The Big Show Signs with AEW
|In what has to be considered a shocking piece of news today, AEW has announced the signing of Paul “Big Show” Wight to a multi-year contract with the company.
The Big Show has been a mainstay with WWE for the past 20+ years and seemed like he would remain an ambassador for the company even if his in-ring days may be over or at least highly limited. Apparently, Big Show was under a legends contract that recently expired, and now a deal has been struck with AEW, which has to be considered their biggest signing since that of Chris Jericho in the beginning.
Now before we even read any opinions, we can already guarantee that there are going to be those that say “Oh, AEW is signing old WWE guys” – but as evident by Sting’s recent AEW debut, major stars create buzz and that’s exactly what the company needs to take it to the next level. Also, it seems like All Elite Wrestling is showcasing the numerous ways Paul Wight can be valuable to them.
While not ruling out or even downplaying the fact that Paul Wight can be an in-ring asset to AEW, the first role they’ve announced for him is as a commentator on the new “AEW Dark: Elevation” YouTube show. Using one of the most recognizable stars in wrestling in a role such as this just makes sense, but apparently isn’t something WWE either couldn’t figure out or plainly wasn’t interested in. The Big Show is a guy who just had his own show on Netflix, has appeared in movies, and in recent years has gotten into the best shape of his career, so signing him and using him in numerous roles just seems to make a lot of sense.
So with AEW getting another boost with this major signing, it will be interesting to see how they use The Big Show as far as an in-ring talent and how his veteran knowledge will mesh with the new era of stars, many of which he has never interacted with. While everything AEW Dynamite puts on TV these days may not be ideal to some who enjoy more of the old-school vibe, having another veteran in the mix who has been a part of highly successful companies in the past is something we’re looking forward to seeing.