WWE Legend Hopeful For AEW In-Ring Return

WWE/AEW

Ahead of the 3 year anniversary of his AEW debut match, WWE legend Paul Wight is still hopeful for his AEW in-ring return.

At All Out 2021, Paul Wight made his AEW debut in a bout where he scored a win over QT Marshall. Since his win at the event, Wight has only competed in five matches over the 3 years he’s been in All Elite Wrestling.

Appearing on Downunder The Ring, Paul Wight helped promote AEW’s upcoming debut in Australia for Grand Slam Australia on February 15, 2025. On hoping to make his AEW in-ring return, Wight said:

“God, I hope so (I can get back in the ring) because Tony Khan paid me a sh*t ton of money to get in the ring and so far, I haven’t done sh*t so… I did, I did (take a bump onto a car).”

“Then right after that, I went and got my knee replaced. Thanks Will Hobbs (he laughed).”

Revealing that he and Tony Khan have been waiting to pull the trigger on Captain Insano, Wight said:

“I have heard from him (Captain Insano). I heard his fat-ass had a knee surgery a couple of months ago but is hoping he’ll be back real soon and definitely I hope he’s gonna compete in February here in Brisbane.”

“So, yeah, a lot of that was intellectual property and Tony Khan actually — because I lost The Big Show. That’s WWE intellectual property, which is tough when you build a brand for 20 years but it’s business.”

“I understand. It is what it is. But, building yourself a new identity is like starting all over. People always gonna identify you as one thing. Yeah! I’m not that guy anymore. I’m this other guy.”

“Captain Insano is a pretty cool gift. Tony Khan worked it out, got the intellectual property rights for me. So, we’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on that and I’ll be honest, a lot of it’s been my fault.”

“Having surgeries and stuff like that so, it’s about me getting in the gym, training, getting ready where I feel comfortable because it’s basically a one-shot run. I can’t pull the trigger on this half-assed and go out and fail.”

“When I pull the trigger on Captain Insano, it’s gonna be 100 percent. We run that till the wheels fall off and then we ride off into the sunset… I just wanna make sure that when I bring that character out, whatever Tony asks me to do, I can do.”

On being open to any way to make his in-ring return, Wight said:

“Whether it’s tag, singles, working twice a week, three times a week. Whatever it is, I’m able to do it so, that’s why I really haven’t been doing a lot of things on AEW because being the awesome boss that Tony Khan and he’s giving me the time to basically get my sh*t straight and get ready for it.”

“I mean, believe me, there’s an unbelievable amount of pressure on myself to get this done and get this in a way where the fans are appreciative of seeing me compete again and not like a, ‘Oh, that sucks. Shoot him. Put him out of his misery.’ Like old yeller. Take me out back and put me down.”

“I don’t wanna get put down yet. I kind of wanna go out like Sting did. Have a nice little run. Have some great matches, work with some of this amazing, young talent we have in AEW and then, slide out.”

“That goal accomplished and then, I’ll move to New York and become a world-famous playwright.”

“It’s a joke, because I can’t spell… Grand Slam: Australia and hopefully Captain Insano will have a match and we’re actually gonna see a 400-pound guy in spandex… So let me correct that. A sexy, good-looking, bald, 400-pound guy in spandex. I mean, that’s my opinion, but you know…”

Wight last wrestled on the Jericho Cruise in January 2024, while his last televised match took place on the November 15, 2023 episode of AEW Dynamite.

Transcription via POST Wrestling

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• Paul Wight
• AEW
• wwe

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