WWE star Big Show recently did an interview with Digital Spy to promote SummerSlam and the release of the WWE Studios movie “Vendetta”, in which he stars. Below are some interview highlights:
On WWE fans taking him for granted:
“I think so – I think the uniqueness and the special things that I bring to WWE is sometimes a little bit downplayed because you see me every week. I think that’s one of the things that will happen to me eventually. I’m going to start not being on our programming as much, not being on TV every week. Hopefully when I do get a chance to come back, I’ll be able to have a little bit more impact and a little bit more fun. That’s part of what I should have been doing my whole career anyway. I think quite frankly I have been on TV too much, but part of it is necessity and part of it’s ability. I’m able to work, I am able to get other talent over. I am able to carry storylines. When you’re good at what you do you’re going to work. That’s a good thing. But from the standpoint of being an attraction, sometimes too much isn’t good. So it’s a difficult fine line. I’ve had a great career with it and been very happy, I’m not complaining, but I think as I’m getting older – I’m 43 now – I don’t wanna be on the road five days a week anymore. I really don’t. It’s one of those kind of things. I have time left on my contract here and I’ll work that out, and when that contract ends I’ll always be a part of WWE as long as they want me, but I think I’ll go into more of a limited role. Who knows? Maybe even go into commentating or something like that. Maybe I could do pay-per-view commentating or something – special event commentating. I’ve only got three moves! I’ve only had three moves for 20 years so I don’t think I can do much more.”
You shut down Michael Cole before Battleground when he said the “R” word – retirement – but is Vendetta where you start to wind down your in-ring career and do more movies?
“I think absolutely. I’ve had a fantastic career – I’m still competing on a full-time schedule, but nothing good lasts forever. So eventually I’m going to have to transition out of this industry and do something else that’s entertaining and exciting for me.
“I think a natural evolution for me would be to try to transfer over into the film and TV world and start playing different characters. Hopefully that way I can keep entertaining my fans that are fans of me, in different avenues and different spotlights. It’s a natural evolution.
Does the WWE miss that competition it had from WCW – that guy running at pace alongside you pushing you on?
“I think competition is the best thing for everyone. Competition is what makes us evolve, from when we were itty bitty little tadpoles in prehistoric times to what we’ve turned into now. Competition makes us evolve and makes us push ourselves better.
“The biggest problem right now is we did such a good of being competitive that we really don’t have any competition. We have to create competition for ourselves within our own company – we have our brands.
“Who knows? Would it be great for the fans if there was another production that could come along with the ingenuity and the money and the way Vince built WWE, this incredible, global product? Sure, that would be fantastic, but the way things are now, I don’t see how it’s feasible.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
