mobanmarketFormer longtime WWE executive and current GFW executive Bruce Prichard recently spoke at length about Big Show’s early days in WWE during his “Something To Wrestle With” podcast. Below are some of the highlights.
On Big Show’s lack of effort early in his WWE career: “The Big Show was immature at that time and he felt that he was a giant and just felt that he simply had to show up and be a giant and that was enough. And we needed more. We needed a working giant. We wanted a giant and an attraction that wanted to be on top and was willing to do whatever it took to get there.”
On Big Show doing more bad than good when trying to endear himself to others: “Big Show had his moments. Let’s just say that. And there were times that The Big Show would try to endear himself to everyone and sometimes he would do more harm than good in his efforts. But Show did not come back in the best cardio shape, was really not working as hard as he could have to improve. If you want to improve, watch the best, and leaving early and doing things like that don’t endear yourself. It doesn’t endear yourself to the office. It doesn’t endear yourself to the other talent.”
On Vince McMahon being worried that Big Show would die young like Andre the Giant: “Vince was very concerned that if Show didn’t take care of himself, he would die at a young age. He didn’t want that to happen. He really wanted this guy to have a career and for him to be healthy because he already has one strike against him. He wasn’t doing it and [Vince] felt like the only way [Big Show] would take it seriously is if we sent him back down to OVW.”
On WWE forcing Big Show to get into better shape: “There wasn’t any final straw. It was a combination of things and it was the effort over a few weeks with Big Show where we saw he came back not in shape [and] his cardio was horrible. You would get the lip-service, ‘I’m eating healthy. I’m eating chicken breasts and dry pasta and salad and vegetables. I quit smoking.’ And then, he’d be out by the [production] truck having a smoke with Krispy Kreme donuts.” Prichard said, “Vince had just had it and it wasn’t one match or one night or anything like that. It was a culmination of Show not being able to perform at the level we were looking for him to perform at.”
Check out the complete episode of the “Something To Wrestle With” podcast with Bruce Prichard at MLWRadio.com.