired on the April 6 episode of
Raw, Big Show turned heel again after insulting and challenging newly crowned WWE Champion
Drew McIntyre for his title in a losing effort. Big Show turned face again by helping
The Street Profits and
The Viking Raiders fend off the group of
ninjas led by
Akira Tozawa on the June 15 episode of
Raw. He last wrestled in an unsanctioned match against Orton on the July 20 episode of
Raw. On November 22, he appeared at
Survivor Series during The Undertaker's retirement ceremony. On January 4, 2021, Wight made his final WWE appearance on the
Legends Night edition of
Raw. Wight and WWE parted ways the following month after it was reported the two sides were unable to agree to financial terms on a new contract. Wight also cited "creative frustrations" and lack of ideas as reasons for his exit.
All Elite Wrestling (2021–present) On February 24, 2021,
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced that Big Show, under his real name, Paul Wight, had signed with the company and would be providing commentary alongside
Tony Schiavone for their new
YouTube series
AEW Dark: Elevation, which premiered on March 15. It was also confirmed that while commentary for
Elevation would be his initial role, he would also compete as an in-ring performer. He debuted on the March 3 episode of
AEW Dynamite titled
The Crossroads and announced he had a "big scoop" that AEW would sign "a
Hall of Fame worthy talent that is a huge surprise and a huge asset" at
Revolution four days later, which was revealed to be
Christian Cage. He had his first match in AEW on September 5, defeating
Q. T. Marshall at
All Out. On the November 1, 2023 episode of
Dynamite, Wight made his return to television, where he was announced as a part of Jericho and
Kenny Omega's tag team to face
The Don Callis Family in a four-on-four Street Fight. He appeared on the stage and knocked out
Kyle Fletcher. On the November 15 episode of
Dynamite, Wight's team defeated The Don Callis Family. After a year long absence, Wight returned on November 23, 2024 at
Full Gear, where he joined the commentary team for the match between Q. T. Marshall and
"Big Boom" A.J.. On November 22, 2025, Wight returned at
Full Gear to join commentator for the tag team match of "Big Boom" A.J. and Q. T. Marshall versus the
RPG Vice, he later intervened during the match and knocked out
Trent Beretta, allowing "Big Boom" A.J. and Q. T. Marshall to pick up the win. == Reception and legacy ==