Paul Wight has some strong feelings about the ongoing debate surrounding Avery Styles and the idea of young wrestlers “paying their dues.”
The former Big Show weighed in on the subject during an appearance on TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast, making it clear that he isn’t a fan of veterans using the concept as an excuse to make life difficult for younger talent.
Wight believes that as long as a wrestler comes into the business with a good attitude and shows respect, they shouldn’t be punished simply because they didn’t have to endure the same struggles as previous generations.
“How much can you swear on this show? F**k that bullsh*t,” Wight said about paying dues. “Paying your dues, to me, is an old-timer’s way of intimidating and bullying and f**ing with the younger talent for no goddamn reason. If a talent comes in respectful with a good attitude — don’t come in like you own the place, don’t have an attitude — but why should you take heat because your athleticism, your look, or what opportunities you’ve been given, you’ve been successful on?”
He continued, questioning why younger wrestlers should be criticized for avoiding some of the hardships that previous generations experienced.
“Why should someone hold that against you? Because you didn’t drive for 35 dollars a night and you didn’t set up some broken, torn-ass-down ring and you didn’t struggle for all this stuff? Okay, why punish somebody for that?”
Wight’s perspective is partly shaped by his own introduction to the wrestling business. When he broke into WCW, he faced criticism from veterans because his first match for the company came on pay-per-view against Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
Now a veteran himself, Wight believes experienced wrestlers should be looking to inspire and help the next generation rather than making things harder for them. That doesn’t mean he’ll endlessly offer advice to someone unwilling to listen, however, as Wight operates under a three-strike rule when attempting to help younger talent.
He also believes veterans have a responsibility to be honest with younger wrestlers instead of simply telling them what they want to hear.
As far as the traditional concept of paying dues is concerned, Wight feels the wrestling industry has evolved to the point where many of the old standards no longer apply. He pointed to the way today’s wrestlers use social media to promote themselves and build their brands, comparing it to wrestlers from previous generations putting up flyers around town to advertise upcoming shows.
“What are paying the dues now? You know, the business has changed so much. These kids have brands now with social media and they understand TikTok and Instagram and Twitter. They are smoking it on that and building their brand and extending their brand,” Wight said.
“What’s the difference between them doing that or riding up and down the road sticking 8×10 sheets of paper to a telephone pole to let everybody know that everybody’s wrestling at the armory that night? I think it all depends on the talent, and I think it depends on their attitude toward the business.”
