Big Show then says during his sophomore year at Wichita State, which was one of the toughest years of his life, he decided to have the tumor surgically removed. Show also said he lost his grandfather that year, and following that and his surgery he developed a close relationship with the Wichita State basketball coach, who was later fired. Show then said his father was battling cancer at that time, and was very sick at the time.
Show then became very emotional, and recalled living in a home and only had $6 to his name. He recalled cleaning his apartment, and was cleaning his friends gun, and mocked suicide. He said he put the unloaded gun to his head and pulled the trigger to see what it would be like to be dead, and because he needed a “mental reset”.
Show then said he got a good job opportunity, and made the attempt to pull his life back together. He helped load trucks for cash, and was paid $50 per day. Show talked about becoming friends with his boss, and his boss helped him get his introduction to WCW. Show said Danny Bonaduce at the time was doing a regular show, and he knew Hulk Hogan. Show met Hogan in Chicago and that was how he got his start. Show said he did an impression of Hogan for him, and figured that it was a bad idea. Hogan liked it though, and told Show he had a “dollar sign on his forehead.”
Big Show then talks about his days in WCW, and reveals his initial deal was only for one match, and that was to test and see what kind of draw he could be in WCW. The match of course was against Hogan, and was for the WCW World Title. Show says Hogan told him he was going to put him on the map that night, and Show admitted he was terrified of the match and what the WCW Title meant. Show said he knew what the belt represented, but he didn’t know how to handle it and what to do with it.
As for the locker room reaction to his Title win, Show said it was fine with the locker room, and the WCW talents were pulling for him, not rooting against him. He added they really didn’t care because Big Show being in WCW didn’t affect how much they were getting paid because they had the Ted Turner WCW type guaranteed deals.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
