The Big Show Credit: WWE.com Tom ClarkFeatured ColumnistMarch 2, 2017
The Big Show is one of the best big men who's ever worked in the WWE. He's also one of the most respected veterans in the industry, as he's always carried himself in a professional manner and worked some of the top names in the business.
He's a seven-time world champion, he's an 18-year WWE mainstay, and he's a future Hall of Famer. The Big Show has done it all. Now he's adding something new to his resume.
Big Show stars as himself in the DVD release The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania. In an interview with Bleacher Report, Big Show discussed the project and how much fun it was for him to not only be involved, but to be featured.
"This was incredible, man," he said. "I was a fan of The Jetsons growing up. I'm a kid from the '80s, so to be in this iconic cartoon, and to be a part of this project, cuz I had pestered Mike Luisi, who's the head of WWE Studios, cuz I wanted to do animation.
"I meant, get a small part in a cartoon, I didn't mean to get the whole lead in a cartoon. My first shot right off the bat, 'yeah, by the way, you want to be in animation? Your first job is, you're the lead!' So the pressure on me was pretty heavy, but what an incredible, fun process."
The majority of WWE Superstars that venture out into the world of mainstream Hollywood typically go the route of action movies. The Rock and John Cena are two prime examples of this, so had Big Show done the same, it would not have been surprising.
When asked about whether or not he wanted to pursue a similar direction, Big Show suggested he was also interested in doing more voice-over work.
"I definitely plan on doing a lot more animation," he said, "but I've definitely gone through the transformation of losing weight, because I definitely want to do more things in film.
"I mean I've had a blessed, blessed, fantastic career. I have no regrets whatsoever in my career. I've worked with some of the biggest stars that's ever been in this business. I've earned the respect of a lot of my peers, but I know that my time is coming to an end.
"So now I need to find something for me personally where I can still entertain and still be a part of something creative."
Big Show also went into detail about his weight loss, which has been a topic of conversation for the past several weeks. When Big Show posted pics of himself in the gym on Twitter, the wrestling world immediately took notice.
Considering Big Show had been 500 pounds for a good portion of his career, his new physique was indeed a shock to the system for many fans. It was almost as if the photos had been Photoshopped, and it was perhaps all leading to an angle on TV.
But that was not the case, as Big Show has likely never been in better shape than he is now.When asked why he chose now to work on his weight, Big Show gave a somewhat surprising answer.
"It started with a conversation with John Cena about a giant with abs. I laughed at it, and John got real serious. He said 'yeah, a giant with abs, who would want to see that?' He looked at me and walked off, and he kind of left it hanging in my face a little bit. And John and I are really good friends, and we've competed for years, but it was one of those subconscious verbal shots that stimulates you," he said.
"I found a great trainer in Miami with Dodd Romero, who's worked with a lot of celebrities and athletes. We built a good program for me for training and for me to work on my nutrition, and things like that. And I was able, it took me about six months to get ready to start making my lifestyle changes. I started at 463 and I weighed in this morning at 379."
Big Show talked about the people who kept him going, the ones that were inspired by his weight loss. Once he saw how it motivated them to work harder, he began to work harder himself. In the end, it paid off because he's not only unrecognizable; he's basically a new man.
Braun Strowman was also a topic of conversation. The former Wyatt Family strongman has come into his own on Monday Night Raw, and his February 21 match with Big Show is a great example of the progress he's made thus far.
Both men delivered a hard-hitting match, and fans were cheering them through it. Big Show spoke about how his weight loss impacted the match with Strowman, as well as the chemistry between them in the ring.
"With Braun, I was really happy that because of his size, and strength and athleticism, that I was able to complement him and he was able to complement me. So we actually got a little bit of wrestling in, we got to give a little taste and show that we are big guys, but we're also athletic.
"I got to show that I'm a wily old veteran, and he's a young guy that's full of intensity and determination, and trying to make a mark for himself. So it was a good story told.
"I hope that someday in the future before I retire I get to revisit a program with Braun. I'd like to have a good program with him, I think there's a chance for he and I to do a lot of really cool things and have a really good program."
Of course, for most fans, the most important question surrounds Big Show's possible WrestleMania 33 opponent: NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal.
Shaq vs. Big Show is one of those matches that could only happen at WrestleMania. Each man has such great name recognition, and each man knows how to sell himself on the big stage. A Mania showdown between them seems like a great idea on paper, but so far, O'Neal has not said too much about it.
"Right now on my end, I'm ready to go," Big Show said. "I'm ready for Shaq vs. Show at WrestleMania, and we'll take care of this and put on a good showcase of entertainment and attraction especially built for the fans.
"It's not going to be a technical extravaganza, but its part of the WrestleMania experience. There are matches that determine the next year for WWE and then there are matches that are attractions and spectacles.
"This is all on Shaq's camp, I don't know if he's got prior engagements, I don't know what is going in his camp, I'm not in it. I have all the confidence in the world that being the guy that Shaq is, being the fan that he is, he'll be able to work something out with WWE, and we'll be able to move forward with it.
"I would like to think it's not just because I've gotten shredded, and he's turned from Shaq to like, a barn. Cuz you can't really call him a Shaq anymore cuz he's gotten bigger, so he's like a barn. That's kind of a cheap shot, but 'fat Shaq' will work for me."
Big Show also delved into the New Era of theWWE, as well as the differences between the locker room today versus how it was when he first came in. Much has changed, of course, since The Attitude Era, and Big Show has been there to see it all.
However, he may not be there much longer.
Big Show's contract is up in February of 2018, and right now, it's unknown what the next move for him will be after he decides to walk away from the ring. Despite what he does from that point on, there's no denying the impact he's made on the business.
Big Show's career can never be matched, and he's earned the right to call his shots after his time in the ring is over. Not only has he built a future Hall of Fame resume, but he's also had more fun doing it than anyone in theWWE.
Big Show's interview can be heard in its entirety here. The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania is now available on Digital HD.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here
Excerpt from:
Big Show Talks Shaquille O'Neal, Weight Loss, Braun Strowman and More - Bleacher Report
