Paul “The Big Show” Wight Shares How Former NBA Star Xavier McDaniel Was Responsible For His Legendary Wrestling Career

Paul Wight made his triumphant return to the wrestling ring last night, and the whole journey might never have kicked off if it weren’t for the influential push from former NBA star Xavier McDaniel, the man who initially sparked the idea of professional wrestling in the mind of the Superstar we once knew as Big Show!

The backstory of Wight, the Wrestler, unfolds as a fascinating tale.

In the early ’90s, Paul dominated as the center for the Wichita State basketball team, but his court skills weren’t quite on par with Shaquille O’Neal. Thanks to his performance on the hardwood, McDaniel, a Shockers alum and NBA star, offered invaluable advice to Wight, potentially laying the groundwork for his future triumphs in the world of professional wrestling.

“X was always pestering me, and he kept telling me I should go into wrestling. I said ‘Man, listen, I’m gonna play in the NBA. That’s what I’ve trained for since I was a kid. This is what I do,'” Wight recounted during the interview.

“[Xavier] says, ‘Man, you’re gonna be the only 7-foot dude who gets cut by the Japanese team. He goes, ‘I’m telling you what you need to do. You need to go into pro wrestling and be Andre The Giant’s son.’ He says, ‘Man, you look like Andre. That’s what you need to do.'”

“Xavier McDaniel saw the vision on the wall long before it ever happened.”

Shortly after, Paul teamed up with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, and the rest, as they say, is history. 🌟🤼‍♂️