History of Big Show in Timeline
Paul Donald Wight II, known as Big Show in WWE and Giant in WCW, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He gained prominence in WCW (1995-1999) and later achieved significant success in WWE (1999-2021) under the Big Show moniker. Currently, he is signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) using his real name.
February 8, 1972: Paul Wight's Birth
On February 8, 1972, Paul Donald Wight II, who would later become known as Big Show, was born. He is an American professional wrestler and actor.
1991: Plays for Wichita State Shockers
In 1991, Paul Wight played basketball for the Wichita State Shockers.
1991: Member of Wichita State University basketball team
In 1991, Paul Wight was listed at 7 ft 1 in as a member of the Wichita State University basketball team at age 19.
1992: Plays for Wichita State Shockers and attends SIU Edwardsville
In 1992, Paul Wight continued to play basketball for the Wichita State Shockers and subsequently attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
1993: Attends SIU Edwardsville
In 1993, Paul Wight was a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Cougars basketball team at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
December 3, 1994: First wrestling match
On December 3, 1994, Paul Wight wrestled the first match of his career at a World Wrestling Association (WWA) show in Clementon, New Jersey, losing to WWA Heavyweight Champion Frank Finnegan by count-out.
1994: Uncredited appearance in Thunder in Paradise
In 1994, Big Show had an uncredited appearance on the television show Thunder in Paradise.
1994: Wrestling Career Begins
In 1994, Paul Wight began his wrestling career.
October 1995: WCW In-Ring Debut and Championship Win
In October 1995, Paul Wight, as "The Giant", made his WCW in-ring debut at Halloween Havoc, defeating Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship after Jimmy Hart turned on Hogan, though the title change was later nullified.
1995: Joins WCW as The Giant
In 1995, Paul Wight joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was known as The Giant.
1995: Signed with WCW
In 1995, Paul Wight signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he was known as "The Giant".
1995: Headlining WCW/WWF events
Since 1995, Paul Wight has headlined multiple pay-per-view events for WCW and WWF/WWE, including WrestleMania.
January 1996: Teamed with Ric Flair
In January 1996, The Giant teamed with Ric Flair to defeat Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage at Clash of the Champions XXXII.
March 1996: Defeats Loch Ness
In March 1996, The Giant defeated Loch Ness at Uncensored.
April 22, 1996: Team Match with all Titles on the Line
On April 22, 1996, The Giant teamed with WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair to face WCW World Tag Team Champions Sting and Lex Luger in a match where all three titles were on the line; the match ended in disqualification.
April 29, 1996: Giant wins WCW World Heavyweight Championship
On April 29, 1996, The Giant defeated Ric Flair to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship for a second time.
May 1996: Defends title against Sting
In May 1996, The Giant successfully defended the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Sting at Slamboree.
June 1996: Defends title against Lex Luger
In June 1996, The Giant successfully defended the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Lex Luger at The Great American Bash.
July 1996: Teams with Kevin Sullivan
In July 1996, The Giant teamed with Kevin Sullivan to defeat Arn Anderson and Chris Benoit at Bash at the Beach.
August 10, 1996: Giant loses WCW World Heavyweight Championship to Hulk Hogan
On August 10, 1996, at Hog Wild, The Giant lost the WCW World Heavyweight Championship to Hulk Hogan due to interference from Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.
September 1996: Joins the nWo
In September 1996, The Giant joined the New World Order (nWo), citing Ted DiBiase's money as his primary motivation.
October 1996: Defeats Jeff Jarrett
In October 1996, at Halloween Havoc, The Giant defeated Jeff Jarrett by disqualification after Ric Flair gave him a low blow.
November 1996: Wins World War 3
In November 1996, The Giant won the World War 3 match at World War 3.
1996: Played Giant Santa in Jingle All The Way
In 1996, Big Show played Giant Santa in the Christmas film Jingle All The Way.
December 1997: Feud with Kevin Nash and No-Show at Starrcade
In December 1997, The Giant's feud with Kevin Nash escalated, with Nash no-showing their scheduled match at Starrcade.
1997: Marriage to Melissa Piavis
In 1997, Big Show married his first wife, Melissa Piavis.
January 1998: Match with Kevin Nash at Souled Out
In January 1998, The Giant finally faced Kevin Nash at Souled Out, where Nash accidentally injured The Giant's neck with a botched jackknife powerbomb.
October 12, 1998: Defeated by Bill Goldberg
On October 12, 1998, Bill Goldberg defeated The Giant in a no-disqualification match on Nitro.
December 1998: Arrest for alleged indecent exposure
In December 1998, Big Show was arrested for allegedly exposing himself to a motel employee in Memphis, Tennessee, but the charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence.
1998: Altercation with Robert Sawyer
In the summer of 1998, Big Show was involved in an altercation with Robert Sawyer at Marriott Hotels & Resorts in Uniondale, New York.
January 11, 1999: Final WCW Appearance and NWO Attack
On January 11, 1999, The Giant made his final appearance in WCW, being attacked by the entire nWo after losing to Kevin Nash due to interference.
January 1999: Joins original NWO to oppose Kevin Nash
In January 1999, The Giant re-joined the original NWO to oppose Nash and his allies.
February 8, 1999: WCW Contract Expires
On February 8, 1999, Paul Wight's WCW contract expired, which was his 27th birthday.
February 14, 1999: WWF Debut as Paul Wight
On February 14, 1999, Paul Wight debuted in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) at St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House as "Paul Wight", aligning himself with Vince McMahon's Corporation.
March 1999: Assault Charge
In March 1999, Big Show was charged with assault by Robert Sawyer, who claimed Wight had broken his jaw in the summer of 1998. Big show pleaded self defense and was found not guilty.
1999: Leaves WCW, Joins WWF/WWE
In 1999, Paul Wight left WCW and joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), later known as WWE.
1999: Late 20th Century
The late 20th century (1975-1999) marks a period in Paul Wight's life.
2000: Separation from Melissa Piavis
In 2000, Big Show separated from his first wife, Melissa Piavis.
January 21, 2001: Royal Rumble Match
On January 21, 2001, Big Show made a surprise return as the 23rd entrant in the Royal Rumble match, but was immediately eliminated by The Rock.
March 17, 2002: Drafted to Raw Brand
On March 17, 2002, after WrestleMania X8, Big Show was drafted to the Raw brand.
2002: Stacker 2 Infomercials
In 2002 Big Show was featured in infomercials for Stacker 2 with former NASCAR drivers Kenny Wallace and Scott Wimmer.
2002: Divorce finalized and remarriage
In 2002, Big Show's divorce from Melissa Piavis was finalized. In the same year, he married his second wife, Bess Katramados.
January 19, 2003: Royal Rumble Qualifying Match Loss
On January 19, 2003, at Royal Rumble, Big Show lost a Royal Rumble qualifying match to Brock Lesnar.
January 25, 2004: Royal Rumble Elimination
On January 25, 2004, at the Royal Rumble, Big Show was the last man eliminated by Chris Benoit.
2004: Star Trek: Enterprise cameo
In 2004, Big Show made a cameo appearance in Star Trek: Enterprise playing one of the Orion Slavers.
January 30, 2005: WWE Championship Triple Threat Match
On January 30, 2005, at Royal Rumble, Big Show unsuccessfully challenged John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) for the WWE Championship in a triple threat match also involving Kurt Angle.
2005: Stacker 2 Infomercials
In 2005 Big Show was featured in infomercials for Stacker 2 with NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Elliott Sadler, retired crew chief turned Fox Sports broadcaster Jeff Hammond.
2005: Feud with Gene Snitsky
In 2005, Big Show feuded with Gene Snitsky after being drafted to Raw. They faced each other in singles and tag team matches on Raw, culminating in Big Show defeating Snitsky at Unforgiven and in a Street Fight on Raw to end their feud.
2005: Leased a bus due to size issues
In 2005, Paul Wight leased a bus and hired a bus driver because of the practical problems his size presents to air travel and car rental.
January 8, 2006: Loss of Qualifying Match
On January 8, 2006, the week prior on Raw, Big Show lost a qualifying match for a shot at the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution to Shawn Michaels by disqualification after Triple H intentionally hit Michaels with a chair. Big Show retaliated by costing Triple H his qualifying match.
March 8, 2007: WWE Contract Expiration
On March 8, 2007, it was announced that Big Show's WWE contract had expired.
April 27, 2007: Defeat by Hulk Hogan
On April 27, 2007, Wight replaced Jerry Lawler and faced Hulk Hogan at PMG Clash of Legends, where he lost. He was introduced as Paul "The Great" Wight, stating that "Big Show" was his slave name.
2007: Contract with SoBe Entertainment
In 2007, during his time off from WWE, Big Show signed a contract with SoBe Entertainment to train for a potential boxing career.
February 17, 2008: Return to WWE Television
On February 17, 2008, at No Way Out, Big Show returned to WWE television, getting into a physical confrontation with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., which ended with Mayweather breaking Big Show's nose.
March 2008: Legal letter from SoBe Entertainment
Around March 2008, SoBe Entertainment sent a legal letter to WWE advising the company about their contract with Big Show and demanding they prevent his match against Mayweather from going forward.
June 2009: SoBe Entertainment lawsuit
In June 2009, SoBe Entertainment sued Big Show, his wife, and WWE for $15,000,000 over breach of contract related to a potential boxing career.
2009: Relationship with Vickie Guerrero
In 2009, it was revealed by John Cena that Big Show was having secret relations with Vickie Guerrero.
January 4, 2010: Loss to D-Generation X
On January 4, 2010, Jeri-Show lost to D-Generation X (DX) on Raw, ending their team.
2010: Royal Pains cameo
In 2010, Big Show made a cameo appearance on the USA show Royal Pains playing Donald Green.
2010: Drafted Back to SmackDown
In 2010, Big Show was drafted back to the SmackDown brand as part of the WWE draft. He turned face, attacked The Miz, and became the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.
January 7, 2011: Fatal Four-Way Match Loss
On January 7, 2011, Big Show lost a fatal four-way match on SmackDown to determine the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship due to interference by Wade Barrett.
2011: Stacker 2 Infomercials
In 2011 Big Show was featured in infomercials for Stacker 2 with Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart.
2011: WWE Tag Team Championship Win and Loss
In 2011, Big Show reunited with Kane, defeating The Corre at WrestleMania XXVII. On April 22nd, they won the WWE Tag Team Championship, but lost them on Raw to Michael McGillicutty and David Otunga. Big Show was also drafted back to Raw.
January 6, 2012: Title match against Daniel Bryan
On January 6, 2012, Big Show faced Daniel Bryan for the World Heavyweight Championship on SmackDown, but Bryan retained the title by disqualification after goading Mark Henry into attacking him.
January 29, 2012: Triple threat steel cage match
On January 29, 2012, at Royal Rumble, Big Show competed in a triple threat steel cage match against Daniel Bryan and Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship. Bryan escaped the cage to retain his title.
March 31, 2012: Slime Wrestling World Championship
On March 31, 2012, Big Show won the first-ever Slime Wrestling World Championship at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, defeating The Miz.
2012: Contracted with Sobe ended
Big Show was supposed to be contracted with Sobe entertainment for his boxing career until 2012 for $1,008,000 a year.
2013: Lawsuit Filed Against Wight and WWE
In 2013, WWE producer Andrew Green filed a lawsuit against Big Show (Wight) and WWE, alleging injuries and emotional distress following an incident after Big Show's loss against Alberto Del Rio at the 2013 Royal Rumble. Green claimed Wight physically attacked him during an interview. Green and his wife sought damages for multiple claims, including negligence and invasion of privacy.
2014: Special Olympics USA Games supporter
In 2014, Big Show was an active supporter of the Special Olympics, including the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games in New Jersey.
January 25, 2015: Royal Rumble match
On January 25, 2015, at the Royal Rumble, Big Show entered the Royal Rumble match at number 29, eliminating five wrestlers before being eliminated by the eventual winner, Roman Reigns.
2015: Co-starred in Vendetta
In 2015, Big Show co-starred in the action film Vendetta alongside Dean Cain and Michael Eklund.
2015: WWE Goodwill Ambassador for Special Olympics
In 2015, Big Show was named WWE Goodwill Ambassador for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles, California.
January 28, 2016: Big Show turns face
On January 28, 2016, Big Show turned face on SmackDown by helping Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Chris Jericho fend off The Wyatt Family.
2016: Countdown appearance
In 2016, Big Show portrayed his wrestling persona in the film Countdown.
2016: Drafted to Raw
In 2016, Big Show was drafted to Raw as part of the WWE draft.
January 29, 2017: Royal Rumble appearance
On January 29, 2017, Big Show entered the Royal Rumble at number 9, but was eliminated by Braun Strowman.
April 6, 2018: WWE Hall of Fame induction
On April 6, 2018, Big Show inducted Mark Henry into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2018.
2018: Dungeons & Dragons Stream
In 2018, Big Show appeared in the Wizards of the Coast's Dungeons & Dragons stream "Stream of Many Eyes Day Three - Jocks Machina" alongside other celebrities.
2018: Global Ambassador for Special Olympics International
Since 2018, Big Show has served as a global ambassador for Special Olympics International.
2018: Estimated number of face and heel turns
Through 2018, it was estimated that Big Show had made approximately 34 turns between face and heel since his WCW debut in 1995.
2019: Inactivity due to injury
In 2019, Big Show was inactive due to a hamstring injury.
January 6, 2020: Big Show returns on Raw
On January 6, 2020, Big Show returned from injury as a face on Raw, teaming with Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe to defeat Seth Rollins and AOP via disqualification.
2020: Fighting with My Family Appearance
In 2020, Big Show portrayed his wrestling persona in the film Fighting with My Family.
2020: The Big Show Show
In 2020, Big Show starred as a fictional version of himself in the Netflix sitcom The Big Show Show.
January 4, 2021: Final WWE appearance
On January 4, 2021, Big Show made his final WWE appearance on the Legends Night edition of Raw.
February 24, 2021: Signs with All Elite Wrestling (AEW)
On February 24, 2021, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced that Big Show, under his real name Paul Wight, had signed with the company and would be providing commentary for AEW Dark: Elevation.
2021: Leaves WWE
In 2021, Paul Wight's tenure with the World Wrestling Federation/WWE came to an end.
November 1, 2023: Return to AEW Dynamite
On November 1, 2023, Wight returned to television on Dynamite, where he was announced as part of Jericho and Kenny Omega's tag team to face The Don Callis Family in a four-on-four Street Fight, knocking out Kyle Fletcher.
November 23, 2024: Commentary at Full Gear
On November 23, 2024, Wight returned at Full Gear, joining the commentary team for the match between Q. T. Marshall and "Big Boom" A.J..
2024: No Time to Spy voice acting
In 2024, Big Show voiced Ham Hand in the spy comedy film No Time to Spy.
November 22, 2025: Intervention in tag team match at Full Gear
On November 22, 2025, Wight returned at Full Gear to join commentator for the tag team match of "Big Boom" A.J. and Q. T. Marshall versus the RPG Vice, he later intervened during the match and knocked out Trent Beretta, allowing "Big Boom" A.J. and Q. T. Marshall to pick up the win.
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