Arguably probably the most popular names in pro-wrestling, WWE and AEW veteran Paul Wight recently opened up about not pursuing a profession in boxing. Despite his training in the game and his iconic match against Floyd Mayweather at WWE WrestleMania 24 in 2008, Wight never explored a profession in boxing.
Chatting with Gareth A Davies in a brand new interview, Wight explained his decisions. “I didn’t must. I got into wrestling very early, 21, after I met Hogan and began with WCW. So, financially, it was a lottery ticket for me, and I’ve never been an individual that basically appears like I even have something to prove in that genre. I even have a whole lot of respect for guys that do this. I did a bit of little bit of boxing myself in 07. I took a yr off from WWE and trained boxing. I sparred with Oliver McCall. It takes a whole lot of courage to step over those ropes and know that somebody’s going to do physical harm to you, and you’ll want to protect yourself and do physical harm back on a… What was it my boxing trainer said? Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”
Standing tall at 7ft, Wight was probably the most celebrated wrestlers of his era. A multi-time World Champion, Wight claimed that he all the time felt there was nothing for him in boxing to win. “There’s nothing for me to win at this size to get in that because you recognize in case you know combat sports for real. Size and strength play some extent in it. But actually, it’s training and unconscious competence was one other word I already said. Because there’s a whole lot of times where if I’m fascinated by throwing a jab or fascinated by… It’s already too late,” he added.
Paul Wight speaks highly of wrestlers who tried combat sports
Speaking highly of the lads who crossed the boundaries and explored combat sports, Wight claimed, “I’ve had Ken Shamrock, years ago, show me some stuff, and all of the boys were like, ‘quit showing him that stuff. He’s too rattling big,’ and it was like, you recognize, it was fun. But, no, my hat’s off to guys like Brock and Jack [Hager] that stepped in there and did that because there’s no upside in case you fail. You already know, and it wasn’t an issue of not having confidence in myself. To me, it was like I didn’t- I used to be very fortunate within the profession that I even have. I like entertaining people. I like making people laugh. I like doing what I do in wrestling. I like doing the films and the TV shows and that stuff. That’s more my drive,” he finished.
Wight, 54, can be on his own weight reduction journey and has lost significant weight since starting it.
Arguably probably the most popular names in pro-wrestling, WWE and AEW veteran Paul Wight recently opened up about not pursuing a profession in boxing. Despite his training in the game and his iconic match against Floyd Mayweather at WWE WrestleMania 24 in 2008, Wight never explored a profession in boxing.