Why Did Big Show Leave WWE for AEW?

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the reasons why Big Show decided to leave WWE for AEW.

Big Show’s WWE Run

Big Show’s WWE run came to an end in February of this year. The seven-footer had been with the company since 1999, and while he had some great moments during his time there, it was time for him to move on. So, why did he leave WWE for AEW?

Debut

Big Show made his debut in WWE in 1999 at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre: In Your House, where he was the mystery partner of The Rock and helped him win the WWE Championship from Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Cage match.

Feuds and storylines

As part of the WWE’s “brand extension” in 2002, Big Show was drafted to appear on the Raw brand. The following year, he won the WWE Tag Team Championship with Bubba Ray Dudley. After losing the title at Armageddon, Big Show was involved in a storyline with Brock Lesnar, in which Lesnar broke Big Show’s hand with a steel chair. In early 2004, Big Show began teaming with Kurt Angle. At No Way Out in February, Big Show and Angle defeated Benoit and Eddie Guerrero to win the World Tag Team Championship for a second time. They went on to lose the titles to Dudley Boyz at WrestleMania XX.

Championships and accomplishments

Big Show is a seven-time world champion, having held the WWE World Heavyweight Championship twice, the WWE Championship twice, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship once, and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship once. He is also a two-time United States Champion and a four-time world tag team champion (two World Tag Team Championships, one WWE Tag Team Championship, and one WCW World Tag Team Championship), making him the ninth Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. In 1999, he was ranked No. 45 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the “PWI Years” in Pro Wrestling Illustrated. He has headlined many pay-per-view events for WWE, including WrestleMania 2000 and WrestleMania XI.

Big Show’s AEW Run

After a long run with WWE, Big Show has signed with AEW. Many fans are wondering why he made the switch. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why he may have decided to leave WWE.

Debut

Big Show made his AEW debut on the October 16, 2019 episode of Dynamite, attacking Cody Rhodes after Rhodes’ match with Sammy Guevara, showing allegiance with The Elite. On the November 6 episode of Dynamite, it was announced that Big Show would face off against Cody Rhodes at AEW’s first pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing.

Feuds and storylines

In AEW, Big Show has been involved in several storylines. He debuted on the October 16, 2019 episode of Dynamite, saving Cody Rhodes from an attack by The Elite (Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks). Big Show then formed an alliance with Rhodes and Jericho, known as “The Inner Circle”. The faction feuded with “The Elite”, with Big Show taking part in a tag team match at Full Gear, which The Inner Circle won. Big Show then competed in his first ever match against Jericho on the January 1, 2020 episode of Dynamite, which Jericho won. After the match however, both men embraced each other out of respect.

Championships and accomplishments

In AEW, Big Show is a member of the stable The Elite. He is a former two-time AEW World Champion, having won the title in 2020 and 2021. He is also a former AEW World Tag Team Champion, having won the title with Kenny Omega in 2020.

Big Show’s first run in AEW was marked by him winning the AEW World Championship in 2020. He would go on to hold the title for sixty days, before losing it to Jon Moxley. He would then win the title back from Moxley sixty days later, only to lose it back to him two days later. In 2021, Big Show was one of the participants in the Casino Battle Royal at Double or Nothing, which he won after last eliminating Cody Rhodes. This earned him a shot at the AEW World Championship, which he won from Kenny Omega at Revolution.

Why Did Big Show Leave WWE for AEW?

After being with WWE for over 20 years, Big Show decided to leave the company and join All Elite Wrestling. While WWE is the biggest wrestling company in the world, AEW is quickly becoming a major player in the industry. So, why did Big Show make the switch? Let’s take a look.

Better opportunities

After spending more than two decades with WWE, Big Show is now a free agent.

The 45-year-old wrestler, whose real name is Paul Wight, announced his departure from WWE on Twitter on February 8.

“I have had a phenomenal 20-year career with WWE,” Wight wrote. “I want to thank Vince McMahon, Hunter [Triple H], Stephanie McMahon and everyone who has been part of making my dreams come true.”

While it’s not yet clear what prompted Wight to leave WWE, it’s possible that he was seeking better opportunities elsewhere.

In recent years, WWE has been criticized for its treatment of older wrestlers. In 2017, for example, the company was accused of ageism after it released several veteran wrestlers, including Dolph Ziggler, Mickie James and The Dudley Boyz.

Big Show is far from the only wrestler to have left WWE in recent years. In January 2020, Samoa Joe left WWE to join All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Like Big Show, Joe was reportedly discontent with his position in WWE and was seeking new opportunities elsewhere.

Creative differences

Big Show, whose real name is Paul Wight, signed with AEW in late February 2021. He had been with WWE since 1999, and his most recent run with the company began in February 2008.

Wight reportedly left WWE due to creative differences. He was unhappy with his role in the company and felt he was being underutilized. Reports indicate that Wight was offered a Legends contract by WWE, but he turned it down in favor of signing with AEW.

In AEW, Wight is reportedly set to have a more prominent role. He will be appearing on both AEW’s flagship show, Dynamite, and its new show, Dark.

Financial reasons

When it comes to professional wrestlers, their worth is often greatly underestimated. Sure, they may not be saving lives or working on Wall Street, but wrestling is a physically demanding and risky profession. For the most part, wrestlers are independent contractors and don’t receive any type of health insurance or retirement from WWE. So when their careers are over, they’re on their own.

Big Show is one of the wrestlers who has been with WWE for a very long time. He’s been with the company through some of its biggest changes and has held numerous titles. Over the past few years, however, his appearances have become increasingly sporadic. In February of 2019, it was finally announced that he had left WWE.

So why did Big Show leave WWE? The most likely reason is financial. Big Show has been outspoken in the past about how wrestlers are treated by WWE and how little they are paid relative to other athletes. In an interview with Forbes in 2016, he said:

“I’m not knocking WWE — I love WWE — but at the end of the day, they’re a publicly traded company. They have to answer to their shareholders first. The guys in the ring, we’re expendable.”

It’s no secret that WWE doesn’t pay its wrestlers as much as other major sports leagues do. The average WWE wrestler made $500,000 in 2018, while the average NFL player made $2.1 million and the average MLB player made $4 million. Given that Big Show is one of the oldest wrestlers on the roster and doesn’t wrestle full-time anymore, it’s likely that his pay was even lower than the average wrestler’s salary.

contracting with AEW could be a way for him to make more money and have a greater impact on the wrestling world.