I know that seems like a moot point right off the bat but I feel that it is a very important point. During the Debaters League last year, I had a debate about whether Paul Wight has been more impressive in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment than he was in World Championship Wrestling. After giving it my all, IC schooled me on the fact that Paul Wight is more than just the Big Show. Paul Wight is The Giant. Paul Wight is a completely different entity than he is right now. In fact, some would even say that Paul Wight was more successful in WCW than his run with the WWE.
In my initial opening post I never disagreed with assessment. In fact I believe I mentioned pretty clearly in my former post. Wight was "The Giant" in WCW most of us smarks know of this fact. The only difference between Wight's careers in the two different companies was that he was pushed better in WCW arguably than he has ever been in WWF/E. Even then he was held down at times when Kevin Nash and the booking team from hell were kicking at a falling product. In fact didn't Wight get so sick of this treatment that he left for WWF/E? More on that as this rebuttal develops.
Whether that is true or not is irrelevant. My point is that when you are reading this debate. Please ensure that you are taking all of the facts into account. This question has not asked us who is more of an asset between The Big Show and Andre The Giant. Rather, it asks us to take into account the entire careers of both of these competitors and WCW was a huge part of the Paul Wight story.
I was well aware of this point from the beginning as the question clearly emphasizes Paul Wight thus his entire career and legacy. Again I clearly talked about his time as The Giant in the above post.
Not only was Paul Wight pushed to the stars in WCW, he was also a World Heavyweight Champion. Not only was he a World Heavyweight Champion, his win came against a hugely popular Hulk Hogan. Yes! That is correct! The man who is famed for taking pro-wrestling to a whole new stage was beaten for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship by a 23 year old Paul Wight. It is important to note, that at this point in time, Wight was the youngest ever World Heavyweight Champion.
At the beginning he was pushed very hard in that company. Eventually though everything went haywire and all the antics of WCW's management drove Wight away from their company. Other wrestlers like Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton have accomplished the youngest world champion for their time feat as well. Hell Orton still holds that title to this very day. So if it's such a huge thing for Wight then it's as equally beneficial to Orton. Also that victory wasn't as legitimate as you make it out to be. Wight won that world title on a disqualification that Jimmy Hart caused. It was also against pre-nWo Hogan who's star power at the time was beginning to fade before his character change which made him almost bigger than his 80s WWF run. So all in all his early WCW career doesn't seem as huge as originally stated. And that disqualification title win truly is the true testament to that.
Wights storied career in WCW was and is a hugely significant part of his time in pro-wrestling. He feuded with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and Ric Flair (winning the World Heavyweight Championship once more). Not only was he feuding with these legends, he rubbed shoulders with people like Lex Luger, Goldberg and Sting. Yes! A lot of stock was put into a budding Giant at WCW.
Again in his early years while there, they never really pushed him to his full potential. The same shit happened with Goldberg, once Nash got in charge no one could be bigger than the nWo or you joined it in an attempt to become bigger. This got under the skin of many wrestlers and again I will repeat myself is the reason Wight said bye-bye to Eric and Co. He may have had these matches with these legends and such but do people really remember it? Where those top drawing matches that did the business very well? Wight's WCW career is quite overrated in terms of his legacy. In some way his WWF/E career outshines it in a way to be quite honest.
What is often overlooked about Wight, is the fact that he has taken part in a lot of the angles that have shaped pro-wrestling. For example, Wight was absolutely essential in the development of the nWo. He joined and left constantly but that level of unpredictability is still something that people look back on in WCW.
It's overlooked for a reason. I will go on record to say that the majority of his WCW career was overlooked. It would have worked just as fine if Wight was not involved. He was a cool addition during his billion tenures in the group but he wouldn't have been needed to develop the faction. Hogan, Nash, and Hall are the reasons that faction did as well as it did. Wight was merely a Luke Gallows to the groups stars. Also after awhile of Wight constantly leaving, and then rejoining wouldn't this lower the unpredictable quality it once had?
As a member of the WWE roster, the same can be said. Paul Wight debuted as a member of the Corporation. The Corporation basically ushered in the Attitude Era of the WWE and Wight was very influential in that. I will always remember Wight tossing Austin onto the cage and Austin stealing the win as the cage buckled and swung open. Who will forget Wight chokeslamming The Undertaker through the ring? Who will forget the role he played in perhaps the greatest Hardcore Championship match in history at WrestleMania X-7? Who will forget Brock Lesnar and The Big Show causing the Smackdown ring to buckle as Lesnar superplexed Show from the top rope?
This just proves more why his WCW career wasn't as huge as it's made out to be. These moments are quite memorable but they don't match the greatest WrestleMania moment of all time. Show has never had that defining industry changing moment that André had and because of this I believe André left the better career in a similar perhaps even shorter amount of time. And regarding The Corporation I will say McMahon and The Rock feuding with Austin did a lot more in building into the Attitude Era then Wight ever did. From all of these moments I'm sure the only one that's deemed a classic is the Lesnar-Show Superplex. But again is that one moment an industry changing one?
One thing that has always been true of the Big Show and Wight in general, is that he has forged a legacy for himself that cannot be touched by Andre The Giant. Yes! I will concede that Andre had one moment of greatness with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III. However, let us not forget that that match was about Hogan from start to finish. Hogan was thrust into the public eye like never before and Andre was relegated to the sidelines as Hogan took his place at the top table of pro-wrestling.
Where is that one career defining and industry changing moment that Wight had? This one moment and feud that André was apart of is one of the most memorable in the history of professional wrestling. He helped build the biggest star of all time in Hulk Hogan. This program helped put Hogan over as the next big thing. So not only was André apart of one of the biggest moments in wrestling history, he also helped build the biggest star the industry has seen. Tell me how Wight has done any of thing of that magnitude.
Like him or not, Paul Wight has managed to be a part of the biggest moments in pro-wrestling history in his career. Whether those moments came from the now or Paul Wight as the Big Show, Wight has managed to do something that Andre never could and that is stay in the public eye as part of the most influential and important aspects of pro-wrestling.
If by staying in the public eye you mean the eyes of wrestling fans you stand correct. He had a few movie roles, that aren't on the level of André's major movie appearance in Princess Bride. Other than that he pretty much been in the eyes of wrestling fans other than that one year hiatus he had. And his career isn't as held in such high regard as André's was and still is. He is also isn't and never was on the same level of drawing power André was. The money he drew helped the business a hell of a lot more than it gets credit for.
I ask you one question, as it brings this point to a close rather nicely. As you read all of the wonderful moments that Wight has given us, can you give me an example of a superior moment that has come from Andre The Giant, outside of the slam from Hulk Hogan?
That one moment is one of the greatest in not only Mania history, but in
wrestling history. That match and one move also legitimized the next huge wrestling star. That man Hulk Hogan is perhaps the bigger star wrestling has ever had. André in that feud with Hogan, helped solidify him as a top player. André also did the same thing when he was in a program with The Ultimate Warrior when they were building him up. That feud did Warrior a lot of good. André was a guy who helped put over and solidify talent in a way that Wight can't contend with. It's also a factor of his career that usually gets overshadowed unfortunately.
Although it is sad, the health problems that plagued Andre The Giant until his death became a huge part of his pro-wrestling career. It is reported that in the 80s, Andre The Giant was having trouble breathing and the stress of wrestling plus his health problems were stopping his heart from pumping blood around his frame. Naturally, he is not at fault for this but reliability is absolutely crucial in all aspects of professional wrestling.
Throughout all his health issues André always gave 100% in everything he did. It's one of the many reasons he is so respected in the industry. Throughout thick and thin he worked his hardest and always remained solid. And people always wanted to see him. He was a huge draw in the early years of major mainstream wrestling. He had to retire due to his health issues to benefit himself, but other greats such as Steve Austin had to do the same. But that's why you build stars of the future because you never know when the current big guns may have to step aside. But they prepared for such a tragedy by building up Hogan.
The same disease that took the life of Andre The Giant was prevalent in Wight also. Having had successful surgery on the gland, The Big Show is far more reliable than Andre ever was. Wight has been wrestling for 15 years and has not had the problems (to the same extent) that Andre had. Andres health always plagued him and kept him back from achieving his true potential as a professional wrestler. Yes! He had his moments but his health was always a sticking point.
That's a plus for Show, but again you can be the healthiest wrestler ever and never get injured but you may never have that big of a legacy. Wight's legacy for sure is huge but it's not on the level of the legendary André and that's all there is too it. The only thing in common between the two is their size, their legacies differ greatly in favor André.
