Paul Wight, formerly known as Big Show in WWE, has always been a prominent figure in Vince McMahon’s television product, whether it be for his larger-than-life personality or his impressive in-ring abilities. However, before his time in WWE, Wight worked in WCW, where he had the opportunity to compete against legendary wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan.
During his time in WCW, Wight made his debut as The Giant at Slamboree and quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with. His in-ring debut at Halloween Havoc saw him defeat Hulk Hogan to become the World Champion, cementing his status as a top performer in the industry.
Despite his size, Wight was surprisingly athletic during the early days of his career. He would frequently perform impressive moves such as drop-kicks, kip-ups, and even moonsaults. However, it was this last move that would land him in hot water with Hogan.
In a recent Q&A session at a For the Love of Wrestling event, Wight shared a story about a phone call he received from Hogan after performing a moonsault in a match. According to Wight, Hogan threatened to never work with him again if he ever performed the move again.
Wight recalled the incident, saying:
“The moonsault thing got killed. The one time I did it, it wasn’t in a live event and it’s before they had cell phone cameras, so there wasn’t any documented evidence of it. But it got around, and I got back to my hotel and my hotel phone had a message light, and I think I was in Japan, so I called…I picked up the message and it was Hulk (Hogan) who wanted me to call him collect from Japan.
Wight went on to explain that Hogan was adamant that giants like him should never perform such athletic moves, saying “Giants don’t do moonsaults.” While Wight was initially frustrated by Hogan’s response, he eventually came to understand the industry’s expectations for wrestlers of his size and worked to establish himself as a performer who could excel both in and out of the ring.
Because this is before cell phones so I called Hulk and Hulk told me flat out if I ever did a moonsault again, he’d never work with me again and hung up. ‘Giants don’t do moonsaults.’ When I first started, I was way too athletic for my size and what the industry was used to for a big man and what the industry wanted from me as a giant. I wasn’t as athletic as Undertaker by any means, but I was a giant that was way too athletic than to be a giant so it was a hard struggle early in my career to figure out who I was supposed to be.”
Despite this setback, Wight continued to find success in the industry and eventually made the jump to WWE, where he became one of the most recognizable faces in the sport. His story serves as a reminder of the often-unseen struggles that wrestlers face as they navigate the complex and demanding world of professional wrestling.
