Paul Wight has discussed the first time he ever met Hulk Hogan and detailed The Hulkster’s reaction to the 7ft 2″ giant.
Wight, formerly known as Big Show in WWE and The Giant in WCW, recalled meeting Hogan during a basketball game. In conversation with Renee Paquette on her Oral Sessions podcast, Wight said that for Hogan, it was a case of dollars at first sight.
Wight stated:
“It was a Chicago – Wolves basketball game half-time and it was Mr. T and Hulk Hogan versus Danny Bonaduce and a secret partner [who would be Paul] I think it was for a charity thing. So Danny introduced me to Hulk that night. And it’s funny because I guess Hulk had seen me earlier in the crowd and was elbowing Linda [McMahon] ‘he looks like a young Andre’. Hogan got moist, immediately, you know.”
“And then he found out I was an athlete and I wanted to wrestle. And then I did the worst thing you could ever do for a wrestler, ‘cause I did an impersonation of Hulk. Luckily for me it worked out but if it had been for some guys it would have been a crash and burn. I did that [the impression of Hulk] for Hulk and Hulk’s eyes got real big. And now I know him, in his mind he’s just writing cheques for bank deposits. He had everything mapped out, what he wanted to do, work with me, the whole nine yards.”
Paul Wight would debut for World Championship Wrestling at Halloween Havoc 1995. The Giant would defeat Hogan in his first outing to win the WCW World Championship.
In a career that has spanned over a quarter of a century, Wight has recently found a new wrestling home. Signing with All Elite Wrestling Paul Wight will be at the announce desk for the company. Wight and Tony Schiavone are the commentary team for AEW’s new show Dark: Elevation.
During Wight’s conversation with Paquette, he would tell an unbelievable story of what happened when he faced Brock Lesnar in South Africa, and how the leather pants he wore that night wouldn’t make it out of the arena.
If you use any quotes in this article please do so with a h/t and link to Inside The Ropes.