WWE legend says training with Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage was "relentless"
Paul Wight (formerly known as The Big Show in WWE) has recalled being shocked at the intensity with which Randy 'Macho Man' Savage and Hulk Hogan trained in the gym.
In a recent interview with Michael Morales Torres of Lucha Libre Online, the former WWE Champion went into detail about his early days in WCW. This included his time training with the two wrestling icons, amongst other big names.
Wight explained he had joined Hulk Hogan at Hogan's request, so the two could prepare for Wight's WCW debut against Hulk Hogan at Halloween Havoc 1995. He also discussed being surprised by an incident involving Hogan and Savage bringing a spare bag to the gym, with Wight mistakenly believing the bags to contain a change of clothing for the end of the training session:
"I remember we just went to World Gym at six o'clock in the morning every morning. It was me, him and Savage (Macho Man). These guys trained so hard. I remember they brought an extra bag and they were changing clothes. I thought: ‘Thank God this workout is over’. No. They change clothes for workout two! So that was my first introduction to these two guys that were relentless in the gym."
Wight (then known as The Giant in WCW) would go on to defeat Hulk Hogan in his very first match, claiming the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
Along with Hulk Hogan, Paul Wight was able to train with some other huge names before debuting in WCW
During the same conversation with Michael Morales Torres, Paul Wight rattled off a number of well-known names he was fortunate to train with at WCW's Power Plant training facility:
"I remember being extremely nervous. After four decades in the business and 26 years of experience, you know, Hulk was crazy to take me out for his (my) first match. He was out of his mind. I remember training at the Power Plant in Atlanta with Jody Hamilton, Terry Taylor, Paul Levesque and Diamond Dallas Page. A lot of guys were very instrumental in my early training."
Paul Wight recently parted ways with WWE, signing a contract with rival promotion AEW where he acts as a commentator as well as an in-ring performer.