I’m not a raging alcoholic

WWE is inching towards the biggest event of the year in less than ten days when WrestleMania takes place in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, a multi-time world champion detailed why Vince McMahon fined him for a very small incident.

In 1999, Vince McMahon signed Paul Wight, aka The Big Show, to the Stamford-based promotion, and The Giant failed to help Mr. McMahon defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin on the Road to WrestleMania. Wight joined the Corporation and acted as McMahon’s bodyguard for a while on the weekly product during the Attitude Era.

However, there were certain expectations from the WCW star when he signed with the company. Many viewed Paul Wight as the next Andre the Giant in the industry, but The Big Show wanted to create his own legacy in the company rather than follow in another wrestler’s footsteps. On INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Wight recalled an incident when he was fined.

The 6-time WWE World Champion detailed why he was fined by Vince McMahon when he jumped over the top rope to enter the ring. McMahon wanted Wight to become the next Andre the Giant and expected him to replicate the Hall of Famer’s presence with his in-ring work, which meant he couldn’t showcase his athleticism inside the squared circle.

“You know I used to jump over the top rope. You know why I stopped doing that? Because Vince fined me 500 bucks for doing it… Because that’s not how giants move. He was in a different mindset. That was the thing that I was battling. Vince had Andre. Vince wanted Andre. ‘Andre ruled the locker with an iron fist. Andre did this, and Andre did that…’ I’m not Andre. I’m not a raging alcoholic, and I’m not a mean person. Don’t get me wrong, if you talk to Woods and Big E, they’ll say that I’m grumpy, but that’s just from traveling. I’m not really that grumpy person. But I think he was always struggling with that. Everyone had an opinion on how I should work. Some people wanted me to work like Andre,” Wight said. [H/T – CVV]

What’s next for the WWE legend Big Show, aka Paul Wight?

The Big Show was a staple on WWE’s main roster for over ten years as a full-time performer in the Stamford-based promotion under the old regime. After 2016, the Men’s Grand Slam made sporadic appearances as a performer in the industry and eventually left the promotion in 2021. Later, he joined All Elite Wrestling and had a handful of matches in the promotion.

In the same interview with Chris Van Vliet, the 6-time WWE World Champion addressed the possibility of a final match as a performer. The 54-year-old WWE legend stated he’s not sure if he’ll get a retirement match, and Wight’s okay with the decision, as he wants more spotlight on the next generation of stars in the company rather than appearing every week on the weekly product.