WWE: Why the Big Show Is a Future Hall of Famer

Triple H. Chris Jericho. Undertaker. Randy Orton. John Cena. All top guys, all WWE main event Superstars.  

And all are future WWE Hall of Famers.

But there is another name that belongs to this list, a talent who has spent 13 of his 19 years in the business, employed by WWE.

That talent is Paul Wight, also known as the Big Show, and he is one day headed for the Hall of Fame.

It seems impossible, but there are moments when fans appear to forget about the seven foot, 440 pound Big Show when discussing the Superstars most deserving of the honor. Maybe it’s because he’s been there for so long, he’s such a fixture, that we tend to just look past him to the more vocal, flashy characters.

Triple H is the Cerebral Assassin, the Game, a dominant Superstar whose intensity knows no limits and who utilizes a sledgehammer when the need arises to punish his opponents.  He is the King of Kings, and he is one of the best of all time.

Chris Jericho. Y2J. He is the best the in the world at what he does, and he is the first ever Undisputed WWE Champion. He is considered one of the most technically sound in-ring performers in WWE history, and his legacy is cemented with his fans and his colleagues alike.

Undertaker is the Phenom, the Deadman, the walking embodiment of psychological warfare, and one of the biggest draws in WWE history.  His theatrical, over the top persona is one of the most unique ever presented in pro wrestling, and his WrestleMania undefeated streak is the stuff of legend.   

Randy Orton is the Viper, the Apex Predator, the razor sharp, cold blooded assassin who feels no remorse, and does what he has to do to win. He is the youngest World Champion in history, and has main-evented all over the world. He is a workhorse in WWE, relying more on what he does in the ring, rather than the emotionless, cold hearted promos he cuts before his matches. Orton is a legend in the making.

John Cena is the top guy in WWE, the controversial Superstar that so many fans love to hate. He has been on the mountaintop for so long, that it’s hard to imagine the company without him. He has pinned nearly every big name that he has ever faced in the ring, and everything that WWE does is geared around Cena’s "Never Say Die" attitude, and his refusal to ever give up being who he is.

Then, there’s Big Show, who’s, well, pretty big.

Let’s face it, when you’re billed as the World’s Largest Athlete, no amount of controversy, no amount of gimmicks, or infinite number of nicknames, will really do you any justice.

In fact, you don’t even really need any of that. Just show up.

However, while the main selling point for Big Show is, of course, his size.The fact is that point alone has never guaranteed any real success for him in the business. At least not in WWE.

In WCW, he was given, for all intents and purposes, a free ride. As the Giant, Big Show just showed up, choke slammed his opponents, and collected a paycheck.  

He went over on opponents who had put in more time than he had. He pinned guys who were excellent wrestlers, who were losing to Show only because of his size. WCW took one look at Paul Wight and saw someone they could make money with, someone who could help them sell tickets.

Oh, yeah, and someone that Hollywood Hogan could put under this thumb, and use whenever he wanted. Then again, he did that with a lot of guys in WCW.

When Wight made the jump to WWE, and became the Big Show, he found that the road would not be quite as easy.

Yes, he made a splash initially. The fact that he had just been main eventing for WCW, running with the nWo, and then was on WWE TV, was a big deal. He had made the change that so many other stars during that time did, and he received a lot of attention because of it.

But when the novelty of his presence in WWE wore off, Show found himself at mid card status, a place that fans who had known him in WCW were not used to seeing.

His ring work, which had not received much attention while working in Ted Turner’s company, mostly due to the fact that he was presented as such an immovable powerhouse, was now being exposed for its flaws.  

The world of WWE was more demanding and more strict in its requirements. Either you could go, or you couldn’t. There was no room for anything in between. Unfortunately for Big Show, that’s exactly where he was.

Vince McMahon likely understood this, and in response, did the only thing that he could with the seven foot giant.

He made him into a comedy act.

Suddenly, Big Show was less menacing monster, and more goofy jokester begging for attention.  He was just a part of the show, instead of being a focus. He may have made fans laugh, but the truth is, they were laughing at him, not with him.

But instead of allowing the situation to defeat him, Show put all of himself into his character, and kept working hard to stay in shape and get better in the ring.  

Slowly but surely, the hard work began to pay off.

I have written columns before about Show over the years, many of them often concluding that he deserved more and that for a Superstar of his size, he was not being given a fair shake, an even chance at success in WWE.

I for one could see the improvements that Show had been making since his debut in the company, and I had always wondered why Vince McMahon was not giving him his due.

But, perhaps it was not that McMahon did not recognize Show’s efforts. Perhaps it was that he wanted to see how hard Show was willing to work for it, and how long he would stay the course once he got there.

Big Show proved that he didn’t need an outlandish gimmick to get over.  His sense of humor, his ability to entertain, and his willingness to work hard for his spot put him right where he needed to be. He has been trusted with every major championship in WWE, and has held his own against every Superstar he has faced since then.

Yes, he showed up, but, when he got there, he earned it.

He has done it all in WWE, and is as much a part of that company’s identity as Hunter, Jericho,Taker, Orton, and Cena are.  

He is all about the business, all about the fans who pay to see him, and a true professional.

He is also Hall of Fame bound.