AEW superstar and former multi-time world champion Paul Wight recently joined MuscleMan Malcom for an in-depth conversation about the future of the wrestling business, which includes Wight’s thoughts on big men in the industry and how he doesn’t want them to feel burdened into being the next giant. Highlights from the interview are below.
Says he doesn’t want bigger guys to have to feel the burden of being the next giant:
“That’s a burden I wouldn’t want to put on any giant. I remember I used to get stuck with that a lot back in the day. No one wants to be, even though it came out that my character was the next Andre, nobody wants that burden. I think Omos is doing a great job with how they’re introduced and brought him along. I think AJ Styles has done a great job of helping to build Omos, so has Bobby Lashley. Omos just needs to get reps and that’s the main thing when you learn to get reps in, you’ll see a difference, and they’re doing a real good job of keeping these guys within their wheelhouse of what they can do. If fans are patient, these guys will evolve into something else, just a matter of giving them time to evolve. We’ve got an incredible talent in AEW that I’m excited about, Satnam Singh, who is like 7’2, maybe 360 pounds. He’s an incredible athlete, an ex-basketball player. So he’s got the good footwork and he’s got the big giant hands, and the whole nine yards. I’ve worked with him a little bit the past few weeks in the ring and he’s picking it up really fast, but again, they’re still green, they need time they need to get their reps in and get it done.”
How bigger wrestlers need time to adjust:
“It’s about giving these guys time to adjust and not rushing them. You can’t expect Omos and some of these other giant big guys to work to the level of like a Kane, or Undertaker, or somebody like that right off the bat. You just can’t. You’ve got to give them time to get their reps in and be patient, and hopefully, the audiences will do that.”
How the business has changed:
“The business has changed, you know, with mixed martial arts and the way the business has gone to [favor] more high spots, higher entertaining bumps and more charismatic characters in the microphone with cutting promos and the businesses has evolved. So the days of the giants of old? I don’t know, I think those days are numbered. I think you’re gonna have to find somebody that’s big. It’s also extremely athletic.”
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)