Paul Wight has offered a detailed update on his ongoing fitness journey, revealing he is currently sitting at 386 pounds and aiming to get down to 350 before feeling ready to return to in-ring competition, while also acknowledging that he was as heavy as 537 pounds at his heaviest point.
Speaking on Insight With Chris Van Vliet, Wight reflected on a period since 2018 or 2019, defined by a seemingly endless cycle of surgeries and recoveries that repeatedly set back his conditioning work.
“It’s been a struggle,” Wight said. “This hip’s bad, we need to fix it. Okay, well guess what, the other hip went bad. Now this knee goes bad, and all this knee goes bad. Oh well, we’re back to this knee again. It’s almost been like a surgery every year, and it put me so far behind the eight ball, because every one of those surgeries is intensive rehab, therapy, recovery, and not getting any younger.”
Wight said he is approaching his weight loss methodically and without shortcuts, having tried various gimmick diets in the past that did not deliver lasting results. “I’m almost 7,000 calorie deficit a week, so that puts me right at a pound and a half, two pounds a week,” Wight said. “It’s slow. It sucks. You look worse before you look better.”
He was also clear-eyed about what his goal weight is and why. “I don’t need to be 500 pounds. I need to be about 350,” Wight said. “I have about another 35, 40 pounds. What’s the one thing that I can really control? That’s conditioning and weight.”
Wight is currently signed with AEW and said the goal is not to compete for championships but to get healthy enough to have fun in the ring and help younger talent. He is working out with Rob McIntyre, who also trains John Cena, and described his trainer as a realist who keeps his expectations grounded.
“He goes, you’ll never bench 500 again,” Wight said. “I’m like, well, just, you don’t need to bench 500. You’re 54 and you can still bench over 400. You’re fine. Why do you want to bench 500 for your ego? We’re working on being healthier and living longer.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Insight With Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
