AEW announcer and Senior Advisor “Good Ole’ J.R.” Jim Ross took to an episode of his “Grilling Jr” podcast to talk about a number of topics, including Vince McMahon wanting to sign The Big Show.
Ross said, “Well, Vince saw him as the next Andre the Giant, simple as that. And how it worked out was how it worked out. Big Show came in. He was in pretty decent shape, his weight was under control, and he was quite the specimen. But his basketball playing ability helped him with his footwork, his balance, his foot speed, things of that nature. So, Vince envisioned Paul Wight as the next Andre the Giant. But unfortunately, Big Show was not booked like Andre the Giant. He was booked like another wrestler, just a big guy. And you’re right, Vince loved the size. He loved guys that would turn heads in airports, that type of thing. But Big Show was impressive. He made a great first impression, without a doubt. And he had everything going for him, everything going for him. Size, athleticism, you know, he looked like a giant. He performed like a giant. And I’m glad that we were able to sign him for Vince’s sake, because he was a high priority. That’s why Brisco and I were on his [Big Show’s] ass early on about going to his home, watching him eat. All the stuff that you do as a recruiter, we did with Paul Wight. And got to know him. You know, he was an engaging guy. A good personality, and an engaging dude. And I thought he was a can’t-miss guy.”
On WWE giving The Big Show a 10-year deal:
“Yeah, it’s unusual. It’s certainly unusual. I myself had a 10-year deal in my heyday there at WWE, thanks to Vince’s generosity. He paid me a lot of money, and I was very happy to get it. I was very appreciative to get that offer and then sign that deal. Ten years is a long time. And for us in the wrestling business, as volatile as it is, I made it work. And it’s kind of ironic and it’s an oxymoron because I came and went too many times, but I started with a 10-year deal. And that meant a lot to me. It gave me some security in a business where security is not often found. But it was unusual. The key thing about Big Show was that we had to make sure we kept him in shape because he was injury prone. If he got too heavy, he would become injury-prone. And that 10-year deal, if you’re sitting home, meant nothing.”
On being uneasy about the deal:
“Yeah, I did. But the thing it — …you look at his dimensions, his size, his athleticism. There was nobody else in the business at that time like Paul Wight. And so he was unique in that respect. As I said earlier, he was a can’t-miss guy and a guy that Vince coveted. And when Vince coveted somebody, you know, in my role at that time, it was to get your man, sign him up. And so that’s what we did. I watched him eat many meals, and I think he did it to impress us a little bit because he was eating healthy, eating a lot of protein. So, but that was always the issue. It’s always the same issue with big guys like that. You know, how committed are they to getting in shape, staying in shape, and being able to physically perform at a high level? And we knew he had it in him. It’s just a matter of, can we convince him that being in great condition and being leaner than not is a good thing?”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
