ironworks
10-30-2012, 11:24 PM
- World Heavyweight Champion Big Show recently spoke with ESPN.com to promote the WWE '13 video game. Here are some highlights:
ESPN
Playbook: "WWE 13" revolves around the Attitude Era, which you helped
shape back in the day. What is it about that time period that makes for a
perfect video game?
The Big Show: The Attitude Era was
so great because you had the best collection of superstars of any one
time period. You had The Rock, Stone Cold, Undertaker, Mick Foley ...
all of these guys are legends, but it wasn’t just about the top of the
card. We had house shows where you had Rock versus Stone Cold, you had
Triple H versus Mick Foley, The Undertaker against Kane, The New Age
Outlaws versus LOD, Edge and Christian against Jeff and Matt Hardy, and
Big Show against Mark Henry in a bodyslam match. That might sound like a
dream card, but that’s a card we ran almost every weekend. We would
have sold out show after sold out show, no tickets available, because we
had such incredible superstars who were really established as
characters, and everyone couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen
next.
Do you have a favorite memory from the Attitude Era?
My
favorite memory happened after the show would end. The Rock would bring
his guitar to the ring and Stone Cold would sing and everyone would
spend the night BSing, then they would break out The Rock Bottom or the
Stone Cold Stunner to end the night. These guys were just so
entertaining, but the main difference is that in the Attitude Era, there
weren’t as many rules. We weren’t so corporate, we weren’t in the PG
era, so back then, it was more of that crazy, rock and roll atmosphere.
That’s the big difference about the Attitude Era -- it was just really
out there, rock and roll.
We might have a great clash
between an Attitude Era guy going up against a current star at The Royal
Rumble, with The Rock against CM Punk. What do you think will happen if
these two get the chance to work a program together?
Punk
is a guy who you can’t shake his confidence, and The Rock is the same
way, you can’t shake his confidence, so I think anything Punk says to
Rock, any of his wittiness, you know Rock is going to be right there
competitively. I think the biggest difference is Punk is right here
every week doing this, he’s been the champ for over 300 days, and he’s a
great athlete, so I can see Punk pulling this out. Rock’s an explosive
athlete, while Punk is a showman who is also gritty and tough, so I
think if these two end up coming to blows, you can pretty much flip a
coin. When The Rock beat John Cena, I was actually pretty surprised, so I
have no idea what will happen.
You’ve been around the ring a long time. Is there anyone left who qualifies as a dream match for you?
I’d
like to have one more match with The Undertaker. He was very
influential in my career and always one of my favorites, so I’d like to
have one more run with him. I’d like to have another match with Stone
Cold. I’m a big fan of Stone Cold, both as a person and as a talent, so
I’d like another run with Steve. I wouldn’t mind getting another shot at
The Rock, either. Any of those three guys in a high-profile, main-event
match would be pretty exciting, and a pretty good payday, too.
ESPN
Playbook: "WWE 13" revolves around the Attitude Era, which you helped
shape back in the day. What is it about that time period that makes for a
perfect video game?
The Big Show: The Attitude Era was
so great because you had the best collection of superstars of any one
time period. You had The Rock, Stone Cold, Undertaker, Mick Foley ...
all of these guys are legends, but it wasn’t just about the top of the
card. We had house shows where you had Rock versus Stone Cold, you had
Triple H versus Mick Foley, The Undertaker against Kane, The New Age
Outlaws versus LOD, Edge and Christian against Jeff and Matt Hardy, and
Big Show against Mark Henry in a bodyslam match. That might sound like a
dream card, but that’s a card we ran almost every weekend. We would
have sold out show after sold out show, no tickets available, because we
had such incredible superstars who were really established as
characters, and everyone couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen
next.
Do you have a favorite memory from the Attitude Era?
My
favorite memory happened after the show would end. The Rock would bring
his guitar to the ring and Stone Cold would sing and everyone would
spend the night BSing, then they would break out The Rock Bottom or the
Stone Cold Stunner to end the night. These guys were just so
entertaining, but the main difference is that in the Attitude Era, there
weren’t as many rules. We weren’t so corporate, we weren’t in the PG
era, so back then, it was more of that crazy, rock and roll atmosphere.
That’s the big difference about the Attitude Era -- it was just really
out there, rock and roll.
We might have a great clash
between an Attitude Era guy going up against a current star at The Royal
Rumble, with The Rock against CM Punk. What do you think will happen if
these two get the chance to work a program together?
Punk
is a guy who you can’t shake his confidence, and The Rock is the same
way, you can’t shake his confidence, so I think anything Punk says to
Rock, any of his wittiness, you know Rock is going to be right there
competitively. I think the biggest difference is Punk is right here
every week doing this, he’s been the champ for over 300 days, and he’s a
great athlete, so I can see Punk pulling this out. Rock’s an explosive
athlete, while Punk is a showman who is also gritty and tough, so I
think if these two end up coming to blows, you can pretty much flip a
coin. When The Rock beat John Cena, I was actually pretty surprised, so I
have no idea what will happen.
You’ve been around the ring a long time. Is there anyone left who qualifies as a dream match for you?
I’d
like to have one more match with The Undertaker. He was very
influential in my career and always one of my favorites, so I’d like to
have one more run with him. I’d like to have another match with Stone
Cold. I’m a big fan of Stone Cold, both as a person and as a talent, so
I’d like another run with Steve. I wouldn’t mind getting another shot at
The Rock, either. Any of those three guys in a high-profile, main-event
match would be pretty exciting, and a pretty good payday, too.