Paul Wight is a professional wrestler popularly known for his ring name “The Big Show”. He’s currently working for the WWE in the Raw brand after being drafted as part of the 2009 WWE Draft.

Personal Life
Wight was born in Aiken, South Carolina on February 8, 1972. He was diagnosed with acromegaly, a disease in the pituitary gland wherein it produces excess growth hormone that also leads to gigantism. Unlike Andre the Giant, who suffered from the same disease and died due to its complications, Wight chose to undergo treatment and underwent surgery in the early 90s. This halted his growth progression but at age 19, he was already listed as 7 feet tall. This allowed him to play football and basketball while he was in school. He has been married twice. He married Melissa Ann Piavis on Valentine’s Day of 1997. Together they have a daughter named Cierra. After divorcing Piavis on 2002, he married Bess Katramados, on February 11, 2002.

Wrestling Career
Paul Wight started out his pro wrestling career in the WCW after several months of training and preparation. He was introduced as “The Giant” and immediately feuded with Hulk Hogan, blaming him for the death of Andre the Giant, his father in the storyline. During his tenure with WCW, he rose quickly as one of its stars, capturing the WCW Championship twice and the WCW Tag Team Championship 3 times with 3 different partners. He also won WCW World War 3 (an event similar to the WWE Royal Rumble, although it’s held in 3 rings with 20 men in each ring) once, eventually getting a title shot in a future PPV match. He was also part of Hollywood Hogan’s New World Order.

Wight’s contract with WCW expired and he was signed by the WWF to a 10-year contract. He debuted in February 2009 as Paul “The Great” Wight with Mr. McMahon’s heel stable before being renamed as “The Big Show”. In his WWF stint, he was able to capture the WWF/E Championship in 2 occasions as well as the ECW Championship once, making him the only person to ever hold the WWF/E, WCW, and ECW titles. He also held the WWE United States Championship (1 time), WWF Hardcore Championship (2 times), WWF/E World Tag Team Championships (3 times). During his tenure, he had notable feuds against The Undertaker, Mankind, Big Boss Man, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Batista, John Cena, and Bobby Lashley. He lost his ECW title to Lashley in December to Dismember in an Elimination Chamber match. After an unsuccessful attempt to regain the title, he left the company to seek other opportunities outside of wrestling. The Big Show eventually returned after a 14-month hiatus from pro wrestling, dabbling in acting and professional boxing, both of which were unsuccessful.

Acting Career
Aside from wrestling, Wight also made several appearances on TV and film, appearing in episodes of Saturday Night Live, Star Trek: Enterprise, Hogan Knows Best, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, to name a few. He also appeared as “Captain Insano” in the Adam Sandler movie, “The Waterboy”

Real Name: Paul Donald Wight
Date of Birth: February 8, 1972

WWE Career:
1999
WWF World Tag Team Championship with The Undertaker ‘The Unholy Alliance’(SummerSlam 1999) – August 22, 1999
WWF World Tag Team Championship with The Undertaker ‘The Unholy Alliance’(SummerSlam 1999) – September 7, 1999
WWF Championship (Survivor Series 1999) – November 14, 1999

2001
WWF Hardcore Championship – February 25, 2001
WWF Hardcore Championship – May 21, 2001

2002
WWF Hardcore Championship – July 12, 2002
WWE Championship (Survivor Series 2002) – November 17, 2002

2003
WWE United States Championship (No Mercy 2003) – October 19, 2003

2005
WWE World Tag Team Championship with Kane (Taboo Tuesday 2005) – November 1, 2005

2006
ECW World Heavyweight Championship (ECW on Sci Fi) – July 4, 2006

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