Eric Bischoff Says Future WWE Hall Of Famer Started Out As A 'Project' For Hulk Hogan

Everyone has to start somewhere in wrestling, though most don't have starts like AEW star and future WWE Hall of Famer Paul Wight. Though he had some training at the WCW Power Plant, Wight was a very raw 23 year old when he first debuted in WCW as The Giant, Andre the Giant's "son," in 1995, joining the Dungeon of Doom in their never ending war with Hulk Hogan. It was an opportunity that led to Wight briefly holding the WCW World Heavyweight Championship that fall, in between surviving a fall off the roof of Cobo Hall following a Sumo Monster Truck match with Hogan, and plenty of other Hogan/Dungeon of Doom hijinks.

On a recent episode of "83 Weeks," former WCW head Eric Bischoff relived some of Wight's earliest days in WCW. He explained that Hogan was heavily involved with Wight's direction at the time, in large part because Hogan was the one who discovered him and put him on the path to begin a wrestling career.

"I mean, Paul came to WCW through Hulk," Bischoff said. "I think Hulk met him in Chicago at a charity event of some kind, and was so impressed with him that I probably got the phone call the next day. And once Paul came into WCW, he was...he was a project for Hulk. Hulk saw so much in him, again, because of the experience Hulk had with Andre the Giant. 

"This, I think in Hulk's mind at the time, was 'Ah, we have another one.' And he had so much success with Andre, obviously his match with Andre the Giant, really, in Hulk's mind I think, largely responsible for Hulk's success. This was just another way to recapture some of that magic. He saw the opportunity in Paul. So he...Hulk was hands on in just about every aspect of Paul Wight's career once he got to WCW."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "83 Weeks" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription