Paul Wight has recalled a memorable early-career moment involving Hulk Hogan, revealing he was warned not to showcase too much athleticism in the ring.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Paul Wight shared a story from a tour in Japan where he performed a top-rope dropkick, something that quickly drew attention from Hulk Hogan. After the match, Wight returned to his hotel room to find a message instructing him to call “Mr Bollea,” Hogan’s real name. The call that followed was brief and direct.
“Brother, did you just do a dropkick off the top rope in Japan?” Hogan asked, before warning, “You ever do that again, I’ll never work with you,” and hanging up.
Wight explained that the moment reflected a wider mindset among veterans at the time, who believed a seven-foot giant should follow a more traditional, slower style in the ring. Many expected him to model himself after Andre the Giant, rather than develop his own approach.
“I had so much athleticism when I was younger and I wanted to show it,” Wight said, noting he often felt pressure to conform to established expectations for big men.
He added that he never fully fit the mould of past giants like Andre, or later stars such as Kane and The Undertaker, describing himself as a “hybrid” who had to find his own identity over time.
Paul Wight Says He Was Fined By Vince McMahon For Jumping Over The Top Rope
Paul Wight also revealed he was once fined by Vince McMahon for jumping over the top rope during his WWE run, with McMahon telling him that was not how giants were supposed to move.
