On this date in WWE history: The Big Show makes his WWF debut

by Jesse Holland on Feb 14, 2012 10:00 AM EST in History

Historically speaking, that cramped little space under the ring is a pretty happening place. Aside from Hornswoggle's one bedroom flat, that's where Kane keeps his portal to hell, the production team keeps its tables and B. Brian Blair keeps a spare mask.

It's also the place where former World Championship Wrestling (WCW) superstar Paul Wight, later renamed "The Big Show," would make his World Wrestling Federation (WWF) debut.

Rise above canvas.

Vince McMahon hired Wight to help him defeat "Stone Cold" Steve Austin during their steel cage main event at St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House on February 14, 1999, a bout that would determine the number one contender to the WWF title.

Well, Wight did exactly what he was contracted to do, tearing up through the floor and throwing Austin into the cage. Unfortunately the cage gave way and Austin hit the floor, automatically making him the winner and heir to the throne.

See it all go down, after the jump.

13 years later and The Big Show is still a main eventer.

Surprised?

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Comments

“On this date in WWE history: The Big Show looks like a beautiful lion”

by Jon Knapik on Feb 14, 2012 10:07 AM EST reply actions 4 recs

The Giant

Never will be as good as he was as the Giant. Gained too much weight late in WCW, sapped his athleticism. Watch a 1996 Nitro when he got the Belt and see the crazy shit he can do in the ring

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by WolvesDenHoops on Feb 14, 2012 10:18 AM EST reply actions

yep!

The Giant in WCW
vs
The Big Show in WWE

With that said, Big Show is still a legend. He’s nearly impossible to book consistently due to his size, but that hasn’t restricted too much from a long, successful career.

by thejasten on Feb 14, 2012 10:52 AM EST up reply actions

Look how high we picked up Benoit for that choke slam

no way you could do that anymore with the concussion risks

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by WVPiratesfan on Feb 14, 2012 12:20 PM EST up reply actions

He was orginally called the Big Nasty, I wonder why that never took off???

I'm still waiting for my CM Punk WWE Ice Cream Bar.
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by Luke Thomas on Jan 5, 2012 1:40 PM PST up reply actions

by dandeman on Feb 14, 2012 1:52 PM EST up reply actions

Even early WWF he was svelte

It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.

by Jesse Holland on Feb 14, 2012 11:06 AM EST up reply actions

The guy turned 40

Can’t expect him to look like he did a decade ago with the Wellness Policy around.

by hfl2013 on Feb 14, 2012 11:25 AM EST up reply actions

Why not?

I can’t expect a professional athlete to stay in shape and not get fat because steroids are against company policy?

It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.

by Jesse Holland on Feb 14, 2012 11:44 AM EST up reply actions

I think he meant that Big Show has a body type that is predisposed to carry weight

and without the help of steroids, it is much harder for show to maintain that muscular body he had in his 20’s. Although we see Show on TV and see a large fat man, I’d bet his cardio level is amazing for a man his size. To me that is more important than muscles.

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by Major on Feb 14, 2012 12:03 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, he's naturally going to be huge

Same thing with a guy like Mark Henry. They can put a hell of a lot of time and effort into slimming down, but as they get older, there’s only so much they’ll be able to do. And then you take into account all the house shows and various promotional events he does on top of the occasional acting gig, and you are pretty much needing him to spend almost any of his down time in the weight room.

by hfl2013 on Feb 14, 2012 12:14 PM EST up reply actions

Although I do agree with you somewhat

I think this demonstrates the gap between premiere athlete and professional wrestler. There are many basketball players who can keep their weight down later in life…Just wait until wrestlemania and compare Shaq to the Big Show. Same age and height, but about 100 lbs of difference. Also Taker, Nash and Kane have all maintained pretty good muscularity and their size is comparable to the big show yet they’re all older (wellness violations not withstanding).

by thejasten on Feb 14, 2012 12:45 PM EST up reply actions

Not everyone is built the same way

First of all, those wrestlers you mentioned are actually between 6 ft 7 and 6 ft 9. Nash I believe is the tallest, and also the least likely of the trio to be all natural with his body shape. Big Show is a legitimate 7 feet I believe. Also, none of those guys you brought up were born with acromegaly. Big Show had a gland removed to stunt the growth, but he was still predisposed to a larger frame.

As for the Shaq vs. Show comparison. Take a look at Shaq when he was playing for the Magic and compare that with Shaq now. The guy has packed on a lot of pounds over the years and a lot of that is the aging process. Not everyone can make sure to diet hardcore and hit the weight room every day and when you’re talking about the 7 foot guys with naturally large frames (not the Yao Ming, Shawn Bradley types), that’s pretty much the only natural way they can keep their weight down. And like I mentioned above, most NBA players who are of the same height are tall as a result of genetics, not a result of any disease.

The athlete vs. wrestler argument really shouldn’t exist. For one, its silly to label someone a premiere athlete because of a sport they play. But really, its about being in the shape required for your job. For a soccer player, it does them no good to put on a lot of muscle when they’re kicking a light ball and having to run up and down a field for 90 minutes. For an offensive linemen, it does them no good to have the same workout routine and diet as the soccer player because they’re job is all about short bursts of strength. With wrestling, its a completely different type of activity. Here’s a Q&A with Lance Storm where he briefly touches on the subject of being in ring shape. The main quote:

A: Cardio shape when all you have to do is run or bike for a long time is so much easier because you just get into a groove and relax your breathing. When you are wrestling you have to run, jump, bump, sell, think, communicate, etc. It’s so much harder to relax your breathing when you have to do so many things.

So to conclude what ended up being a short essay and for the tl;dr crowd lol, yes The Big Show could be in a bit of better shape, but he’s got a much more uphill battle with his weight than any other tall athlete and it wouldn’t do him much good with his profession as compared to if he was a lineman or something of that sort.

by hfl2013 on Feb 14, 2012 1:13 PM EST up reply actions

yeah you're right

but i’m speaking more to the fact that he has gained all that weight…. The gigantism clearly wasn’t that big of a factor considering he was once in pretty good shape. Also, look at someone like Antonio Silva…gigantism doesnt automatically lead to fat gain.

Over the past decade, Big show has demonstrated a clear inability to get himself into better shape and it cost him during what should have been the prime of his career. Henry too. Age plays a part, but it’s not like you can’t overcome it.

And wrestlers have a responsibility to maintain a certain look. Cardio is a big part of it, but looking the part is far more important in the WWE…So I’d say it would actually benefit him more to get in shape. But definitely easier said than done.

by thejasten on Feb 14, 2012 1:29 PM EST up reply actions

Antonio Silva is 32 and 6 ft 4

Not quite the same as a 40 year old who is 7 ft tall. Also, again you’re talking about the time constraints. Silva’s job almost every day involves rigorous training in the gym and one match on average every 3-4 months.

I agree that Big Show and Henry could be in better shape, though we saw Henry in pretty good shape when he went to Smackdown before the injuries likely forced him to slow down the working out to be able to stay in the ring. I just wonder how much weight you feel like Big Show or Henry would need to lose? And with someone like The Big Show, simple size is enough. If he could still look like he did 10+ years ago, that would be a great look. But as it is, simply being the world’s largest athlete is enough of an attraction.

by hfl2013 on Feb 14, 2012 1:49 PM EST up reply actions

With the WWF's road schedule

It’s gotta be damn near impossible to keep your fitness routine perfect. When you’re not quite as naturally athletic as some of these smaller guys, or have a slower, aging metabolism, it’s gonna be harder to stay properly fit other than maintaining match fitness.

by George Washington Eagleclaw on Feb 14, 2012 1:52 PM EST up reply actions

Antonio Silva suffered from the same affliction as Big Show…that’s why I compared the two in terms of body composition.

I’m fine with him and henry being the weight that they are, but management clearly has had a problem with it. Both were shunned for not being in shape repeatedly throughout their careers. Remember Show-Gunn?? That was like 2 years after he came in. That downfall was from his inability to keep his weight in check. He eventually got back on track… and lost the weight when he was older. So again age was a factor, but not a big one.

Fuck I dont even know what we’re discussing anymore. The Giant was in shape, then he came in as the Big Show and got old and fat. We could speculate all day on the specific reasons why.

by thejasten on Feb 14, 2012 2:24 PM EST up reply actions

I can take a stab in the dark at why he gained weight.

by hfl2013 on Feb 14, 2012 4:17 PM EST up reply actions

they do

Life on the road for them is far harder than life on the road for professional athletes

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by Lesnar's striking coach on Feb 15, 2012 9:50 PM EST up reply actions

He was what, 27 when he came to the WWF?

Speaking from experience, my athletic downfall from my mid-20s was precipitous. It just ain’t as easy as you get older.

by George Washington Eagleclaw on Feb 14, 2012 1:57 PM EST up reply actions

Shouldn’t really be that big of a factor until late 30’s when testosterone production slows…but it is different for everyone. There’s a ton of athletes in amazing shape who are north of 40.

by thejasten on Feb 14, 2012 2:25 PM EST up reply actions

Again… another great example of telling a story with the match. It was not bland and over thought. There had been plenty of build up and plot development.

by davidhamilton83 on Feb 14, 2012 10:45 AM EST reply actions

I always thought

he could have been an even bigger star if he had a better name. I understand not wanting to use the word ‘Giant’ (though marketing him as the son of Andre the Giant would have been fun) but The Big Show? What kind of name is that?

by TheCrow4Life on Feb 14, 2012 11:31 AM EST reply actions

Although it did lead to some creative tag team names.

by The Name is Dalton on Feb 14, 2012 1:55 PM EST up reply actions

Obviously a very successful and marketable name.

by Chris Cutrer on Feb 14, 2012 6:23 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

One of the greatest.

especially being rather healthy for such a big frame. And damn decent on the mic.

by djfivenine on Feb 14, 2012 12:23 PM EST reply actions

I like the dude. He’s had a long and relatively healthy career for a big man, and he’s still grinding along. Good for him.

by 8bitDan on Feb 14, 2012 12:42 PM EST via mobile reply actions

That Austin/McMahon package

Really emphasized for me how I’ve been disappointed over the last 7 months by CM Punk.

That feud seemed really, really damn real — and that was a hell of a lot of both of them. Awesome bump by McMahon, in his 50s by then I’m sure and going on the Forbes billionaire list that year, through that Spanish announce table.

Captain Insano? Coulda been better, but a hell of a worker and by most accounts one of the good guys of the business.

by George Washington Eagleclaw on Feb 14, 2012 1:55 PM EST reply actions

I didn't read ALL of the comments above about weight/height but...

I’ve lost almost 200 pounds of my body weight and I’m pretty tall. And I gotta say that there’s simply no excuses on why a guy should become a blimp, even with age. It’s a very, very simple matter of eating less. That’s it.

ANYONE (and I mean ANYONE) can have a 6 pack abs if they ate less. And support your looks of a 6 pack abs by weightlifting with a proper lifting program but mainly incorporating bench press (chest), deadlift (body), squats (legs), with eating a proper amount of proteins in your diet. That’s it. Very, very simple. But very, very difficult because it requires a lot of patience which can be overcome with dedication and desire.

When you’re surrounded by all types of folks who eats, breathes and lives fitness everyday of their lives in professional wrestling, I don’t know how anyone associated can become a blimp. Big Show, Mark Henry, etc.

by Sir Ingenious on Feb 14, 2012 3:28 PM EST reply actions

"It’s a very, very simple matter of eating less. That’s it."

Any qualified nutritionist would disagree.

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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Feb 14, 2012 3:58 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Let me be more specific then: eating less CALORIES.

There we go.

by Sir Ingenious on Feb 14, 2012 4:10 PM EST up reply actions

Erm....

…I’m good friends with a nutritionist and she told me that calories = fuel for the body. When you eat under a certain amount of calories, your body doesn’t get the energy it needs.

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by TheAngryApe on Feb 14, 2012 4:12 PM EST up reply actions

Sure, calories are fuel for the body but you can simply eat just enough calories to keep you going for the day. That’s it. You still need to eat less calories to lose weight though, there’s no getting around that.

by Sir Ingenious on Feb 14, 2012 4:21 PM EST up reply actions

And I gotta say that there’s simply no excuses on why a guy should become a blimp, even with age.

So…someone with a thyroid problem is just making excuses?

ANYONE (and I mean ANYONE) can have a 6 pack abs if they ate less.

And did intense work on their core strength.

#HustleLoyaltyVagisil

by TheAngryApe on Feb 14, 2012 4:10 PM EST up reply actions

More than likely, you aren’t having thyroid problem. And more than likely, it’s just an excuse to mask your laziness or it’s simply that you’re uneducated on fitness.

Abs are only achieved by having low enough bodyfat that you can visibly see your muscles = abs. That’s it. If you aren’t seeing your abs then you need to lose more weight. Not enough abs? Then lose more weight.

by Sir Ingenious on Feb 14, 2012 4:16 PM EST up reply actions

I'm not talking about myself....

…I’m talking about ANYONE with a thyroid condition.

#HustleLoyaltyVagisil

by TheAngryApe on Feb 14, 2012 4:24 PM EST up reply actions

Finding holes in my statements to debate just for the sake of debating?

If you wanted to do so, why didn’t you say so? But I’ll bite.

Anyways, having thyroid problems is MUCH, much more uncommon than you think. Like I said, it’s just an excuse to mask a person’s laziness or that it’s a case of being uneducated. But the thing is, if folks were to educate themselves on fitness and then remain dedicated and consistent in dieting/working out, they’ll be amazed on how much they’ll achieve like I was.

by Sir Ingenious on Feb 14, 2012 4:32 PM EST up reply actions

....

Look…this is what I was asking.

Let’s say that you were having this debate, face-to-face with someone who had a legitimate diagnosis of a thyroid condition…and they had documentation from a physician…would you think that person was being lazy & uneducated? That’s what I’m asking…would you rescind your statement if presented with empirical proof or continue to think that it’s just laziness?

Also….

Abs are only achieved by having low enough bodyfat that you can visibly see your muscles = abs. That’s it.

Not entirely true. If you want definition, you have to work the muscle & develop strength in your abs, i.e. developing core strength. It’s not JUST burning off the fat and then POOF ROCK HARD ABS THAT CAN DEFLECT SHOTGUN SHELLS AND MOST BLADED WEAPONS. They’re work involved. I’m not disagreeing you on any of this…I’m just pointing out that you seem to skimming over quite a bit of the process.

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by TheAngryApe on Feb 14, 2012 4:46 PM EST up reply actions

If the person has a legit thyroid condition then it’s completely a different matter. I’m not qualified to answer this question because I know nothing on how to handle it. With concrete evidence that they have a legit thyroid problem, sure I’ll just say nothing and refer him/her to a doctor or a qualified specialist. But more than likely, at 95% of the time, this scenario is pretty uncommon.

Want rock hard abs? Then you’ll need to have abs training to make it harder. However, do you want abs at all? Then you’ll need to have low enough bodyfat, that’s it.

Definition = Dieting on a deficit
Mass = Dieting / Lifting on a surplus

by Sir Ingenious on Feb 14, 2012 5:07 PM EST up reply actions

Oh, I know it's uncommon. I've only ever met one person with it...

…and I thought she wasn’t applying herself…until I saw that she really did have a thyroid condition. And it’s a bitch to drop weight when you have it.

The problem is finding the right KIND of workout. One that suits your exact needs.

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by TheAngryApe on Feb 14, 2012 5:22 PM EST up reply actions

I gotta do some research about thyroid problems.

As I do wonder how many folks can overcome this disorder and how they all do it. But yeah, agreed: it does take a right kind of workout to suit one’s needs – just gotta try, try and try again.

by Sir Ingenious on Feb 14, 2012 6:22 PM EST up reply actions

It's hard to gain mass, too, in some cases

I had to take a physical about a year ago for a job, and they wanted me to get screened for thyroid issues, because my heart rate is really fast (around 110 BPM when resting), and my metabolism is generally very fast. The test came back that I don’t have hyper/hypothyroidism, but I’m at risk since my levels are just a bit below the threshold.

I’m 5’6", 150 pounds, which is normal BMI, otherwise healthy, etc. In general, no matter how long/often I work out, it’s a major pain in the ass to bulk up, and otherwise get more toned. If I was into things that required more weight, it’d be a pain in the ass to gain that, too- and, I have a very healthy appetite. Probably eat 2,500-3,000 calories on an average day.

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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Feb 14, 2012 6:31 PM EST up reply actions

It is.

For a guy like you to gain muscle, you have to eat to fill your body like pumping gasoline in a blimp. Eat, eat, eat, eat, and eat. Luckily for you, you have this problem. I wish I can do the same but I’d be big as a brick house! So I have to eat like a preteen girl to get fit and then eat like a preteen boy to gain mass. But I won’t have to eat as much to gain muscle.

A skinny guy like you can just abuse junk food, lift, and gain muscle!

by Sir Ingenious on Feb 14, 2012 6:36 PM EST up reply actions