Current AEW on-screen talent and commentator Paul Wight recently spoke with WNYT NewsChannel 13 in Albany, New York to promote last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite in the city.
Wight, who formerly worked for WWE and WCW as a featured Superstar, discussed making the transition to a commentator in AEW, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On losing his WWE name: “It’s funny, I’m over here cringing because you guys are calling me the Big Show. I’m like, ‘You can’t call me the Big Show!’ I don’t own the intellectual property. That was one of the big choices on leaving WWE too, was the willingness to give up that worldwide recognized moniker.”
On how AEW is different from WWE: “It’s different in the fact that it’s really wrestling-oriented. I mean, you know, both companies say that but there’s a difference in how things are presented. WWE does a great job of presenting things…an amazing job…of presenting things in this big entertainment spectacle. It’s a giant production. And AEW gets to the grassroots. Still incredible production, still incredible production team, but it’s not so much backstage drama, backstage vignettes, you know, the fourth wall, so to speak. Tony Khan doesn’t like that fourth wall. Tony Khan doesn’t like that, ‘Why is there a camera there catching this conversation and both participants ignore that there’s a camera crew there while they’re talking top secret information?’ It’s one of those kinds of things that throws you off. If there’s a camera there, it’s set up in a way that it makes sense there’s a camera backstage. But it’s more focused on the talent in the ring. It’s funny, because when I was in WWE, we weren’t allowed to look at the camera. There was one guy allowed to look at the camera and his name was John Cena. You sell as much merch as that guy does, he can look wherever the hell he wants to. It’s a little more focused on the talent themselves and what they’re doing in the ring. It’s a faster pace, I think, product. WWE has a very deliberate product in what they do but AEW has a very exciting product when it’s delivered. I’ve seen talent do things in AEW in my 25+ years I’ve been in this business I’ve never seen before.”
On becoming an announcer: “The challenges are not swearing on TV when you’re surprised. It’s a big one, because when you see some of the stuff these athletes do, you want to go, ‘Holy…oh wait a minute. Holy cannoli! That was amazing!’ The thing is just, for me right now, is learning the beats and the cadences and the rhythms. There’s some great talent that I’ve watched over the years, going back to Gordon Solie, Gorilla Monsoon. Getting to work with Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone and Excalibur who’s like a savant. Sometimes you just want to bash Excalibur in the back of the head with a chair just because he pulls the names for these maneuvers…’Well that’s a blah blah blah’, and I’m like, ‘What did you just say?’ It’s one of the things that intrigued me the most about getting the opportunity to work with AEW was that was something I wanted to do.”
On realizing his in-ring career is winding down: “Your time in the ring lacing up boots and taking bumps has a determined ending at some point. At some point it has to stop. One because your body gives out. Two because it’s just younger talent that comes on that’s exciting and fresh. They have earned the opportunity for that spotlight. So that’s just the natural progression of things. New guard replacing the old guard. But how do you be a part of the business and be able to enhance that younger talent? And I thought for me personally commentary was the way to go. And Tony Khan gave me the opportunity for both. I can commentate and I can still compete in the ring. And commentating is something I can do for a long time to come. For keeping a job it’s a pretty good maneuver, so I’m having fun with it.”
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