I eat two midgets every day: Big Show

WWE star Big Show packed in a punch on his recent visit to the HT City office; the giant revealed diet secrets and more.

It’s not every day that a wrestling superstar visits India. So when WWE heavyweight Big Show came to HT City recently, as a part of HT City’s Stars in the City, the entire floor went crazy about catching a glimpse of their favourite wrestling superstar. The 42-year-old seven-time champion, who stands towering at seven feet, did not ­disappoint his fans.

Big Show, whose real name is Paul Randall Wight, interacted with 10 lucky HT City readers, all of them over six-feet tall, who won the contest. He revealed the secret behind his popular wrestling move, choke slam, to one of the fans. “Well, the choke slam was given to me in 1995 by Paul Michael Levesque (Triple H). That time, we were ­looking for something which was exciting, had a lot of agility involved, and at the same time looked powerful,” he said.

Another fan asked for some advice on dealing with the ­negative comments that come with being really tall. “You shouldn’t be ­bothered about what people tell you. You should always be thankful that you are different and be grateful to the people who notice it. Don’t ­bother yourself with whatever bad things people have to say about your height.”

For another fan who wanted to know the secret behind his ­physique, Big Show joked, “I have two midgets deep fried ­every day,” and after the wisecrack he replied, “Well it depends. You need to ­consume a lot of calories to ­maintain this sort of a physique and since I am moving around a lot, I make sure that I keep eating. This morning for breakfast, I had six chicken breasts, two bowls of rice and boiled eggs. I also had two ­glasses of protein shake and I think I will repeat the same for dinner as well.”hTC

Big Show and a party!

WWE wrestler Big Show talks Indian food, family and life outside the ring

When Paul Randall Wright, aKa Big Show, visited HT City as a part of the HT City stars in the city ­initiative, moderated by HT City editor, Sonal Kalra, he left his fans wanting for more. From mimicking his fellow ­wrestlers to pulling off jokes, this seven-foot-tall conversed with much wit. Here are some excerpts.

Did people warn you about ­the spicy Indian food?
Well I have travelled around the world, so thankfully I have a cast iron stomach. The guys in the hotel are worried about me. I keep asking them ‘Bring me chillies, bring me chillies’ and I think, they think that this American is going to explode. But then I really love spicy food!

Are you friends with everyone in WWE? Who all are you close to?
Well there are some wrestlers, who I can’t even stand. But, having said that, I respect all of them professionally. It’s just that they don’t receive Holiday cards from me. Me and Paul Michael Levesque (Triple H) have been friends for 19 years now. He is a great guy.

How did you get your stage name, Big Show?
Oh, it was Vince McMahon (the WWE Owner) who gave it to me. One day in 1995, he came up to me and said, “So how’s the Big Show doing today?’ and I was like ‘Big Show?’ He replied, ‘Yes you are tall and a powerhouse ­athlete — you are Big Show.’ And I was like — ‘Yeah, thanks Vince!’

What all do you do when you are not in the ring and outside WWE?
Well I am the regular guy, who takes out the trash every morning. I shout at my daughter, when she plays music at loud volumes. I tell her when her girlfriends are over, to not make noise. I also take the dog for the night walk.

What would you have been, if not a professional wrestler?
Probably a homicidal maniac (Laughs)! No I always thought that if I would not be successful in this business, I would become a teacher. Probably, a basketball coach.