For over a decade, Paul Wight delighted wrestling fans around the world as the colossal and iconic figure known as The Big Show. His larger-than-life persona and athletic prowess made him a staple in the world of WWE. However, the wrestling world was left in shock when news emerged that Paul Wight was linked to a scandal of a different nature during his tenure with Vince McMahon’s company.
This story harks back to a time when diligent agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration launched an exhaustive federal investigation into the infamous Biogenesis clinic. Their mission was to uncover the rampant use of steroids in the world of baseball, and their efforts resulted in suspensions for high-profile players like Alex Rodriguez, Nelson Cruz, and Ryan Braun. Notably, Tony Bosch, the mastermind behind the clinic, and seven others were convicted as a result of the investigation.
In a startling turn of events, ESPN managed to obtain a trove of 1,400 unredacted federal investigative documents, which exposed the identities of additional athletes connected to Biogenesis. Among these names was none other than Paul Wight, who now plies his trade in the exciting world of All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
In a revealing interview conducted in 2014, Tony Bosch himself disclosed that he had treated Paul Wight during the years 2009-2010. Shockingly, Bosch revealed that his partner, Jorge “Ugi” Velazquez, had clandestinely administered performance-enhancing drugs to Wight without Bosch’s knowledge. Even more surprising was the claim that Wight had expressed a preference for more potent substances like Winstrol and Deca-Durabolin, which ran counter to Bosch’s established doping protocols.
Paul Wight, represented by his attorney Edward Brennan, swiftly countered these allegations. He stated that Tony Bosch had made an appearance at Wight’s residence during a “Thanksgiving open house,” an event attended by fellow wrestlers. However, Wight vehemently asserted that he had only met with Bosch on one other occasion. Brennan emphasized that Wight had never recorded a failed drug test and underscored the serious health risks that performance-enhancing drugs posed to his client, given Wight’s preexisting endocrine system disorder.
“Paul never treated with Bosch. Paul never took any PEDs from Ugi or anyone else. He is as clean as you can be. More importantly, he would never take any PEDs because of his underlying medical condition.
In a strongly worded statement, Edward Brennan refuted the claims against his client, stating unequivocally that “Paul never treated with Bosch. Paul never took any PEDs from Ugi or anyone else. He is as clean as you can be. More importantly, he would never take any PEDs because of his underlying medical condition.”
Amidst this controversy, Jorge “Ugi” Velazquez weighed in on the matter, labeling Bosch a “snitch” and accusing him of trying to inflate his own importance in the situation. Velazquez bluntly stated, “What I believe it is, when you are doing a deal with the government, you need to bring stuff to the table to make yourself bigger so you can have more value. [Bosch] is trying to make himself bigger than he is, like always. He is a nobody.”
