How Tall Is The Big Show? 

World Wrestling Entertainment has long reported statistics that have almost certainly been grossly exaggerated. Many critics have consistently questioned the numbers of live event ticket sales, viewing figures and even the profiles of their superstars. 

The Big Show was one such superstar that many people debated. He was billed for a long time as being the 7 feet tall, 500-pound giant – but over time, the weight number altered, and in some shows, so did his height. 

So, how tall is The Big Show exactly? We’re going to find out with this handy guide which will also give you all of the information you need. 

Who Is The Big Show?

It’s perhaps very helpful if we first explain who The Big Show is for those who are unaware. 

The Big Show, real name Paul Wight, is a professional wrestler who used to work for WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), but now works for their rival AEW (All Elite Wrestling) and previously for the now-defunct WCW (World Championship Wrestling).  

However, his time at WWE is much longer and more well-known. It is also the place where his size was much more debated than anywhere else, due to their history of exaggerating their figures. 

So, How Tall Is The Big Show?

It does make some sense for his height’s confusion. Over time, he has had multiple measurements taken and it has actually changed. 

At his peak, The Big Show’s height was 7 feet tall – however, nowadays he is a little over 6 feet, 10 inches tall (see also ‘How Big Is 4 Inches?‘). In terms of The Big Show’s weight, he was regularly billed at being 500 pounds, but that was likely at his heaviest point. 

Fun fact: Did you know that The Big Show, stands as tall as 63 cans of soda stacked on top of each other?! 63 12oz cans measure exactly 7 feet tall.

He now weighs around 450 – 460 pounds. Whilst this isn’t quite 500 pounds, it’s still a massive number!

Many people used to compare him to the wrestling legend Andre The Giant due to their similarities in height, weight, and style in the ring. 

In fact, there was a planned storyline for The Big Show to be billed as Andre’s son – although this was quickly altered. 

Andre The Giant was around 7 feet 1 at his peak and weighed slightly under 500 pounds at his heaviest point. 

How Tall Is The Big Show

Why Does Height Alter And Fluctuate?

There are numerous reasons why The Big Show’s height fluctuates when he is being measured. Nutrition plays an important role in how we are measured. Poor nutrition can cause hormonal imbalances which can slightly change our height. 

Additionally, poor nutrition often comes as a result of a poor diet, which can cause weight gain. Being overweight and then obese can bring your height down due to the shape of your spine. 

Essentially, you are being forced forwards due to the weight from the front of your body. This makes it virtually impossible to stand as straight as you could, meaning your height will be lower than it may have been. 

Genetics also plays a role. For example, many older people will begin to “shrink” but that’s not exactly what is happening. This is often due to conditions like osteoporosis which can lead to a shorter spinal column – and resulted in a lower height figure. 

More to this, older people may have other spinal conditions causing curvature or even arthritis which may cause them to “bend” consistently. This, of course, makes it nearly impossible to determine an accurate height on a consistent basis. 

For The Big Show, whilst he hasn’t quite reached this situation, being at the age of 50, he almost certainly has dealt with problems that may have led to the smaller height measurements. And of course, there are other factors we must consider.

These include injuries, weight fluctuation, clothing choices, method of measurement, where the measurement is taking place, and indeed, human error.

The most likely reason for The Big Show’s fluctuating measurements being reported though is down to World Wrestling Entertainment specifically. The Chairman of the company was often said to be a fan of trying to be a “land of giants”. 

There was probably a good reason for this. You could argue that the 1990’s “Attitude Era” which was targeted at mature audiences would have been better to have spots with “monsters” when it comes to size. 

Another reason is that as the product became PG and then targeted at children and families, billing someone as a giant would have been appealing as children would be “wowed” by the size of people like Paul Wight. 

This undoubtedly would have been a factor in how some superstars were billed. However, over time and with the introduction of new technology, it became more and more difficult to keep reporting exaggerated figures, particularly when under scrutiny by reporters and reviewers. 

The Big Show Size Comparison 

It’s probably helpful if we compare the size of The Big Show with other things, so you can see for yourself exactly how big he is. 

Whilst we won’t be able to provide exact examples, these are a guideline just to get an idea of his height. 

  • It’s almost the length of a Queen-sized bed 
  • It’s nearly as tall as an artificial, traditional size Christmas tree (7.5 feet) 
  • It’s half the length of a Volkswagen Beetle 
  • It’s ⅖ the height of an average adult giraffe 
  • It’s a quarter of the length of a London bus 

Is The Big Show The Tallest Wrestler?

Not in history. Famously he stood looking up at the 7 foot 1-inch wrestler The Great Khali but even this is dwarfed by the tallest ever wrestler – Jorge Gonzalez.

Jorge lived with a condition known as gigantism and at his tallest, he was billed at being 8 feet tall! 

The Bottom Line 

The Big Show’s exact height may be questionable, but he’s nearly 7 feet and still active in the world of professional wrestling. Whilst he wasn’t the tallest wrestler, he’s still pretty big!

Nick Spieth

Leave a Comment