First Round: Greensboro - Paul Wight vs. Andre the Giant

[klunderbunker]

This is a first round matchup in the Greensboro Subregion. The ring and arena are universal throughout the first round and the organization is not a factor. There is a 20 minute time limit. Vote using any criteria you like. Most votes in the poll at the end of the time period wins. In the case of a tie we will go off of the number of written votes. In the case of a second tie, both are eliminated.

Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Paul Wight

Vs.

Andre the Giant

Voting is open for 4 days

 

[PsychoBlack]

andre was the bigget draw possibly ever but that was because he was a sideshow attraction not a wrestler paul was EXTREMELY athletic and could do things andre couldnt imagine. also paul beat a whos who of the 90s and 2000s and won the world heavyweight title in his FIRST match ever they would have an ok match that would end with the right hook for the pin i vote paul wight

 

[Theo Mays]

Oh man, this is another past tourney rematch that saw Big Show winning if I'm not mistaken. This time around I think Andre gets the best of Show. Andre was one of the biggest draws the industry has ever seen and he rarely lost. Show is more athletic than Andre, but there was a time when Andre could move around the ring pretty well. Should be an awesome match of size and strength. Could go either way and I favor Andre.

 

[8thwotwATG]

Well on a purely physical level they're both pretty evenly matched(insofar as the weight and height are concerned) .Wight is probably more athletic and can do a few things the big boss can't, but I truly believe that Andre is probably more prone to violence, plus he could do some things in the ring that I haven't seen Wight do.(look at some of the old matches on youtube.) In what would be an ugly, brutal match; I take Andre's disproportionally large won to loss ratio, his ability to think on his feet. and a propensity for being a bit rough with opponents who pissed him off,(as Wight surely would) and go with him in a narrow victory.

 

[Tastycles]

To me, these two are just about equal in every single way, except that Wight was, in his prime, more athletic. This isn't going to come down to anything else, but who can last the longest, and I think Andre never had the best conditioning, largely because he never had his pituitary gland removed, while Wight did. Paul Wight has the stamina and the athleticism to bring something different to this match, and as a result he should get your vote.

 

[Blue Chipper]

Why not pick the bigger and better guy? Andre was a phenomenon that drew well. He played his style wonderfully. Wight is nearly the same, except he's smaller and can't draw as well. I voted for the better man.

 

[Coco]

Why not pick the bigger and better guy? Andre was a phenomenon that drew well. He played his style wonderfully. Wright is nearly the same, except he's smaller and can't draw as well. I voted for the better man.

You don't think Wight not drawing well has something to do with the way he was booked? I mean for goodness sake, he's exposed on national television every week and has been for over a decade now. He's not made to seem like the massive threat he should have been on a consistent basis. People don't buy into him as a result of that, not because Andre is inherently better.

Wight is a better talker and a better worker than Andre, IMO. From what I've seen of Andre, he is pure carny. His size is impressive and he paved the way for future giants, but being one of the first does not make him better. I know who entertaines me more, and I've voted for him.

Vote Show.

 

[Tenta]

To me, these two are just about equal in every single way, except that Wight was, in his prime, more athletic. This isn't going to come down to anything else, but who can last the longest, and I think Andre never had the best conditioning, largely because he never had his pituitary gland removed, while Wight did. Paul Wight has the stamina and the athleticism to bring something different to this match, and as a result he should get your vote.

You're fucking shitting with me, right, Tasty? It isn't like you to go off "facts" that you clearly pulled out of your ass: I expected far more from you, really.

You and I both know that Andre regularly pulled sixty minute draws with Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkel, and many other wrestlers. It was the only way bookers couldn't explain why Andre couldn't walk away with their title. The Big Show, even in his hey day, couldn't last more than thirty minutes in a match. As a matter of fact, he never has: His longest time in the ring was somewhere between twenty two and twenty five minutes. I'm not sure where you get this notion that Andre doesn't have great conditioning, but it's perhaps the worst possible reason you could have given. I expected much more from you, Tasty, and I expected that you not go by things that just "sound" right.

Anyway, most people who voted here, I assume, are largely introduced to a version of Andre that was weak and frail after Wrestlemania 3. The fact is, Andre is, and always will be, the first superstar in professional wrestling. His moveset was far better than anything The Big Show has ever done, save for going to the top rope. That's literally the only thing The Giant ever did that Andre never had. Hell, for the longest time, Andre's finisher was a butterfly suplex.

And for that matter, those of you that are going to quibble that Andre didn't have a large moveset can kiss the fatest part of my ass. No shit he didn't have a large moveset; He didn't have to have one. He was a Giant, and you don't fucking book a Giant to be a technician. A giant isn't supposed to be sophisticated, and he isn't supposed to throw dropkicks; really, he's meant to beat up on people, and to do as much damage as possible. And that's exactly what Andre did. I don't know where people get this notion that he was a "sideshow attraction"; nothing could be farther from the truth. He routinely pulled out fantastic matches with the likes of Race, Brisco, Bockwinkel, and the Funks. He was revered in Japan, not merely because he was a "sideshow", but because he was a legitimately over wrestler.

And speaking of Japan, how about this little nugget; he, unlike The Big Show, actually fucking draws. It was him that drew a sold out Shea Stadium against Hulk Hogan. It was half him that drew the largest crowd in wrestling, still, at Wrestlemania 3. Yes, Hogan helped, but not even half the people in that crowd would have come out for that match if Hogan wasn't facing Andre the Giant. When Chuck Wepner decided he wanted to box a wrestler, he chose Andre, because he knew, more than anything else, that Andre could sell tickets. I'd love to see the largest crowd Show's ever driven to the arena, Show has never been the focal point of the company, and never been the main money make in his company.

Look, I'm going to save up a good portion of my argument for when IC comes. I can at least rest assured, he isn't going to use facts that are clearly fictitious. But he's going to give you a whole spew about Paul Wight's prime, and his "one year" of dominance. A year where he never went over Hogan, Savage, or Sting cleanly, but I guess he was dominant, right? The fact is, Andre is twice the wrestler, and superstar that Show is. Don't vote for the Andre that you saw after Wrestlemania 3; vote for the man that was the most dominant wrestler in the sport for ten years. Rather than a good wrestler who was good for six months, in the second biggest promotion, when WCW was doing horrific business.

Be smart. Take Andre. And for the love of God, don't pull facts from your ass. If you're going to say Show was great, cool. But don't tell me Show has better conditioning than a man who went sixty minutes on a regular basis. That, is utter shit, Tasty, and you know it.

 

[Tenta]

You don't think Wight not drawing well has something to do with the way he was booked? I mean for goodness sake, he's exposed on national television every week and has been for over a decade now. He's not made to seem like the massive threat he should have been on a consistent basis. People don't buy into him as a result of that, not because Andre is inherently better.

Actually, you're wrong, Coco, dead wrong. The fact is, Giants draw when they are dominant. Show was given a dominant stretch from 1995-1996, and business was in the shitter before the nWo came along. Besides that, Show "earns" his booking by being consistently overweight, and not giving a damn through his sloppy work. It happened from 2000-2006, and even in his recent run, he's been nothing more than John Cena's bitch.

Wight is a better talker

This one, I'm going to concede. Still, Show better hope he can give a promo to win this match. I get where you're going by your logic, but different era. Andre worked in an era where interviews weren't needed. So of course Show's a better talker.

and a better worker than Andre, IMO.

On what grounds? You mean when he got to sent to development a third time, because his work was sloppy?

rom what I've seen of Andre, he is pure carny.

Again, the argument of someone that remembers Andre in his later days. I'm not asking you to think of Andre as a good worker, but recognize he was working a different era, and did all he could with his abilities. I don't think you give him enough credit for the worker he is. Race wouldn't trust him with an hour long match if he didn't think he was a good worker.

His size is impressive and he paved the way for future giants, but being one of the first does not make him better. I know who entertaines me more, and I've voted for him.

But it does mean you have to recognize his importance in the history of wrestling, and factor that in to the equation. Andre is ten times more important to wrestling than Show ever will be. Period.

 

[Coco]

Actually, you're wrong, Coco, dead wrong. The fact is, Giants draw when they are dominant. Show was given a dominant stretch from 1995-1996, and business was in the shitter before the nWo came along.

The business was in the shitter when Show got there. If Andre had just shown up on the scene in that period, even he would have floundered. Nobody was touching the industry during those days.

Besides that, Show "earns" his booking by being consistently overweight, and not giving a damn through his sloppy work. It happened from 2000-2006, and even in his recent run, he's been nothing more than John Cena's bitch.

This is the company that gave Khali a mega push upon arrival and saw Kofi Kingston as a prospect a few months ago. I'm certain sloppy ringwork isn't an issue for them. They could push Show harder.

This one, I'm going to concede. Still, Show better hope he can give a promo to win this match. I get where you're going by your logic, but different era. Andre worked in an era where interviews weren't needed. So of course Show's a better talker.

Based on that, I could see Show doing better in Andre's era than Andre would have done in Show's. I'll call that another victory for Show.

On what grounds? You mean when he got to sent to development a third time, because his work was sloppy?

No. I'm talking about when he was a destruction machine with the most dangerous right hand in the business. I'll take that over watching Andre stumble around and apply silly looking nerve holds for an hour. I know it's a different era, but it's just not entertaining anymore.

Sorry, forgot about the butterfly suplex. What was I thinking?

But it does mean you have to recognize his importance in the history of wrestling, and factor that in to the equation.

No. I don't. The rules make it quite clear that I don't.

Andre is ten times more important to wrestling than Show ever will be. Period.

And I enjoy Show ten times more than I ever will Andre. Period.

 

[Blue Chipper]

You don't think Wight not drawing well has something to do with the way he was booked? I mean for goodness sake, he's exposed on national television every week and has been for over a decade now. He's not made to seem like the massive threat he should have been on a consistent basis. People don't buy into him as a result of that, not because Andre is inherently better.

You might have a point, but it doesn't matter; it doesn't matter why Show wasn't a huge draw, all that matters is that Andre was a bigger draw. Which was my point - that Andre was "better" than Wight.

Wight is a better talker and a better worker than Andre, IMO. From what I've seen of Andre, he is pure carny. His size is impressive and he paved the way for future giants, but being one of the first does not make him better. I know who entertaines me more, and I've voted for him.

Vote Show.

Is Wight a more entertaining talker? Perhaps, but Andre did a marvelous job portraying his character via Mic, though it might not have been mightily entertaining.

Bottom line is, Andre is more essential to wrestling than Show.

 

[Tenta]

The business was in the shitter when Show got there. If Andre had just shown up on the scene in that period, even he would have floundered. Nobody was touching the industry during those days.

So that automatically offsets any responsibility to Show?

No, fuck that. Honestly, now you've resorted to nothing more than meager rationalizing of Show's behavior. What makes the buisness so different from the point of Show's dominance, to six months later, when a real draw, the nWo, came on board. It wasn't that the business was bad, there were two leaders who didn't know what to do with their title, and business floundered with these men at the head of their company.

And if you're going to argue Andre couldn't have stopped it, you're not only dealing with an imaginary land we can't be sure, but also dead wrong. Hogan came back, turned heel, and turned the business around. And yes, Hogan and Andre were, for a long time, equals in terms of star power in the business.

This is the company that gave Khali a mega push upon arrival and saw Kofi Kingston as a prospect a few months ago. I'm certain sloppy ringwork isn't an issue for them. They could push Show harder.

But why don't they, Coco?

Simply enough, because Show doesn't deserve it. Khali was sloppy, and so's Kingston, but they had something Show lost a long time ago; effort. Honest to God effort. And Show, for all his size, still never tapped fully into his potential. Vince doesn't push Show, because Show never puts on the effort he used to. That's why he gets dent down to OVW, including many other reasons.

Based on that, I could see Show doing better in Andre's era than Andre would have done in Show's. I'll call that another victory for Show.

You're in your imaginary world again. Again, we'll never know. I could just as easily argue that Show would have failed, merely because most wrestlers wouldn't take him seriously.

No. I'm talking about when he was a destruction machine with the most dangerous right hand in the business. I'll take that over watching Andre stumble around and apply silly looking nerve holds for an hour. I know it's a different era, but it's just not entertaining anymore.

And for a long time, it was. And it drew. Something Show never has. But let's ignore that for a second. Again, I want to know just how many Andre matches you've watched. The stumbling Giant you know is not the one I remember, and not the real Andre. Andre was a great athlete up until 1986. From there, his back began to kill him. But before that, he was every bit the athlete Show was.

And slipping and sliding? Again, I don't know why you neglect that for a full year, Vince had Show working in OVW, and then sent him down there again after that stint. Because, Vince doesn't have that much faith to book Show as a star.

No. I don't. The rules make it quite clear that I don't.

Then you're clearly being negligent to one of the factors that defines a wrestler's legacy.

And I enjoy Show ten times more than I ever will Andre. Period.

Fair enough, you pull the preference card. You may like a wrestler more. I like Jeff Hardy more than Dory Funk. Doesn't mean I don't think Funk should win. He deserves it more than Hardy, just like Andre deserves it more over Show.

 

[Coco]

So that automatically offsets any responsibility to Show?

That and a supporting cast that had a long since stale Flair, Hogan, and Savage definitely offsets a good chunk of it. Six months later, when something stale was turned into something fresh, of course things look better for the company.

It's like blaming Bret Hart for not drawing when the company had the stink of steroid issues all over it. It's not fair.

What makes the buisness so different from the point of Show's dominance, to six months later, when a real draw, the nWo, came on board.

Something stale turned into something fresh and the stench of shit wasn't as strong as it had been with stale Flair, Hogan, and Macho doing their thing. Show wasn't a draw when he had shit to work with, but when those guys were turning people off in their current state, I don't think he's to blame.

And if you're going to argue Andre couldn't have stopped it, you're not only dealing with an imaginary land we can't be sure, but also dead wrong. Hogan came back, turned heel, and turned the business around. And yes, Hogan and Andre were, for a long time, equals in terms of star power in the business.

Andre was only that star because of nothing more than unique size and the fact that he wasn't being exposed as weak on television all the time. Beyond that, I see nothing that keeps people coming back. That's not something think makes anyone inherently superior. That's a result of him being born a large freak and not being in an era where the only major company left in town feels the need to make top faces unstoppable.

Hogan had true star power in a way that Andre didn't. Andre was a freak attraction, even if he wasn't as limited in the ring as some like to say.

Sorry to say, but fantasy land is probably the best way to compare these two, as looking at Andre only in the context his era excuses the fact that there was little about him that was inherently more marketable or appealing than Show. Show who speaks the English language very well and has had fantastic matches with many men in his era, despite your insistance that his ring skills are shoddy. The mic skills, at the very least, make Show more marketable than Andre if both are on even footing and you adjust for what Andre got as a result of wrestling in his era.

But why don't they, Coco?

I'm sure you're going to tell me.

Simply enough, because Show doesn't deserve it. Khali was sloppy, and so's Kingston, but they had something Show lost a long time ago; effort. Honest to God effort. And Show, for all his size, still never tapped fully into his potential. Vince doesn't push Show, because Show never puts on the effort he used to. That's why he gets dent down to OVW, including many other reasons.

Show, for however shoddy you accuse him of being in the ring, still got better matches out of Undertaker since his comeback in 2008 than the supposedly great and more consistently pushed Edge ever did.

Those are results. Why effort enters into the the equation is beyond me. If I ran the company, I sure wouldn't be dicking around with Show's issues with sloth. The man can produce results even if he's only doing 20% of what he could.

You're in your imaginary world again. Again, we'll never know. I could just as easily argue that Show would have failed, merely because most wrestlers wouldn't take him seriously.

Wrestlers didn't take John Cena serious well into his main event run. I know we're dealing with the sideshow carny era, but what the talent think shouldn't factor into things, just like they didn't with Cena in a more professional era.

Again, I want to know just how many Andre matches you've watched.

It's like asking how many times I change my socks. All too many to count.

Hold on. I feel eye rolling coming on.

Then you're clearly being negligent to one of the factors that defines a wrestler's legacy.

I'm not voting on legacy. I'm taking the time the worked in out of the equation and looking at them side by side. I know who I'd have an easier time selling.

Fair enough, you pull the preference card. You may like a wrestler more. I like Jeff Hardy more than Dory Funk. Doesn't mean I don't think Funk should win. He deserves it more than Hardy, just like Andre deserves it more over Show.

With no set criteria, "deserve" doesn't enter into things.

 

[gd]

Wight is a better talker

Bullshit.

[YOUTUBE]DP5-qJSzDUg[/YOUTUBE]

I think I'll vote for Andre here. He was, like, totally the biggest thing in pro wrestling for a time. Would Wight have been if he was around at that time? Maybe, but if its and buts were candies and nuts every day would be Christmas. Andre's carnivalness is want makes him interesting. And he was in the Princess Pride, obviously giving him an edge over Wight, who honestly has been nothing but disappointing as Big Show. Is it all his fault? Probably not. Still, he's underwhelming.

 

[Tenta]

That and a supporting cast that had a long since stale Flair, Hogan, and Savage definitely offsets a good chunk of it. Six months later, when something stale was turned into something fresh, of course things look better for the company.

I'm sorry, but the only stale one on that portion was Hogan. Hogan and Hogan alone. Savage still got massive pops from the crowd, and so did Flair. Sting was tht etop of his game, Luger was actually worth a damn. The Giant had a whole slew of wrestlers to work with that were far over than anyone in the WWE. And The Giant ultimately failed, still.

Something stale turned into something fresh and the stench of shit wasn't as strong as it had been with stale Flair, Hogan, and Macho doing their thing.

Again, you keep referring to all of these "stale" wrestlers, when in reality, the only stale one was Hogan.

Show wasn't a draw when he had shit to work with, but when those guys were turning people off in their current state, I don't think he's to blame.

Ok. Fine. Riddle me this, then; The Show also had some of the best workers in the world to deal with in 1999-2000. He had Austin, Rock, Trips, and the likes to work with. He had everything to work with.

And what happened? He was a fucking flop. His reign as champion was mediocre at best, and the WWE immediately slid him back to the mid card. Shit, he was jobbing to Kane and Test, man. That should tell you just how Vince felt about Show.

Again, it's a pattern of consistency; Show consistently can't draw worth a damn.

Andre was only that star because of nothing more than unique size and the fact that he wasn't being exposed as weak on television all the time. Beyond that, I see nothing that keeps people coming back. That's not something think makes anyone inherently superior.

Again, it really doesn't matter, you still have to accept Andre was a revolutionary force. Without Andre, there would be no Hogan, no WWE, and no superstars. People came to see Andre, regardless of whether or not you would have. That's why he was booked more than the NWA Champion in his time. Andre flat out drew, and had the respect of the boys, because he paid their pay checks, and because he could work good to great matches.

But I forgot, you're so used to Andre's later work, aren't you?

Hogan had true star power in a way that Andre didn't.

Bull. Shit.

Because if that were the case, Andre also wouldn't have been pulled for TV shows and movies. You can argue his size, but he had the personality that would charm the Hell out of anyone. Andre was called so much, because his personality made him so likeable to people watching. And thus, people wanted to see him.

Unlike Show, who, well, no one wants to see, really.

Andre was a freak attraction, even if he wasn't as limited in the ring as some like to say.

And by some, you mean the same people he actually worked with?

Sorry to say, but fantasy land is probably the best way to compare these two, as looking at Andre only in the context his era excuses the fact that there was little about him that was inherently more marketable or appealing than Show.

You're right; Andre is a legend. The Big Show will be remembered as someone who never fully lived up to his potential.

Show who speaks the English language very well and has had fantastic matches with many men in his era, despite your insistance that his ring skills are shoddy. The mic skills, at the very least, make Show more marketable than Andre if both are on even footing and you adjust for what Andre got as a result of wrestling in his era.

Well, that's hypocritical.

You're going to slam Andre for his height, yet also reward Show, because of his ability to speak English.

Show, for however shoddy you accuse him of being in the ring, still got better matches out of Undertaker since his comeback in 2008 than the supposedly great and more consistently pushed Edge ever did.

Oh... You're serious.

First, let's ignore that The Undertaker is more naturally used to working with big men. Second, Edge's HIAC match is ten times greater than Show's casket match. That match was slow, ploddy, and featured a show who completely out of shape. If anything, the only saving grace to that match was that it was fairly short.

Those are results. Why effort enters into the the equation is beyond me. If I ran the company, I sure wouldn't be dicking around with Show's issues with sloth. The man can produce results even if he's only doing 20% of what he could.

Right, because he draws such an audience...

It's like asking how many times I change my socks. All too many to count.

Hold on. I feel eye rolling coming on.

Ok, here you go; how many of those matches took place in the seventies? Or are they, indeed, every single match Andre had in the WWE from 1986-1990, when his back was fucking killing him, and he was slowly dying?

I'm not voting on legacy. I'm taking the time the worked in out of the equation and looking at them side by side. I know who I'd have an easier time selling.


With no set criteria, "deserve" doesn't enter into things.

So, just making sure.... You admit Andre deserves the win.

Go elsewhere. You've made yourself look foolish enough for one day.

 

[Dr. Stinger A. Zoidberg]

Im going to go Paul Wight on this one. Why? Because I feel the Paul Wight was able to do more in the ring than Andre could. While Andre did have a 29 year career, what did he accomplish in that time? A one time world champion in the WWF, but other than that, he was a multiple time tag team champion. Wasn't exactly as big as people think. He was a huge draw in the 80's, but after his feuds with Hogan settled down, he was pretty much just another guy.

Paul Wight on the other hand, was one of the most athletic big-men I've ever seen. He was able to actually go in the ring. His accolades certainly show for it. Multiple time world champion in both WCW and the WWF. He's been a tag champion as well as a mid card title champion in both companies. Able to be a dominant force in whatever company he worked in.

While Andre is respected by the world of wrestling, Paul Wight, The Giant, Big Show, or whatever the hell you want to call him, was just better.

 

[Coco]

I'm sorry, but the only stale one on that portion was Hogan. Hogan and Hogan alone. Savage still got massive pops from the crowd, and so did Flair. Sting was tht etop of his game, Luger was actually worth a damn. The Giant had a whole slew of wrestlers to work with that were far over than anyone in the WWE. And The Giant ultimately failed, still.

What I saw as a child was a colour commentator who had a fall count anywhere match with Crush at WrestleMania 10, a white haired fella who reminded me of the old, unhip guy from that golf movie (Caddyshack) my dad loved, and that guy who failed as a die-hard patriot in the WWF.

Show had NOTHING to work with. For real. To argue otherwise is to ignore how bad some of those guys looked by the time 1995 was rolling around.

Ok. Fine. Riddle me this, then; The Show also had some of the best workers in the world to deal with in 1999-2000. He had Austin, Rock, Trips, and the likes to work with. He had everything to work with.

And what happened? He was a fucking flop. His reign as champion was mediocre at best, and the WWE immediately slid him back to the mid card. Shit, he was jobbing to Kane and Test, man. That should tell you just how Vince felt about Show.

Yes. Show flopped in a reign where his one major title defense was against Big Boss Man in a feud that was more about Boss Man crashing Show's father's final sendoff than anything else. I can't see how he failed with that. He was given such a great break!

Again, it's a pattern of consistency; Show consistently can't draw worth a damn.

You're right about consistency, but wrong about causality. Show isn't left to flounder in the midcard because he can't draw. He can't draw because he's left to flounder in the midcard.

Consistent refusal to make Show look credible does more harm to him than anything. It's nothing to do with Show's ability.

Andre flat out drew, and had the respect of the boys, because he paid their pay checks, and because he could work good to great matches.

I'm sure the boys would have really been all over him if he'd have not been having great matches, right?

I mean that's what you think would have killed Show in his era, right?

I don't see it.

Show would have brought it money all the same, and the boys would have accepted him all the same, unlike what you predicted earlier.

Bull. Shit.

Because if that were the case, Andre also wouldn't have been pulled for TV shows and movies. You can argue his size, but he had the personality that would charm the Hell out of anyone. Andre was called so much, because his personality made him so likeable to people watching. And thus, people wanted to see him.

Unlike Show, who, well, no one wants to see, really.

That's right. Show's never had any television and movie projects outside of wrestling. At all. Great argument.

And by some, you mean the same people he actually worked with?

Typical "circle the wagons" response you'd expect from people in the biz.

Well, that's hypocritical.

You're going to slam Andre for his height, yet also reward Show, because of his ability to speak English.

I slam Andre for having nothing over show other than being tall in the era he was born in. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

If Show, also tall, was born in that era, he would have had just as much of a chance to draw and get over. Why? Mic skills. It's the one important place where they're different.

First, let's ignore that The Undertaker is more naturally used to working with big men.

Which is why he's having great matches with Khali on a regular basis? How about Bundy? Diesel?

They look nothing like Show and Taker's No Mercy match or their match before Backlash last year.

Second, Edge's HIAC match is ten times greater than Show's casket match.

Show not doing well in a convoluted gimmick match isn't a knock against him. It's above and beyond the call of duty, and knocking him for that when Andre worked in an era where he didn't need to bother with such nonsense is pretty poor argumentation on your part.

That match was slow, ploddy, and featured a show who completely out of shape.

As opposed to an overlong Hell in a Cell that was slow, ploddy, saw too much time spent setting up weapons, and featured an Edge who was being held together by scotch tape?

Oh, and it was overlong.

Advantage: Show.

Work in non-gimmick matches still favor Show. For the record.

Ok, here you go; how many of those matches took place in the seventies? Or are they, indeed, every single match Andre had in the WWE from 1986-1990, when his back was fucking killing him, and he was slowly dying?

Are you still asking for exact numbers?

Out of sight, man.

 

[Hulkamaniac]

Paul Wight can do more things in the ring? That's an argument? Bottom line, at the end of almost every big match in his career, it was the hand of Paul Wight's opponent that was raised, while Andre rarely EVER lost. Andre drew far more, and was a feared man in the back, whereas Show is not either of those things. The "he's able to do more things" argument is so overrated, since he's mediocre at almost everything hedoes, whereas Andre was VERy good at his smaller variety of tricks. And he would win this match. It's a travesty that Andre is losing this match. A fucking travesty. Vote Andre.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Paul Wight/Big Show has been a perpetual failure basically his whole career especially in the WWE. He was pushed time and time again and came up short each and every time. His first feud as champion was with the Bossman and should tell you a lot. He was in the main event in WM 16 and was eliminated in five minutes. His second reign as champion lasted one month before he lost to Angle and became Undertaker's bitch on two separate occasions in early 2003. Big Show hasn't been a dominant force for a long time and he routinely got beat by big and small guys. If we are going to criticize Andre because he was the biggest guy around, then I will criticize Show because he was given so much yet did nothing with it.

 

[Coco]

Paul Wight/Big Show has been a perpetual failure basically his whole career especially in the WWE. He was pushed time and time again and came up short each and every time. His first feud as champion was with the Bossman and should tell you a lot. He was in the main event in WM 16 and was eliminated in five minutes. His second reign as champion lasted one month before he lost to Angle and became Undertaker's bitch on two separate occasions in early 2003. Big Show hasn't been a dominant force for a long time and he routinely got beat by big and small guys. If we are going to criticize Andre because he was the biggest guy around, then I will criticize Show because he was given so much yet did nothing with it.

Your post outlines exactly why we shouldn't criticize Show.

He did nothing with it?

He feuded with Boss Man, wrestled for five minutes at WM2000, was given two one month reigns, and then went on to be the main event job boy.

Where are all these great chances he was given?

What was he supposed to do with this?

It's not a shoot. It's not like he could have squashed Angle and reigned until WM19 if only he pushed through the pain a little longer. Booking fucked him over time and time again, plain and simple.

If anything, Vince and his writer monkeys should be strung up for having ADHfuckingD when it comes to Wight.

 

[Ferbian]

I'm actually gonna vote for Big Show in this one, not because I don't think Andre couldn't pull off a victory here, but because while some of you might disagree (wildly I may add) with me, I think Big Show is the better athlete, not because he was smaller and, well, thinner, but simply because from what I know of both guys, Big Show's move set strikes me as superior, while you could argue "oh but Big Show's finisher is bland as compared to finishers Andre could pull off" I still have my thought that I enjoy(ed) a Big Show match much more than I did enjoy a Andre the Giant match.

And if we're to pull influence and titles into all this, certainly Andre would go over on the influence, considering if he wasn't slammed, WWE and Wrestlemania could quite possibly be something of the past rather than the biggest promotion ever.
On the other hand, Big Show has done so much more to the whole part of winning titles, being the only one to hold the WCW, WWE and ECW championship.
And to top it off, I think Big Show is more versatile in styles, seeing as he's doing great right now as a tag team wrestler, he's always been a treat to watch in the ring as a singles competitor (if you ask me) and I find him to be an overall better athlete.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Paul Wight/Big Show has been a perpetual failure basically his whole career especially in the WWE. He was pushed time and time again and came up short each and every time. His first feud as champion was with the Bossman and should tell you a lot. He was in the main event in WM 16 and was eliminated in five minutes. His second reign as champion lasted one month before he lost to Angle and became Undertaker's bitch on two separate occasions in early 2003. Big Show hasn't been a dominant force for a long time and he routinely got beat by big and small guys. If we are going to criticize Andre because he was the biggest guy around, then I will criticize Show because he was given so much yet did nothing with it.

Did you even bother reading my post about the "primes" of these two men? And yet you're still putting Andre against the late-WWE Paul Wight?

The prime of Paul Wight was the 1995-1996 time with WCW where he was the definitive unstoppable monster. The guy who beat Hogan for his first WCW Title in his DEBUT MATCH. The guy who dominated Randy Savage and pinned him clean in less than 8 minutes. The guy who won 1996 Wrestler of the Year AND Rookie of the Year.

That Paul Wight.

 

[Mr. TM]

This one was very tough, and now, I think I regret my choice. But I went with my first gut feeling. I even think last year, I voted Big Show twice over Andre.

I think I voted Andre here... not too sure why. Loved him as a kid, more than I love Big Show now. The both got over on their size, but Andre's always seemed more impressive for some reason. He was pretty dominant for nearly a decade, and thats the best case I can make for him. Later down his career he was pretty shitty in the ring, but always a fan favourite.

 

[D-Man]

Man, this matchup really fucked with my head. But I'm going to take the same approach that I took with Funk/Orton...

I feel these men are dead-even in many ways. Obvious reasons such as size and strength come into play. Also, I know that for Super Heavyweights of their size, they're both conditioned extremely well. And many of you don't know this, but Andre is one of my all-time favorites.

But I just see the Big Show as being the replacement for an obsoleted Andre. I feel that the Big Show took everything that Andre had and took it to new levels to adapt to the modern style that pro-wrestling has become. And we're not asking for this match to take place in the 70's... if we were, Andre would have the edge. But considering that professional wrestling as a sport has taken such leaps and bound in its evolution, I feel it's passed up the style that Andre the Giant had in his heyday. The Big Show is obviously a modern presence with perfect adaptation, so I can only send a vote his way. Plus, his prime obsoleted and was greater than Andre's prime, in my opinion.

I'm sorry, Andre. I love you. My vote is for Big Show.

 

[jmt225]

The prime of Paul Wight was the 1995-1996 time with WCW where he was the definitive unstoppable monster. The guy who beat Hogan for his first WCW Title in his DEBUT MATCH. The guy who dominated Randy Savage and pinned him clean in less than 8 minutes. The guy who won 1996 Wrestler of the Year AND Rookie of the Year.

And while Wight's run barely lasted a year, Andre the Giant had a similar run, that lasted for 15 years. How can you compare that, especially when Andre was fighting MUCH tougher competition on a nightly basis?

Moreover, you know why Wight's run went the way it did? Because he claimed to be Andre the Giant's son. That whole year he was the "definitive unstoppable monster" you say he was, Wight and WCW were saying the reason the way he was was because he was Andre's son.

So, you want to match-up gimmicks, I'm not going to vote for the "son" who had ONE dominant year in a weak WCW against his "father" who had 15 dominant years ALL OVER THE WORLD, not just for one company. Pretty simple choice, IC.