In years past, Albany High School has been the fortunate recipient of many generous guests. That being said, it’s safe to say that none were quite as large in any regard as our most recent guest speaker: WWE superstar Paul Wight, better known as The Big Show.

WWE Monday Night Raw was broadcast from the Times Union Center on September 24th. To that end, The Big Show and various other National Guard representatives (with whom the WWE is associated) visited Albany High to deliver the universal message that students of all sorts can strive for excellence in any field.
“There is one thing I guarantee you will take away after meeting all of our soldiers,” explained The Big Show. “You will learn about sacrifice. You will learn about commitment. You will learn about excellence, and those are tools that I promise you can take with you for the rest of your life.”

Of course, beyond signing autographs and delivering what The Big Show himself jokingly referred to as a “long-winded speech,” the multi-time champion gave the floor to the students for a question and answer session.

The Big Show’s early aspirations changed just as frequently as those of any high school student could. A scholar and an athlete, the superstar was named as a junior college all-American for basketball in 1989. The Big Show picked up many odd jobs just to make ends meet. It wasn’t until the superstar was twenty-two years old when he decided to venture into the field of professional wrestling, and under the most unusual of circumstances. The Big Show confessed to having been discovered by former child star Danny Bonaduce, who later introduced him to the legendary Hulk Hogan—and, in turn, the professional wrestling industry.

When asked to recall his favorite match, The Big Show cited an obscure one with a veritable legend. The superstar told of a gargantuan collision with the phenom, The Undertaker, in a French venue described by The Big Show as both a hospice and a coliseum. While not a critically renowned match in and of itself, it nevertheless foreshadowed the many clashes the two legends would have in the WWE.

As far as experiences go, The Big Show professed that the WWE’s yearly ventures to Iraq in recognition of our troops are among the most notable. In particular, the company’s first visit to Iraq in 2003 was an especially exciting rendezvous. The Big Show described the flight as a “twenty minute roller coaster,” featuring a corkscrew landing as well as frequent bowel movements from fellow wrestler Dawn Marie. Beyond the excitement, The Big Show proudly acknowledged the strength of the continued partnership between the WWE, the National Guard, and all of our men in service.

As legendary a career he’s had, The Big Show did acknowledge some caveats. Of particular stress is the tough schedule on the road—290 days of the year. Compounding this is the general wear and tear a wrestler experiences; The Big Show himself discussed his several surgeries and how “[his walk] is not a strut; it’s a limp.” And perhaps more relatable to the everyday person, when asked about his friends in the industry, the superstar said that “the WWE is just like any other workplace.”

Yet life as a professional wrestler has been nothing short of amazing for The Big Show. In fact, the giant only acknowledged one other wrestler whom he wishes he’d been able to fight: André the Giant. Despite their obvious physical similarities, The Big Show says he and André had very different personalities, and this likely would have translated to a main event in any arena.

As far as the future goes, The Big Show initially hesitated to comment, saying such a question gave him “a sense of his mortality.” Jest aside, the giant then revealed his interests in a variety of fields, including theater, writing, and starting a small business—in short, anything that wouldn’t require him to travel.

Finally, with the question and answer session having come to a close, the friendly giant allowed each student in attendance to have his photo taken with him. It was a tremendous way to close a tremendous meet and greet. Through everything he had to say, one part of The Big Show’s message was crystal clear: “You guys are the future.” These words, combined with the urge to aspire for excellence, have left a big impression on every Falcon in attendance.