During the latest episode of the 83 Weeks podcast, WCW personality Eric Bischoff discussed when then Paul Wight (now Big Show) told him about the offer that the WWE sent to him.
In 1995, Wight signed with WCW and first appeared at Slamboree, in which he revealed to be a member of Kevin Sullivan's Dungeon of Doom stable. Wight won the WCW World Heavyweight title in his in-ring debut at Halloween Havoc, but only under controversial circumstances. He was stripped of the title immediately. Wight also joined the infamous NWO faction a month later.
On the podcast, once Wight told Bischoff about the WWE offer in 1999, the WCW personality actually encouraged him to leave WCW for WWE:
“I didn’t mind when Paul Wight came to me and said WWE offered him $1 million a year for ten years,” Bischoff said, “I was like dude, you need to take that. You need to go now, lemme give you a ride to the airport.”
Listen to the full
83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff.