Paul Wight

Paul Donald Wight II is an American professional wrestler and actor. Standing 7 feet tall and weighing over 380 pounds, he dominated the ring for decades, first as The Giant in WCW and later as Big Show in WWE. Currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name, Wight remains one of the most recognizable figures in sports entertainment.

Wight played college basketball at Wichita State University before transferring to other schools, but his path shifted when he began wrestling in 1994. In 1995, he signed with WCW, where his immense size led promoters to bill him as the son of André the Giant. He quickly captured the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, becoming the youngest wrestler to hold the title at 23. In early 1999, he jumped to the WWF (now WWE), adopting the name Big Show. Over the next two decades, he headlined major events, including WrestleMania 2000, and engaged in memorable feuds with icons like The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and John Cena.

Across his career, Wight has won 23 championships, including seven world titles: two WCW World Heavyweight, two WWF/WWE Championships, two World Heavyweight Championships, and one ECW Championship. He is the only wrestler to have held all four of those major titles. He is also an 11-time world tag team champion and has completed both the Triple Crown and Grand Slam in WWE. Beyond championships, he won the 60-man World War 3 battle royal and the 30-man Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31.

Outside wrestling, Wight has appeared in films and TV shows, including Jingle All the Way, The Waterboy, Star Trek: Enterprise, Royal Pains, Psych, and Burn Notice. He starred in the WWE Studios comedy Knucklehead and the Netflix sitcom The Big Show Show. Across more than 20 film and television appearances, he has showcased a comedic touch that contrasts with his intimidating ring persona.[edit]

Wight was born in Aiken, South Carolina, but his family moved frequently due to his father's military career, eventually settling in Brooksville, Mississippi. He was an exceptionally large child, weighing 14 pounds at birth and reaching 6 feet tall by age 12. He played basketball at Wichita State University on a scholarship, then transferred to Southern Illinois University and later to the University of Tampa to be closer to his ailing mother. He never graduated.

His first step toward wrestling came when he met Hulk Hogan at a gym in 1994. Hogan, impressed by his size, gave him the phone number of WCW executive Eric Bischoff. Wight began training under Larry Sharpe at the Monster Factory in New Jersey, though his training was cut short when WCW signed him directly.[edit]

Wight debuted in WCW as The Giant at Halloween Havoc 1995, immediately winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Hulk Hogan. At 23, he became the youngest world champion in wrestling history. He joined the nWo in 1996 and won his second WCW World Heavyweight Championship that year. He also won the 60-man World War 3 battle royal in 1997 and 1998.

In 1999, he jumped to the WWF, debuting as Big Show at the St. Valentine's Day Massacre pay-per-view by knocking out Steve Austin. He won his first WWF Championship from The Rock in November 1999 and headlined WrestleMania 2000 in a Fatal Four-Way elimination match. Over the next decade, he held multiple tag team championships with partners including The Undertaker, Kane, and Chris Jericho. He won the WWE Championship for a second time in 2002 and captured the ECW World Championship in 2006, becoming the only wrestler to hold the WCW, WWF/E, and ECW world titles. He won the World Heavyweight Championship in 2007 and again at WrestleMania XXVIII in 2012.

In 2015, he won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31. After 22 years with WWE, he left in 2021 and signed with AEW, debuting under his real name, Paul Wight. He became a commentator for AEW Dark: Elevation and later transitioned to a part-time in-ring role and backstage ambassador.[edit]

Wight is known for his immense size, bald head, and goatee. His ring attire typically consists of black or red trunks and boots. His character evolved from a monster heel (The Giant) to a comedic, lovable giant (Big Show) to a respected veteran (Paul Wight). Media often portrays him as a gentle giant with a comedic edge, though his early career was built on being a dominant, unstoppable force. Fans often chant Big Show during his entrances, and his signature move, the Knockout Punch, is a crowd-pleaser. On social media, Wight is positive, family-oriented, and nostalgic, frequently sharing photos of his family and reflecting on his career.[edit]

Paul Wight commands a fanbase that is less a distinct movement and more an organic, sprawling subset of the global professional wrestling community. There is no formal name for his supporters; they are simply fans who have witnessed decades of evolution, from the terrifying monster heel known as The Giant to the comedic, lovable giant Big Show, and finally to the resilient veteran Paul Wight currently competing in All Elite Wrestling. This audience does not organize around specific hashtags or funded campaigns but gathers instead on general platforms like Reddit and X to discuss his longevity, his recent weight loss, and his continued ability to dominate matches despite his immense size. The cultural mythology surrounding him relies on verified moments that serve as essential lore for newcomers: the shock of his 1996 Starrcade debut where he lifted ring ropes to chokeslam Hulk Hogan, the 2005 incident at Madison Square Garden where he literally broke the ring canvas under his weight, and the viral visual contrast of him lifting Rey Mysterio onto his shoulders. These stories define the reverence fans hold for his physical dominance while celebrating his transition into a figure of adaptation. In August 2026, this legacy was quantified by the iFANN Global Fame Rankings, which placed him the 78th most famous person in Pro Wrestling, a standing he has maintained steadily through the previous cycle.[edit]

Paul Wight holds a license as a private pilot and owns a Cessna 172 aircraft. He suffers from acromegaly, a condition caused by excess growth hormone that was diagnosed in his early twenties after surgery to remove a pituitary tumor. His feet measure a size 22.5, earning him a Guinness World Record for the largest feet on a living person, though that record has since been surpassed. In a display of sheer capacity, he once consumed 50 pancakes in a single sitting during a WWE catering challenge. Standing at 6 feet 8 inches, his father, Paul Wight Sr., was also exceptionally tall. A tattoo of a cross adorns his left bicep, inked in the year 2000. Beyond these personal facts, wrestling lore preserves several iconic moments. Fans still retell the story of his 1996 WCW debut at Starrcade, where he entered through the crowd to deliver a chokeslam to Hulk Hogan, instantly establishing his monster persona. Another legendary tale involves a 2005 match against Randy Orton where his weight caused the turnbuckle and canvas to collapse entirely. More recently, the visual spectacle of him lifting the much smaller Rey Mysterio became a staple of wrestling humor and awe, frequently referenced in memes and retrospectives.[edit]

Wight's father, Paul Wight Sr., was a retired military officer and later a college instructor. His mother, Dorothy, was a homemaker. He has one older sister. Wight married Bess Katramados, a former fitness model, on February 11, 2002; they met in 2001 at a nightclub in Tampa, Florida. They have two daughters: Jada, born in 2005, and a younger child born in 2018. Wight also has a daughter, Cierra, born in 1998, from his first marriage to Rebecca Wight, which ended in divorce in 2002. The family lives in Tampa, Florida.[edit]

Wight has been closely associated with Hulk Hogan, who mentored him and later became an early rival. He formed a long friendship and tag team with The Undertaker. He had iconic rivalries with Stone Cold Steve Austin and John Cena. He frequently teamed with Chris Jericho and The Miz. In AEW, he works under Tony Khan.[edit]

Wight married Rebecca Bex in 1997; they had one daughter, Cierra, before divorcing in 2002. He met Bess Katramados, a former fitness model, at a nightclub in Tampa in 2001. They married on February 11, 2002, and have two daughters: Jada, born in 2005, and a younger child born in 2018. As of 2026, Wight remains married to Bess, with whom he has shared over 24 years of marriage.[edit]

Per iFANN's editorial analysis, Paul Wight's net worth stands at $22 Million as of 2026. This financial standing is driven primarily by his long-standing contracts with WWE, which at their peak generated between $1 million and $2 million annually, alongside his current multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling that reportedly pays $1-2 million yearly plus bonuses. Additional revenue streams include acting roles such as the Netflix sitcom The Big Show Show, endorsement partnerships with brands like Reebok and various supplement companies, and real estate holdings located in Tampa, Florida. Royalties from merchandise sales and fees for public appearances further bolster his income.[edit]

Wight has won 23 championships in his career, including seven world titles across WCW, WWF/E, and ECW. He is an 11-time world tag team champion and has completed the WWE Triple Crown and Grand Slam. He also won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in 2015.[edit]