WWE star The Big Show has been hitting the gym hard recently in an attempt to transform his body and he’s revealed his motivation comes from a conversation with John Cena.
Paul Wight, aka The Big Show, has been out of action with WWE since November 2018 to give his body time to recover from the years of battering which goes hand-in-hand with wrestling.
However, just because he’s not facing opponents doesn’t mean he’s sitting around with his feet up – in fact, a quick look at his Instagram page proves he’s been keeping very busy.
Since stepping away from the ring, the seven-foot star regularly shares images of himself working out in the gym, building big muscles to go with his big stature. He also enlisted the help of celebrity trainer Dodd Romero and completely changed his diet to help reach his goal.
Wight’s mission to get cleared for return to WWE wrestling is detailed in the WWE Network documentary Rebuilding Big Show. The 47-year-old underwent hip surgery and physical therapy and tried different training methods to help get back in shape.
However, in the documentary Big Show explains it was a conversation with WWE superstar Cena which really encouraged him.
The wrestler recalled how he and Cena were having banter when he made a joke about how he was going to ‘go out and get some abs’ and become a bodybuilder, adding ‘who would want to see a giant with abs?’
However, Cena shot down the joke as he gave Wight a ‘deadpan’ look and said ‘Yeah. A giant with abs —who would want to see that?’ before walking away.
Wight explained how the reaction hit home, saying:
This is coming from a guy who I have the utmost respect for, for his work ethic, his commitment to our industry, his commitment to setting the bar, as far as he’s on time, everything’s 100 per cent, the way he works his body, the way he takes care of himself, the way he lives by example and the way he gives back…
So, this is someone that I respect, and the way John hit me with that comment, for once in forty-something years, lit a fire under my big fat ass, a huge fire, and I went and found Dodd Romero.
Big Show hasn’t made any announcements about his return to WWE yet but if his Instagram posts are anything to go by he’s certainly committed to staying in shape.
As well as working out, the 47-year-old is also embarking on a new project in the form of his Netflix series The Big Show Show.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.