WWE’s new World Heavyweight Champion Big Show recently spoke with ESPN.com to hype the new WWE ’13 video game, which is now in stores. Here are some highlights of what Big Show said about:
“WWE 13” revolves around the Attitude Era, which you helped shape back in the day. What is it about that time period that makes for a perfect video game?
The Attitude Era was so great because you had the best collection of superstars of any one time period. You had The Rock, Stone Cold, Undertaker, Mick Foley … all of these guys are legends, but it wasn’t just about the top of the card. We had house shows where you had Rock versus Stone Cold, you had Triple H versus Mick Foley, The Undertaker against Kane, The New Age Outlaws versus LOD, Edge and Christian against Jeff and Matt Hardy, and Big Show against Mark Henry in a bodyslam match. That might sound like a dream card, but that’s a card we ran almost every weekend. We would have sold out show after sold out show, no tickets available, because we had such incredible superstars who were really established as characters, and everyone couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.
Do you have a favorite memory from the Attitude Era?
My favorite memory happened after the show would end. The Rock would bring his guitar to the ring and Stone Cold would sing and everyone would spend the night BSing, then they would break out The Rock Bottom or the Stone Cold Stunner to end the night. These guys were just so entertaining, but the main difference is that in the Attitude Era, there weren’t as many rules. We weren’t so corporate, we weren’t in the PG era, so back then, it was more of that crazy, rock and roll atmosphere. That’s the big difference about the Attitude Era — it was just really out there, rock and roll.
We might have a great clash between an Attitude Era guy going up against a current star at The Royal Rumble, with The Rock against CM Punk. What do you think will happen if these two get the chance to work a program together?
Punk is a guy who you can’t shake his confidence, and The Rock is the same way, you can’t shake his confidence, so I think anything Punk says to Rock, any of his wittiness, you know Rock is going to be right there competitively. I think the biggest difference is Punk is right here every week doing this, he’s been the champ for over 300 days, and he’s a great athlete, so I can see Punk pulling this out. Rock’s an explosive athlete, while Punk is a showman who is also gritty and tough, so I think if these two end up coming to blows, you can pretty much flip a coin. When The Rock beat John Cena, I was actually pretty surprised, so I have no idea what will happen.
You’ve been around the ring a long time. Is there anyone left who qualifies as a dream match for you?
I’d like to have one more match with The Undertaker. He was very influential in my career and always one of my favorites, so I’d like to have one more run with him. I’d like to have another match with Stone Cold. I’m a big fan of Stone Cold, both as a person and as a talent, so I’d like another run with Steve. I wouldn’t mind getting another shot at The Rock, either. Any of those three guys in a high-profile, main-event match would be pretty exciting, and a pretty good payday, too.
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