AEW star Paul Wight, under his ‘Captain Insano’ moniker recently made a surprise appearance at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards on Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Wight donned his Captain Insano attire from the 1998 Adam Sandler movie “The Waterboy” and turned up on stage during Bailey Zimmerman’s performance of “New to Country.” The 52-year-old star was part of the set as he stood near a beer pong table. Wight picked Zimmerman on his shoulders at the end of the song and the two walked around.

AEW had trademarked the name “Captain Insano” back in March 2021. Paul Wight has been eager to bring the character into AEW and made an appearance once in character in a backstage segment. A couple of years back, he also made a surprise appearance in a music video for The Acclaimed.

Wight was last competed in January as part of the Jericho Cruise and recently stated that he was hopeful to return to the ring “real soon” after recovering from partial knee replacement surgery. The veteran star has aimed to return at February’s AEW Grand Slam in Brisbane, Australia. However, he has revealed that his next run will be the last of his decorated career.

Before joining AEW in 2021 as a commentator, Paul Wight had a run in WCW followed by his lengthy career in WWE where he won multiple titles.

Physics was not Rey Mysterio’s friend in 2003 and nor was Big Show’s brute strength.

The 2023 WWE Hall of Famer has taken his fair share of nasty bumps in his day, but nothing prepared him for being swung like a baseball bat at a ring post.

20 years before getting that well-earned Hall of Fame nod, Mysterio squared off against The Big Show at WWE Backlash 2023. Mysterio took the loss when Paul Wight caught him with a chokeslam, but the brutality was far from done as Rey was strapped to a stretcher. That’s when Wight grabbed hold of Rey and whipped the board and his opponent hard into the ring post.

• Rey Mysterio Will Retire When His Best Is Not Enough

Speaking with CBS Sports, Mysterio detailed that moment, something that he thought he and Wight totally accounted the safety for. They were both wrong. Between Rey and the stretcher, the weight of both became an issue, even for Wight.

“I remember we had gone over it and that was the plan. When I was strapped onto the stretcher, everything seemed cool. I said ‘How much can it hurt? The stretcher is hitting first and I’m attached to it, so I won’t feel it.’ Well, we never thought about what happens when you hit.

“There was no way Big Show could hit the pole and hold onto me. So that whole weight and the momentum, as soon as we hit, I went straight down. As I was strapped onto the stretcher, my head went ‘boop’ and I hit first. That hurt. That in itself hurt very much.”

Mysterio is no stranger from big men throwing him around. Arguably the most notorious spot occured back in his WCW days when Kevin Nash lawn darted Rey right into the side of a semi-truck as the NWO began their infamous invasion.

• Rey Mysterio Believes Separating From Him Was The Best Thing That Could Have Happened To Dominik

From Sting to Jim Ross if there is one thing AEW can take pride in, it’s their fair treatment of industry veterans and making them feel appreciated in the late stages of their career. Paul Wight is another such talent to whom AEW has given a second chance, and the former World Champion thinks it’s the best thing that could happen to him.

The wrestling veteran recently spoke to Jack Curry of The Yes Network while visiting the George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa to support the New York Yankees.

During the talk, the former WWE star was asked about his transition to AEW. Paul Wight mentioned how he was fortunate to have a lengthy run with the TKO-owned promotion. He also explained how he is grateful for the opportunity that has been given to him by Tony Khan:

“It’s been fantastic. I was blessed to work for a big company for a lot of years all over the world. Now at my stage of the game, to find myself useful in a company that allows me to spread a lot of my knowledge to the younger talent, get a chance to get on the microphone every now and then and enhance them, help their characters along and then get in the ring and mix it up.

It’s probably the single greatest thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m blessed, grateful and thankful for the fans that still like to see me do my thing.”

Following a WCW stint, Paul Wight had a lengthy WWE career. After joining the company in 1999, he spent more than 2 decades in the promotion and won over a dozen titles. He finally left the company in January 2021 and debuted in AEW as a commentator a month later.

You can check out Wight’s full interview below:

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an h/t for transcription

Pro wrestling legend Sting is retiring soon and another veteran Paul Wight (formerly Big Show in WWE) has shared some lessons he has learned from ‘The Icon.’

Sting joined AEW back in 2020 and ‘The Icon’ has since created some memorable moments with his age-defying spots and moves as he faced several high-profile talents. The final run of his career has been a fairytale for him. In 2015 it seemed that a neck injury would threaten his career, Sting has overcome the odds and he’s ending his storied career on his own terms. 

Sting will bring down the curtain on his decorated career with his final match in AEW taking place at next month’s AEW Revolution 2024. 

Sting brings more than four decades of experience to the table and has shared his wisdom with several young superstars over the years. It was back in 1994 when Paul Wigh met Sting and they became not only on-screen rivals but also great friends. In the May of 1996, Wight headlined WCW’s Slamboree pay-per-view against Sting which remains to be the former’s landmark match. 

Wight recently spoke with Sports Illustrated and recalled some priceless lessons he has learned from Sting. Back in 1995, the infamous brawl between “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff and Vader broke out. While Wight was eager to get a closer view, Sting had another opinion on the matter.

“As I was getting up, Sting said to me, ‘Nothing good will come from that,’” said Wight. “I said, ‘What? I want to see what’s happening.’ And he said, ‘That’s their business.’ So we stayed there and finished the game.”

In the process, Paul Wight learned a valuable lesson.

“I learned something a lot deeper than that, too. I still remember how I wanted to jump right into the chaos. But he was right–it was between Orndorff and Vader. I didn’t have any business getting involved in it.”

Paul Wight couldn’t have asked for better influence than Sting 

During the interview, Paul Wight said that Sting had a huge influence on him in shaping his career. He recalled another lesson he’d learned about the business. He said:

“Somebody has to cook and somebody has to eat, and Sting taught me that core philosophy. I learned that my first job in a match is to get my opponent over, then get the match over. That’s Point A and Point B. If you do that right, you’ll automatically get yourself over. That’s not, ‘You do your stuff, I’ll do my stuff.’

It’s bigger than you. Some guys only take care of themselves, and good for them. But the guys I respect most are the ones who make people better in the ring. That’s someone like Ric Flair, he has to be mentioned. So does Sting. I couldn’t have asked for a better influence early in my career.”

Sting and Darby Allin recently defeated Ricky Starks and Big Bill to capture the AEW World Tag Team Championship. This marks ‘The Icon’s first title run in the promotion and it seems that his title run is in jeopardy with The Young Bucks setting their sights on the gold.

Pro wrestling veteran Paul Wight (formerly known as The Big Show in WWE) is set to undergo knee surgery. 

Paul Wight has had a storied career spanning several decades. He made a major impact on AEW when he joined the promotion in early 2021. His signing was a massive coup for AEW and he brought a veteran presence to the promotion alongside his wealth of experience to AEW’s roster.

Paul Wight returned to the squared circle on AEW Dynamite in November last year. He teamed with Kota Ibushi, & The Golden Jets (Jericho & Kenny Omega) and defeated Brian Cage & The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher & Powerhouse Hobbs) in a street fight. 

Most recently, Wight reunited with his WWE tag team partner Chris Jericho on the Chris Jericho Cruise. However, fans were concerned for Wight, who has had knee issues.

Paul Wight will undergo surgery

Over the years, performing in the ring has taken a physical toll on him and his body has started to show wear and tear and he revealed that he will undergo surgery. 

In this brief conversation with a fan on the cruise, Wight said:

 “I’m going to get knee surgery.” 

Apart from competing in the AEW ring, Wight’s presence provided invaluable mentorship to rising superstars of tomorrow and helped elevate their performances. With his larger-than-life persona, Wight continues to be an integral part of AEW’s ongoing growth and success.

Currently, it is not known when he is planning to get the knee replacement surgery.

One really couldn’t think of a greater moral compass for a wrestling company than Bryan Danielson. He by all accounts, has the perfect balance of life – one that exists outside of wrestling (which is pretty key if we’re being honest – wrestlers and fans alike). He’s got a family to keep him grounded, causes to be an advocate for and plenty of books to read. He can disassociate from pro wrestling, a career he’s still absolutely passionate about, but bring in out of the ring elements for better synergy.

Even that considered, he’s a team player, extremely considerate and a modern wrestling oracle to pick the brain of. You factor in Jerry Lynn, those two are the ultimate good cops.

You need a bad cop.

A heavy. Someone who doesn’t take any kind of nonsense, looks at the bottom line for what it is. Does “they” or “their actions” or what they’re doing help the growth of the company? If they don’t do such, cut whatever fat there may be. There should be two credible sheriffs in town and that “bad cop” onus should not be burdened upon one of your top on-air talents.

That’s also not saying Tony Khan should recruit a “yes man, either. Being a billionaire, he’s probably got a few already and they’re certainly not helping to grow the product. However, if Tony could take himself out of the equation, and put the trust in the team he’s assembled, he would do wonders for his company. A company that quite frankly, is failing to hit its mark in certain ways.

In addition to a heavy, there’s so many established names who could help better the promotion if he gave them full autonomy to regulate like Nate Dogg and Warren G. And instead of just one, why not make it two? Here are some “tag teams” behind the scenes that Tony Khan could utilize (two of which who currently aren’t under contract).

Jake Roberts & Arn Anderson

Who was equally excited and intrigued at the possibility of Jake Roberts back with a pro wrestling company? Who was also equally disappointed that Arn wasn’t made the most of during his tenure here? Both he and his son Brock were not re-signed when their contracts expired and it feels like a missed opportunity by Tony Khan on both names, who seemed to only associate them with Cody Rhodes’ time here.

How much could that young talent learn from “The Snake” or “The Enforcer”when it comes to promo skills, ring psychology and real life problems?

Re-sign the Andersons and designate Arn and Jake as your Dusty Rhodes to your NXT. Let them filter through the good and the bad before they’re Dynamite ready and don’t let anybody tell them “no” either.

Jeff Jarrett & Jim Ross

Tony Khan admittedly says he overworks himself and that’s why Bryan Danielson appointed Jimmy Jacobs to help as an assistant. Khan did tap into wrestling history when he signed Jeff Jarrett, first as a talent and then as the Senior Vice President of Live Events, but Double J wears a lot of hats. Khan has shown the capability of laying out a great (albeit very long) PPV, but weekly television programming is another story. Actually sometimes there’s so many stories it’s hard to pin good ones down, especially if you’re a casual viewer.

Allowing Jarrett and JR (who currently is away from television), to be your ultimate booking brain trust lends your company to the old school booking mindset, a structure AEW truly needs. Paring two names who learned from the best in the territory days is really only going to help a show that’s too fast-paced and too cluttered.

Karen Jarrett & Mickie James

If you watch the AEW women’s division, you know it feels neglected. Major names and pinnacle storytellers like Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker are currently not competing, and the announcements of any women’s match feels sudden without any pomp, circumstance or substance (with the exception of “Timeless” Toni Storm, of course.)

She may not be under contract with AEW, but Mickie James knows how to book an all-women’s wrestling show. She did that with NWA Empowerrr and she’s doing it again in 2024 in Australia as a part of Starrcast VI.

Karen Jarrett knows how to make the most of her on camera without even doing a hip-toss. Unfortunately for the women, many don’t receive the experience or the opportunity to let their personalities shine. Both these veterans tagging up would do wonders for bringing the AEW women back to relevancy.

Paul Wight & Mark Henry

Remember the aforementioned “heavy”? Taking it figuratively and literally with this these two. Both legends are currently signed with AEW, but not much is being done with either and it’s unfortunate. Wight is someone who’s main-evented and worked with main-eventers his entire career while Henry has been someone who’s wrestled all throughout the card.

You think a talent is going to go off-script or do a dangerous move for a forgettable pop if they have to answer to Wight or Henry afterwards? If they did it would most likely be their last time and that’s not even considering the name cache they. Make these two your “bad cops” and they would know how to maintain a healthy relationship in the locker room.

Matt Hardy & Chris Jericho

From how it sounds, AEW has its fair share of locker room leaders behind the scenes, but what about having two primary checkpoints who have shown the ability to adapt, innovate and sympathize?

Jericho and Hardy have formed friendships with anybody and everybody of whatever status or age, including the AEW EVPs. Maybe they already are, but making them the go-to mediators for any issues between boots and management could cultivate a solid structure within AEW’s loaded ecosystem of stars.

Jerry Lynn & Dustin Rhodes

Nobody should ever have a bad word to say about Jerry Lynn and if you do, you’re likely part of the problem. It’s been too awesome to have Lynn and Dustin Rhodes be a vital part of AEW’s growth and if there’s been chaos backstage, you can guarantee neither have been apart of it.

Giving them the opportunity to harness and harmonize your roster from an in-ring standpoint is likely something that has happened on several occasions. Both have an old-school upbringing, but very different styles, Make them have the final say as to what goes down between the ropes every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Appreciate The Past & Look Forward To The Future

With all these legendary names behind the curtain or in the ring, it’s easy to say so many are being under-utilized, but the presentation of the current AEW product speaks to the notion that they’re standing on the apron. 

Give them the hot tag and let them take you home. That’s teamwork.

Comments, questions … complaints? Email Dominic at dpdeangelo@gmail.com

In February 2021, Paul Wight aka The Big Show, shocked a lot of people when he left WWE after being with the company for 20 years for AEW. 

Since then, he has mainly worked as an announcer on AEW Dark: Elevation, although he has worked a handful of matches. 

He made his in-ring debut at All Out, where he beat QT Marshall. Since then, he’s only worked three other matches, all of them happening on Dark Elevation. 

Since August 2022, the former WWE Champion has been recovering from a knee replacement procedure, which kept him from competing inside of the squared circle. During that time, he has continued his duties as a commentator on AEW Dark: Elevation episodes.

The Journey

While doing a new interview with Metro UK, Wight revealed that the procedure kept him in a wheelchair for eleven weeks.

“Well, I spent 11 weeks in a wheelchair because I was waiting for them to build the implant for my knee because of my size. I had crushed all the bone in the knee, I was bleeding into my shin. So, I’ve got a good pain tolerance, but when I say I rode the tire down to the rim, that’s exactly what I did. But, luckily I still have all my ligaments in that knee, everything’s good there, it’s a nice, brand new titanium joint so it’s good for 35 years. So, I can parachute if I want to – not that I’ll ever jump out of an airplane, we all saw the movie Operation Dumbo drop, I don’t think that’s me, we’re good!”

Could Chris Jericho be reuniting with an old WWE ally and former Tag Team Champion?

Despite being best known for his work as a singles star, Jericho is no stranger to tag team competition, having held tag gold in the WWE on seven occasions.

In AEW, Jericho has aligned himself with others as part of the Jericho Appreciation Society, and before this group was a founding member of the Inner Circle.

A Giant Reunion

Chris Jericho may be the namesake for the Jericho Appreciation Society, but may soon be reuniting with Paul Wight.

This week, Jericho filed a trademark for ‘Jeri-Show’ the WWE team consisting of himself and Wight (then The Big Show,) that dominated from 2009 to 2010.

The full description of the filing can be read below.

Mark For: JERI-SHOW trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainers; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainers; Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainers; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; Providing online interviews featuring professional wrestling and sports entertainers in the field of professional wrestling and sports entertainment for entertainment purposes.

Jeri-Show

After failing to recapture the Intercontinental Championship from Rey Mysterio in 2009, Jericho entered the tag-team division, winning the Unified WWE Tag Titles with Edge at ‘The Bash.’

After Edge went down with an injury, Jericho introduced the Big Show as his new tag-team partner, and the pair enjoyed a 140-day reign as champions.

That reign ended at WWE: TLC 2009, when the pair lost a TLC match to D-Generation X, kicking off Shawn Michaels’ final championship reign.

While Wight has only had a handful of matches in AEW, the Giant has said he plans to be back in the ring very soon after healing up from surgery.

Paul Wight has provided an update on his current injury status, as he has only worked a handful of matches since signing with AEW.

The former Big Show has continued to do commentary for the promotion every week on AEW Dark: Elevation but hasn’t wrestled since March 2022, a bout that aired on Dark: Elevation in Wight’s hometown of Columbia, South Carolina.

While speaking with Alistair McGeorge for Metro UK, Wight talked about the injury setbacks he’s had in recent months. 

“You know, there’s been some setbacks personally. I mean, I’ve had a couple of injury setbacks, had to get a knee replaced in August. That knee was bad for 12 years, so it could’ve gone any day! It’s like kind of like that tire on your car that you know you should change but keep driving anyway.”

The Goal

Wight then shared that he’s hoping to be back in the ring next month. 

“But we’re good now, and hopefully we’ll be back in the ring in March. Everything’s on schedule, so we’re looking good!”

Regarding potential opponents, Wight named newly crowned AEW Tag Team Champions The Gunns. He praised them for being athletic and thinks they have a bright future.

In September 2021, Satnam Singh signed with AEW. When he made his television debut in April 2022, he attacked Samoa Joe and aligned himself with Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal. Singh has had a few tag team matches, but had yet to have a singles match.

On the latest episode of The Session with Renee Paquette, Sonjay Dutt spoke about his relationship with Singh.

Dutt gets to speak Punjabi every week with Singh. “Obviously, his English is good. He’s been here since ’13 or ’14 he’s been here experiencing the NBA and whatnot. But, I understand –I kind of empathize with him in that he’s still in a strange place. He’s still surrounded by people that he — his sister finally got her visa and finally got to move to Canada, so she’s a little closer. It was great. He was telling me and he was crying. It was an emotional moment for both of us. I felt for him. But most of the time, we strictly speak Punjabi.”

“It’s a connection me and Satnam have. And you know, hopefully he can feel a little more at home when he’s around me at work.”

Sonjay Dutt on His Connection with Satnam Singh

Dutt has really enjoyed getting to know and work with Singh. He and Paqutte discussed Singh’s warmth and his presence. “I love him as a person. Me and him obviously have this bond where we’re both from the same place with the same background. We speak the same language and there’s not many of us in professional wrestling. That connection kind of brings us together right off the bat. We have this connection and he wants to excel at this.”

“And Lethal and I have kind of taken a hand in kind of cultivating his in-ring stuff whenever we can. Anytime there’s tag matches with he and Lethal — he hasn’t had a singles match so we’re getting to that point. I think we’re getting real close. Anything we show him, anything we tell him, he soaks it up. He utilizes stuff that we tell him to utilize; ‘hey, do this differently.’ And I didn’t think that would be the case. I’ve worked with other Indian giants and that was not the case at all.”

“So, you know experiences with him is cool because I always tell people yes, he’s seven-foot-four. Yes, he’s giant or whatever you want to call somebody of that stature. He’s got size 20 feet, but he’s an athlete. That’s the difference between him and anyone else of his size that’s gotten in professional wrestling. He’s a legitimate athlete, so anything we show him or tell him, bam! He pulls it off.”

“And I love that and he’s got such a bright future in wrestling. He’s 26, Renee. Let’s not forget that. He is a kid. So, I always kind of keep that in the back of my mind every week when we’re kind of talking to him, that ‘hey, he’s still a kid.’ He’s 26 and he’s working in this new world that he probably had no clue about before he stepped in it. So for him to excel this quick in something he probably never even watched as a child, that says a lot about his character and his athletic prowess.”

Paul Wight Mentoring Satnam Singh

“Paul Wight has taken a lot of interest in Satnam and they kind of hit it off. So when it comes to tape study and stuff, I tell Satnam, ‘whatever Paul tells you, just listen and do that.’ And I appreciate Paul taking that time, effort, and energy that he spends with Satnam because there’s just some days where Lethal and I don’t have time get in the ring with him, but Paul does.”

• William Regal Explains Why He Turned on Blackpool Combat Club

“I’ve kind of told Satnam, ‘Paul will be your ticket to success if you just listen to what he’s telling you to do. He is experienced.’ If there’s anyone in AEW that can empathize and sympathize with Satnam’s issues and problems and kind of excelling at something like this, it’s Paul.”

“So that’s why I tell Satnam a lot of times, ‘look, Lethal and I will tell you our perspective, but our perspective is going to be way different than his. His perspective and his insight will be more centered and gear to you. So, whenever he wants to sit with you, just sit down and listen and soak it all in.'”

Captain Insano has arrived in All Elite Wrestling.

The alter ego of wrestling legend Paul White made a surprise appearance in a music video by AEW World Tag Team Champions, The Acclaimed.

Captain Insano first appeared in the 1998 comedy The Waterboy starring Adam Sandler.

AEW trademarked the name “Captain Insano” back in March 2021. Wight has been teasing his arrival ever since, as recently as this summer. Back in July, Wight told WrestlingInc:

It remains to be seen if Captain Insano will ever wrestle a match for AEW. It’s possible we will see him as a bonus character in the upcoming AEW: Fight Forever video game.

You can watch the music video for ‘A Hand for A Hand’ by The Acclaimed below. The song is a diss track mocking Swerve In Our Glory, who challenge for The Acclaimed’s tag titles this Saturday at AEW Full Gear.

Tony Khan is not a fan of breaking the fourth wall with the AEW production, according to former world champion Paul Wight.

Wight recently had an interview with WNYT. The wrestling veteran discussed the various differences between WWE and AEW during his appearance.

Speaking about how Tony Khan’s production values differ from Vince McMahon and WWE, Wight explained that the AEW President doesn’t like breaking the fourth wall:

“The fourth wall, so to speak, Tony Khan doesn’t like that fourth wall. He doesn’t like that, ‘why is there a camera there catching this conversation and both participants ignore that there is a camera crew there while they are talking top secret information.’

It’s one of those things that throws you off.” explained Paul Wight, “If there is a camera there, it’s set up in a way that makes sense for a camera to be backstage, but it’s more focused on the talent in the ring,”

• Paul Wight Talks About Leaving the Big Show Character Behind

The former Big Show also commented on the different production philosophies between the two companies. He noted how WWE does an amazing job of producing a big entertainment spectacle.

 AEW on the other hand gets to the grassroots. According to Paul Wight, it’s not so much backstage drama and backstage vignettes.

Quotes via Fightful

Paul Wight recently spoke with CricketNext about his role with AEW, what it’s like working for Tony Khan and the importance of wrestling fans having an alternative to WWE.

Since joining AEW in March 2021, Paul Wight has appeared as himself, not the Big Show character wrestling fans have known since 1999. WWE owns the intellectual property rights to the Big Show character. Wight likened himself to an actor playing Captain America, a character owned by Marvel.

When he was first approached about joining AEW, he was concerned about leaving the Big Show behind. He spent over 20 years building that identity and it was a big step to leave that behind.

Establishing His Own Identity

At the end of the day, Paul Wight felt it was the right move to chart a new path as himself. Despite the Big Show’s global notoriety, he’s always more comfortable being in his own skin.

After considering Tony Khan’ss offer to join AEW, he couldn’t say no to the chance to be himself on television, do commentary and occasionally compete.

Wight says he likes the challenge of establishing his true identity. Behind the scenes, he’s also mentoring AEW’s young talent. One of the big lessons he’s tried to instill is that talent has to believe in themselves. “If you don’t believe in it, the fans won’t believe in it.”

On television, he’s a larger than life figure. When the cameras stop rolling, he says, “I’m just a regular dude. He’s got 12 cats and goes to the grocery store like everyone else.

Wight had glowing things to say about Tony Khan, who he believes is a die-hard wrestling fan who truly cares about the business.

He also emphasized the importance of having a viable alternative to WWE. Not everybody wants ‘soap opera’ sports entertainment and AEW tries to offer a more sports-based product for wrestling fans.

• Paul Wight Assures Fans That “Captain Insano” Is Still Coming To AEW

Check out Paul Wight’s discussion with CricketNext:

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Paul Wight reveals which WWE Hall Of Famer would “kick the sh*t” out of him in the ring.

Wight was recently a guest on The Wrestling Classic’s “Casual Conversations. During the show, Wight talked about working with WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin. Wight says Austin would “kick the sh*t” out of him in the ring.

“He would kick the sh*t out of me for about 3 or 4 minutes, beat me, and pour beer on my head,” said Wight.

Wight then discussed having to work with Austin for 10 days straight during a UK tour. A match in London, in particular, where Vince McMahon wanted Wight to go over on Austin. Wight was in the midst of a feud with Brock Lesnar at the time, so McMahon wanted to give Big Show some rub.

However, Austin shut the idea down, saying, “Vince, these people paid a lot of money to see Stone Cold Steve Austin drink a few beers and hit a few stunners, not do a job to the freaking Big Show.”

After speaking with Austin, McMahon changed his mind, instead instructing Wight that he needed to be more aggressive.

Of course, Paul Wight would go on to become one of the most successful big men in professional wrestling history. He’s a four-time WWE World Champion, an eight-time Tag Team Champion, and has held both the United States and Intercontinental Titles once each.

Going by the name The Big Show for most of his career in WWE, Wight also won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal in 2015. After leaving WWE in 2021, marking the end of an amazing 22-year run with the company, Wight opted to sign with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

He currently serves as a commentator for AEW Dark, sporadically competing inside the ring as well. As for Austin, the former WWE Champion retired from professional wrestling back in 2003.

However, he made his long-awaited return to in-ring action earlier this year in Dallas, Texas, competing in a No Holds Barred match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. Austin won the contest, marking his first match in almost 20 years.

Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

The legendary Paul Wight (fka The Big Show) recently joined Wrestling Inc. for an in-depth conversation about his current run in AEW, with Wight providing an interesting update on one of his oldest wrestling incarnations.

The former world champion stated last year that AEW and Tony Khan had secured the rights to Captain Insano, the fictional pro-wrestling character played by Wight in the hit Adam Sandler comedy, The Waterboy. During his interview Wight gave some more details as to where they are in the process.

“He’ll [Captain Insano] be back. The guy who wrote The Waterboy has approved. Tony Khan and I have secured the rights to Captain Insano. There’s already an outfit made, the whole nine yards. We’re doing a lot of prep work, and this will be my last hoorah so to speak.”

One question Wight would be asked is what type of presentation Captain Insano would have in AEW. He states that this is more for fun, and fans shouldn’t expect him to be a world champion anytime soon.

Let’s be honest – I don’t think this character is going to be a killer going out there trying to beat Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship. At this point, I think this character is just to have fun. We’ll see how it goes, but for me right now, this is just a chance to have fun with this character and be a bright spot on the show.”

Speaking of competing…Wight has not wrestled on AEW programming for months. However, he does plan on competing in the ring more.

“My whole reason for coming to AEW was to work on commentary and to compete more.”

You can check out the full interview here.

One AEW star is quite happy that he got to pay homage to John Cena during the June 27 episode of WWE Raw.

WWE celebrated the 20th anniversary of Cena’s promotional debut in Laredo, TX. During the show, there were special video messages from WWE superstars past and present. There were even some key AEW names such as Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, and Paul Wight.

When Cena made his way to the ring to address the fans, he said he doesn’t know when he’ll wrestle again but he made it clear he’s got a lot more than one more match left in him.

Paul Wight on Paying Tribute to John Cena

During an interview with SportsKeeda, AEW star Paul Wight said he’s grateful for the opportunity to have shared some kind words for John Cena.

“Like I said, it’s still a business. I worked with John Cena, you know, probably for 20+ years. You know, I was instrumental in the beginning of his career, and throughout my career, I had a lot of incredible battles with John Cena all over the world.

“I used to make a joke that every five months, it was time for Big Show and John Cena to fight again. I mean, we were great at the David and Goliath spectacle, and he was such a superhero. I was able to be a great monster for him to battle with and people enjoyed it.

“So that was a cool situation.

“I’m glad that WWE gave me the opportunity to say thank you to John,” Paul continued. “It’s really cool of Tony Khan, to allow his contracted talent to appear on another show to say thanks.”

Paul Wight on paying homage to John Cena

“This shows a lot of class, I think on both companies. You know, it’s great to be competitive. At the same time, the talent involved are also human beings. I have a lot of friends still in WWE. So it’s nice to be able to, in an appropriate way, pay homage to a friend that’s had an amazing career.

“Don’t get me wrong, we still want to kick their ass and ratings, but, I wouldn’t expect anything less from them.”

Wight had his share of encounters with Cena when he was known as the “Big Show” during his time with WWE. One of those matches took place at WrestleMania 25 back in 2009.

It was Cena vs. Big Show vs. Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship. Cena won the match.

Quotes via Fightful.

There is an update on the in-ring status of AEW’s Paul Wight.

Back in Feb. 2021, Wight signed with AEW after once being considered a WWE lifer. Many expected Wight to mostly have a backstage presence and a run on commentary but he’s had even fewer matches than some anticipated.

As it turns out, Paul Wight isn’t done with in-ring work for AEW but he says the days of being in action often are over.

He told Submission Radio that years of wear and tear, his desire to be a full-time commentator, and not wanting to take time away from talent has led to him appearing in the ring less frequently.

“I had another hip transplant in December. So, now I have two fake hips now, I have two titanium hips so I’m like Wolverine.

“So the focus for me has just been on rehab, physical therapy, and just getting stronger. And my thing coming over [to AEW], honestly, to be sincere, is I came over here to work on my commentary skills because that’s where my future lies in wrestling, that’s where I want to contribute to the business.

“But I came over to compete periodically, in small doses, like I don’t see myself running for championships, that’s not my gig.

“Maybe if it works out and there’s a younger talent that I can help bring along, like a tag team championship, maybe. I’ve done my five nights a week for decades, I’ve put in my time.

“Now, for me, it’s about not taking anything away from the amazing AEW talent here that deserves that TV time, that deserves that opportunity to make those connections with the audience, that deserves that ability to go out and earn those pay-per-view paydays.

“This is their time.”

Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

The in-ring return of Paul Wight, along with seven other matches, has been confirmed for tonight’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation. Wight will be facing off against Austin Green on a show that was taped last Wednesday from the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, which just so happens to be Wight’s hometown.

Wight is undefeated in AEW since signing with the company back in February of 2021. He made his in-ring debut for AEW against QT Marshall, securing the win at All Out last September. He then emerged victorious from a 3-on-1 handicap match at Elevation against CPA, RSP and VSK last September. Wight won another 3-on-1 handicap match against Cole Karter, Carlie Bravo and Arjun Singh the following month.

Tonight will be his fourth match with the company since then. You can check out the full lineup for tonight’s AEW Dark: Elevation here below:

• Red Velvet vs. Brittany Jade
• Serena Deeb vs. Dani Mo
• Leyla Hirsch vs. Ella Envy
• Anna Jay and Ruby Soho vs. Diamante and Ashley D’Amboise
• QT Marshall and Aaron Solo vs. Brock Anderson and Lee Johnson
• Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta vs. JD Drake and Anthony Henry
• Frankie Kazarian vs. Lucky Ali
• Paul Wight vs. Austin Green

When Paul Wight signed with AEW in 2021, people expected a lot of things. None of the fans, however, would have expected to see the former world champion busting out one of the craziest personas of his career – Captain Insano.

Though according to Wight, that’s exactly what we will be seeing very soon.

The man formerly known as the Big Show revealed this news during an interview on The Rob Brown Show. He confirmed that Tony Khan has secured the rights to the character from The Waterboy movie. They have already started working on creative plans for the gimmick:

“I’ve been lucky enough for being able to keep a job for a long time because I’ve been versatile. I think it’s a jack of all trades master of none. So the versatility has kept me around for a long time but Tony Khan and I have some pretty fun stuff coming up in the future that him and I put together. We’ve actually secured the rights to Captain Insano. So we are gonna break out Captain Insano [pretty soon]. [He] will be coming out in the next couple [of] months.”

• Paul Wight On If He Prefers Being Heel Or Face

Captain Insano Will Be Running Wild

The AEW star also joked (?) that he will be taking inspiration from Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Bollea for the character:

“So that’s why I’ve kind of toned down a little bit on the in-ring performing as well. We’re kind of let that settling and just doing the commentary. I’m getting wardrobe put together now for the outfits. Max Dunbar who’s incredible comic book design guy helped draw the outfit up for Captain Insano. We’re getting that made now and before you know it Captain Insano is gonna be running wild in AEW dude.

So, you know, and I’m probably gonna rip poor Terry off but hopefully, he discovered me. Hopefully he’ll give me a pass as long as I don’t drop too many copyrighted phrases, I think I’ll be okay with it.”

If you use the quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Paul Wight has been active in the sports entertainment business for almost three decades. In this time he has portrayed many different characters and competed for the three major wrestling companies of his time, namely WCW, WWE, and now AEW. Over the years, Wight has gotten to portray both heel and babyface characters multiple times, but which one does the heavyweight star prefer?

The former world champion was asked this question during his appearance on The Rob Brown Show. Replying to it, he claimed that he loves both. Though he later explained how being the bad guy suits his presence and size more:

“It’s funny, I love all of those. I think what suits my presence and size is when I’m [the] bad guy, when I’m a heel in our business. It’s an easier story to tell because we’ve all seen David and Goliath. We all understand it’s not the size of the dog in a fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. And all that other motivational stuff that sinks in with us on a deep psychological level,” explained Paul Wight, “People understand overcoming big obstacles, whether it’s hurdles in our life and even through evolution, we’ve had to evolve and overcome hurdles.

So seeing a physical representation of that in the ring, portraying a character that is not necessarily popular. It’s a much easier pendulum to swing as a talent. It’s a little harder to get sympathy. It’s a little harder as a performer, to create a story in which you’re vulnerable. Or a smaller guy can get you in a vulnerable position physically. So it’s a harder story to tell. I think, personally, I like doing the more interactive fun stuff, where the energy is high.”

If you use the quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Paul Wight thinks CM Punk is one of the best storytellers in wrestling.

Punk has made a positive impact on the AEW locker room since making his return to the wrestling industry. We’ve seen AEW stars such as Ricky Starks praise Punk for being willing to give advice to anyone. In terms of his performance both in the ring and on the mic, Paul Wight believes CM Punk hasn’t missed a beat.

Wight made an appearance on the Brandon Kravitz podcast and he gave his take on what makes Punk believable in the ring and on the mic.

“I love CM Punk’s matches because he starts slower and builds toward the end. By the end, you’re going nuts because he pulls you right in with his work and his ability to tell that story in the ring, and he’s great on the microphone. His timing on the promo when he came back in Chicago– if you are a younger talent and are looking at cadence, and meaning, and telling a story, and how to cut a promo, that promo is one of the best promos that I have ever heard for storytelling.”

Punk is a Great Storyteller

Paul Wight has cut his share of great promos over the years, However, Punk is on a different level. Wight feels that Punk masterfully explained why he left wrestling, why he returned and left fans wanting more. Punk’s storytelling abilities in and out of the ring make him a huge asset to AEW.

“CM Punk told a story, he didn’t knock anybody or bury anything. He spoke from his heart about how things affected him and he took you on that journey and made you understand why he was gone so long, but then he made you understand what brought him back. That’s what you want to do in a promo, you want to have a beginning, middle, and end, and tell a story, and Punk is a great storyteller on the microphone and in the ring. To have him back, it was a great shot in the arm.”

Punk is fresh off a victory over Bobby Fish on the Halloween episode of Dynamite. AEW Full Gear is coming up on Nov. 13 and Punk doesn’t have a match on the PPV currently. A leaked bout sheet featured Punk vs. MJF’s bodyguard Wardlow but Tony Khan has claimed that list was simply filled with ideas and nothing was finalized.

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcribed quotes

Paul Wight is teasing lacing up his boots and stepping back inside the squared circle for a match during this week’s episode of Saturday night Dynamite. The heavyweight star recently had an interview with Brandon Kravitz podcast. He discussed having ring rust before his AEW debut match after not having wrestled for over a year and more.

Wight also teased getting physical at the Dynamite episode from Orlando. He said that he is having the itch to lace up his boots once again this Saturday:

“I might be lacing up my boots this Saturday, it’s about that itch. It has been a little bit so I’m bringing my gear bag with me, So if you come to the event in Orlando, you might see my big ass in the ring. Where else are you going to see 400lbs of spandex, brother? That alone is worth the price of admission. ”

This will be only the third match for Paul Wight if he does wrestle at Dynamite tonight. He made his in ring debut against QT Marshall at All Out and then defeated CPA, RSP & VSK in a three-on-one handicap match on September 22 Elevation.

Though it’s worth mentioning here that AEW has not officially announced a match for the former champion as of this writing. So his status for the show is still up in the air.

• Paul Wight On How He Got The Big Show Name From Vince McMahon

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcribed quotes

Paul Wight spent over two decades of his career in WWE and did everything there was to do. He knows the in and outs of how the company does everything. The former WWE star talked about few different topics during his recent interview with Adam’s Apple YouTube Channel. The former world champion also explained the difference between how the two companies produce matches.

Wight mentioned how there is not a team of writers backstage at AEW and the upper management is not micromanaging things when they want something:

“There’s not 15-20 writers backstage in AEW. If you have a promo, you have a promo, and if you have a match, you have a match, There’s not as much upper-level handling on what they want during the match and what they’re trying to present for the extra property they own.”

Paul Wight Never Had As Much Freedom

Paul Wight went on to claim that he has never had as much freedom in his almost 3 decades long career as he has now in All Elite Wrestling:

“Even for me, I’m doing Paul Wight but I’ve never had as much freedom as I do now in AEW doing this. Before, when I was in WWE as Big Show, it was a committee to get anything done.”

Like Mark Henry, Paul Wight’s last WWE appearance was also during the Raw legends night in January this year. He made his AEW debut in March. He defeated QT Marshall at All Out in his in ring debut for the promotion.

Paul Wight was known as The Big Show for over two decades during his WWE career. However unusual the name is, it still gets him universal recognization among wrestling and non-wrestling fans alike.

The now former WWE star recently appeared on Insight With Chris Van Vliet. He talked about things such as WWE making him turn down an offer for a role in Gladiator, why he left the promotion and more.

Revealing how he got his WWE name, Wight recalled the time he first got into WWE. He revealed that it was Vince McMahon himself who named him The Big Show:

“That was Vince, when I first came into WWE I was Paul Wight. I just don’t think Vince liked the spelling of my name or just my name. But what would Vince know about marketing?  But he walked by me one day and he goes ‘so how’s The Big Show today?’

I go ‘I’m good but who the hell is The Big show?’ He goes ‘you! You can walk, you can talk, you’re an athlete. You’re The Big Show.’ He walked off” recalled Paul Wight, “And I thought ‘oh dear God I hope that is not my wrestling name.’ But it was.”

• Paul Wight On If He Thinks A Match With Shaq Will Happen in AEW

The former world champion also talked about his decision to leave WWE and claimed that he was not sure he would get a job in wrestling again after he left the company.

He told the story of how Chris Jericho got him into touch with Tony Khan. They then had a long conversation leading to Wight’s AEW signing. You can check out his full interview below:

AEW has added two matches to tomorrow night’s (Aug. 25) episode of Dynamite.

This week’s episode of Dynamite will take place inside the UWM Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The show will feature an appearance from CM Punk. Plus, Orange Cassidy vs. Matt Hardy, Malakai Black vs. Brock Anderson, Jamie Hayter vs. Red Velvet, and the Lucha Bros vs. The Varsity Blondes will be featured.

There have now been two trios matches announced for the card. Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston will team with Darby Allin to take on The Wingmen. Also, The Factory will meet The Gunn Club with Paul Wight serving as the special guest commentator.

Here’s an updated look at what to expect from this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite.

• CM Punk Appears
• Orange Cassidy vs. Matt Hardy
• Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, & Darby Allin vs. The Wingmen
• Lucha Bros vs. The Varsity Blondes
• Malakai Black vs. Brock Anderson
• Jamie Hayter vs. Red Velvet
• The Factory vs. The Gunn Club

The tag team match between the Lucha Bros and The Varsity Blondes has major implications in the tag team division. The winner will go on to meet Jurassic Express for a shot at The Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Titles.