Paul Wight knew he was going to be shot with a tranquilizer gun in 2004, but didn’t expect to be shot several times by Kurt Angle.
On a recent edition of the “Wes and Walker” podcast, Wight recalled the program that saw Angle sedate him and shave his head. He said,
“Everything I’ve ever done, most of it has been my idea on doing a lot of stuff. There’s a famous one where Kurt Angle shot me with a dart gun to shave my head. I was in the production meeting and I first pitched it out, and everyone started laughing. I was like, ‘No, I saw this thing on National Geographic where they had to shoot this Water Buffalo to transfer it to another park.’ I’m like, ‘It’d be great. You’re going to shave my head, and I’m a giant. What are you going to knock me out with that I’m going to lay there long enough?’
“He shot me with a real dart, there was nothing in it, but I wanted the visual of the dart sticking my back because I thought, ‘That’d be great,’ and I could do the roar and the sell and fall down and I’m helpless. How do you tell that story? I was all wrapped up in the mechanics of it and finally talked Vince [Vince McMahon] into doing it. Vince was kind of crazy back then. He thought I was just trying to be tough. When I started to explain it to him more, he really got into it. If I wanted to get out of it, we weren’t getting out of it.
“I was into it, except for that part where my friend Kurt Angle has OCD and instead of pumping the gun once, he pumped it six times. When he shot me in the back with that thing, from five feet away because we wanted to make sure there was no missing and no accident. When he hit me, you’ll see me look over my shoulder at Kurt because, in my mind, I’m like, ‘Oww!’ It was intense. I’ve never been shot before, and I’m sure being really shot hurts much worse, but that’s all I need to know of ever getting shot.”
With Wight sedated, Angle would shave the giant’s head. Wight would get his revenge at that year’s No Mercy pay-per-view by defeating the Olympian.
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In the world of professional wrestling, there have been many memorable and shocking moments that have captivated audiences. One such moment occurred in 2004 when Kurt Angle shot Paul Wight, also known as The Big Show, with a tranquilizer gun. While this may sound like a scripted storyline, Wight recently revealed that it was indeed a real dart and not just a prop.
During an episode of the “Wes and Walker” podcast, Wight shared the details of the program that saw Angle sedate him and shave his head. He explained that the idea originated from his own fascination with a National Geographic documentary where a dart gun was used to transfer a Water Buffalo to another park. Wight thought it would be a great visual to have the dart sticking out of his back before he fell down and appeared helpless.
However, things didn’t go exactly as planned. Wight convinced Vince McMahon, the chairman of WWE at the time, to go ahead with the stunt. But when Angle, who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), shot Wight with the dart gun, he pumped it six times instead of just once. This resulted in an intense and painful experience for Wight, who had never been shot before.
Despite the unexpected pain, Wight went along with the storyline and allowed Angle to shave his head while he was sedated. However, Wight would get his revenge later that year at the No Mercy pay-per-view event when he defeated Angle in a match.
The incident between Wight and Angle has become a memorable moment in wrestling history. It showcases the dedication and commitment that wrestlers have to their craft, even if it means enduring some physical discomfort for the sake of entertainment.
While this particular incident may have been a unique and extreme example, it highlights the lengths that wrestlers are willing to go to entertain their fans. It also serves as a reminder that not everything in professional wrestling is scripted, and there are real risks involved in performing these stunts.
As wrestling fans, we can appreciate the dedication and passion that wrestlers like Paul Wight and Kurt Angle bring to their craft. Their willingness to push boundaries and take risks is what makes professional wrestling such a thrilling and captivating form of entertainment.
So the next time you watch a wrestling match or witness a shocking moment, remember the behind-the-scenes efforts and sacrifices that go into creating those unforgettable moments. It’s a testament to the incredible athleticism and showmanship of these performers, who continue to entertain and inspire audiences around the world.