The Big Show reportedly is winding down his wrestling career. The soon-to-be retiree already is starting to sound like a grumpy old man, though.
Appearing on Chris Jericho's Talk Is Jericho podcast, Big Show recalled getting chewed out on a regular basis by Vince McMahon, Undertaker, and others throughout the early portion of his WWE tenure. Jericho recalled similar experiences, and Big Show appeared to lament that such things were more rare behind the scenes in WWE nowadays.
"You're getting your ass chewed out and you don't understand why you're getting your ass chewed out and the last thing you can do is ask why," he said. "Because then it'll expose what kind of an idiot you really are. So you just have to nod your head, hope you filter it out, and hope you go out there and figure it out. These new kids don't really have that problem because they're catered to. They get everything explained to them, it gets broken down, they watch videos, and if they mess up they get patted on the back, 'It's OK, well, we need to do this next time.' They can't take an ass chewing. That's one thing about the newer kids; they can't take an ass chewing, because they fold like aluminum foil."
Show went on to describe a McMahon "ass-chewing" as a rite of passage.
"If you're on Vince's radar, that means he sees something in you," he said, adding, "I think it makes you a more confident, solid individual, once you get forged in fire. You become a stronger person in your character and your convictions."
Former WWE tag champions together, Big Show and Jericho went on to reflect upon how the backstage environment has changed, providing yet another chance for some retiree-level grumpiness from the man WWE dubs as the "world's largest athlete."
"Now everybody gets along. They all go to Panera Bread or Chipotle. ... they go to their CrossFit gyms ... They're all buddies. Know what I mean? Back in the day, we all hated each other. But if you think about it, Vince would prefer an environment, he liked that environment because when you don't like the guy next to you, you're not going to go out there and take it easy. ... You're going to work hard because you want to outdo that guy."
These kids today with their Panera Breads and their CrossFits and pleasant working environments!
Click here to hear Big Show's entire appearance on Talk Is Jericho.
