Depending on the day, sometimes the minute, Big Show is either a heel or a babyface. He is either a serious giant or a comedic jokester. He is either destroying the competition or enjoying a good cry in front of millions of viewers on Monday Night Raw. While that may be a testament to the versatility of the performer himself, it is also red flag in terms of the inconsistency with which the most talented giant in WWE history has been booked since his debut back in 1999. Like him or not, Big Show is a very athletic big man who has stunned audiences with his tendency to have great matches against any style of competitor. His bouts against Sheamus and Mark Henry were far better than they had any right to be while he worked extremely well with more traditional ring technicians such as Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle. He can brawl with Triple H and throw fists with The Undertaker. From an entertainment standpoint, he can steal the show right out from underneath Superstars such as The Rock, as he did on a memorable episode of Saturday Night Live back in 2000. But as good as Big Show is, the bookers have never quite found a way to use him in a consistent manner. He has switched back and forth from hero to villain so many times that fans had a hard time investing themselves in any of his character changes. He has gone from lovable giant to intimidating badass on a weekly basis, making it difficult to get a read on just who the Big Show is. That type of booking, sadly, has really hurt just how effective the gigantic performer can be. Following a lengthy push back in the fall of 2013 that ended with a poor performance in a WWE title match with Randy Orton, Big Show has been used sporadically on television. He played a major role in the finish of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal but since then, has been left on the sidelines. As has been the case throughout his career, he will be heated up again and pushed in a main event program at some point but one cannot help but feel for a man who is capable of so much more and deserving of far more consistent booking.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
