Paul Wight Opens Up About Humiliating Raw Legends Night Segment

Paul Wight went through a lot of trouble in the couple years leading to his WWE departure, and the former world champion admits that it was a humbling experience for him.

The star formerly known as Big Show had a hip injury that kept him out of action for the entirety of 2019. He finally made his return in January 2020 but the officials didn't see him as a full-time competitor anymore. The Monster-Sized Athlete only competed in six more matches for the company before his departure.

Wight opened up about leaving the company during an interview with Inside The Ropes. He mentioned how an athlete recovering wants to get back to doing what he was before. According to him, he wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet:

"I'm a guy that is used to wrestling four-five nights a week year-round. To not be able to say goodbye to that yet. I think as a talent you have to reach a place in your mind where you're willing to say goodbye to the fans and goodbye to the guys that you wrestle with. The gals that you tour with. You have to be able to say goodbye to them when you have peace in your heart and I just didn't have that peace. I wanted to compete. I didn't care what I was doing, I just wanted to compete."

Paul Wight finally left the company in February 2021. One of the final segments before his departure was his infamous Raw Legends Night appearance where Wight was humiliated by Randy Orton. Speaking about the segment, the former WWE star admitted that it was a humbling experience:

"Personally, it was frustrating. That was one of the big battles that I had with Vince. He's an innovator. He's brilliant. He's one of the smartest people I've ever met in my life. He understands the human dynamic. I didn't want to be in that legends role. I kept teasing him, 'Hey, quit trying to put me in ***** I am not ready to be in the retirement home. Quit shoving me there.'

That's something that WWE has always done too. They will use every tool available to promote something that they're promoting. Everything's on the table with them. I understand that that role was setting up what it was setting up. But it was a little bit of a humbling experience to sit on the stage and get berated for the work that you've done. But that's part of what you sign a contract for. You sign a contract and you get paid to check your ego at the door. If you don't want check your ego anymore then you can leave.

One of the things [is] I've always done is everything in WWE I was ever asked for. I signed a check. This is a job. It's fun job. It's a great job. It's a job, It's your boss, sometimes your boss is gonna make you do things that you don't like. Like people would ask me all the time. I'd have to catch these small tiny commuter planes where I was like wearing the airplane. They're like, 'How do you do it?' I'm like, 'Well, I got a choice. I can either do it or I can stay home and not go to work.' You make those sacrifices to be a part of something that you love doing."