Big Show's Career-Defining Moment: The 2003 Backlash Incident That Almost Ended It All
In a candid revelation that sheds light on the hidden dangers of professional wrestling, Paul Wight—universally known as the Big Show—has detailed a pivotal moment from 2003 that haunted him for years and nearly drove him to abandon WWE entirely. Speaking on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast, Wight revisited a match against Rey Mysterio at Backlash 2003, an event that remains etched in wrestling history for a stretcher spot that went disastrously wrong.
The Ill-Fated Stretcher Spot That Went Awry
The sequence was intended to be a dramatic highlight, not a dangerous mishap. Mysterio had been secured to a stretcher, with Wight planning to swing it into the ring post before returning him to the ring. Surprisingly, this high-risk maneuver was Wight's own brainchild. "I hate that spot. That gives me nightmares. That went so bad. Oh, that went terrible because it was my idea," Wight confessed, explaining how the concept emerged during pre-match discussions earlier that day.
He recalled proposing the idea to Mysterio: "So what about swinging the pole?" to which Mysterio enthusiastically responded, "Oh my God, that'll look crazy." The plan, as Wight described it, was designed to be controlled and repeatable—two deliberate swings into the post before pushing the stretcher back into the ring. However, reality unfolded far differently.
"I Just Killed Rey": The Moment of Panic
As Wight lifted the stretcher and drove it toward the post, he lost his grip in a shocking instant. "So, when I swung Rey into that pole, that thing popped right out of my hands, like it squeezed, like a hard-boiled egg or something. It just popped right out, then I saw Rey go, and I went, 'Oh, I just killed Rey. Oh, Jesus!'" he recounted. Even as the match continued, the terrifying moment lingered in his mind.
"So I'm freaking out on the inside, but we're still doing our thing. He's moving. 'Oh god, they're putting him in the ambulance. Oh my god,'" Wight said. Despite his internal turmoil, he maintained his character in front of the crowd, not letting his anxiety show, though he was deeply unsettled by what had transpired and its potential consequences.
The Aftermath: A Rush to the Hospital and Career Contemplation
Backstage, Wight immediately left the ring, headed to the locker room, and drove to the hospital in his rental car, already contemplating quitting WWE if Mysterio was seriously hurt. "I ran back to the locker room, grabbed my clothes, threw them in the car, and drove to the hospital in my rental car, because I'm thinking, 'Man, if Rey's seriously f*cked up, I'm done. I'm quitting. I'm done,'" he revealed.
He emphasized his commitment to his fellow wrestlers, adding, "Because I really cared about taking care of the other guys." This incident highlights the intense pressure and responsibility wrestlers feel toward their peers, even in a scripted environment.
A Surprising Twist: Mysterio's Unfazed Response
Despite the alarming appearance of the accident, Mysterio emerged unscathed. Wight arrived at the hospital bracing for the worst, only to find Mysterio relaxed and unfazed. "I get there, and Rey sits in the hospital bed with his hands behind his head, just chilling. 'Hey, man, that was good, huh?'" he said. The nonchalant reaction caught Wight off guard. "I'm like, 'You're okay?' [He says] 'Oh yeah, man, I'm fine.' I'm like, 'You know what I went through driving over here worrying?!'"
Wight also noted that Mysterio often embraced high-risk spots during matches, such as sitting on the top turnbuckle for chest chops that sent him crashing to the floor. "Rey used to love in the house shows when he worked. He used to love to sit on the top turnbuckle and have me chop him in the chest, and he would bump from the top turnbuckle to the floor, and it looked like he got assassinated. There's a loud smack, and then boom, there's no more Rey. He just disappears and goes down," he described.
Arn Anderson, who served as the agent for the match, had a stark reaction to such moments. "Arn said, 'You know, when I see you do that to Rey, I want to call the police on you.' It's not me. It's his idea. That's not me doing that. That's Rey. That's getting me in trouble," Wight concluded, underscoring the collaborative yet perilous nature of wrestling storytelling.
