"More Turns Than NASCAR": Paul Wight Reflects on His Many Character Changes

In a recent interview with Tempest from Fightful during the All Out weekend, veteran wrestler Paul Wight opened up about the many changes in character alignment—known as "heel" and "babyface" turns—in his wrestling career. The seasoned athlete also revealed why he prefers the role of a heel over that of a babyface.

The Frequent Flips in Character

Wight noted the frequency of his turns in alignment throughout his career, jokingly comparing it to NASCAR. "I’ve had more turns than NASCAR. I remember some of the key ones. Seems like every time we did a brand, I would tear my shirt off, and I’d be on the other brand. That seems like that turned into a rib. RAW to SmackDown or SmackDown to RAW and all that crap," he said.

Reflecting on one of his standout turns, Wight mentioned his turn on John Cena as a notable example. Sharing his in-the-moment discussions with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, he said, "Sometimes, I would turn, and I remember being at the gorilla position, and my joke with Vince was, ‘Am I smiling or not?’ ‘Cause I didn’t know. We were working so much. ‘Am I smiling or not?’ He’d be like, ‘Smile! Big smile!’ ‘Okay, I’m a good guy.’ ‘No smile.’ ‘Okay, I’m a bad guy, got it.’"

He attributed his frequent changes in alignment to his professional longevity, stating that it helped him stay relevant. "It kept me employed for a long time because I was able to be the heel that an upcoming babyface had to beat to move on to the next level. Then when I was a babyface, I was the one that could help an upcoming heel get some heat," he elaborated.

A Fondness for the Dark Side

Wight spoke at length about why he enjoyed the role of a heel more than that of a babyface. "I think it was easier to be a heel. Because it’s easier to tell that story from a psychological standpoint. People understand presence and size and all that," he stated.

He pointed out the challenges of playing a babyface, particularly when the opponent isn't as aggressive, leading to a disconnect with the audience. On the flip side, Wight explained that as a heel, he felt he had more control over the dynamics of a match, setting the tone and pace and thereby helping his co-performers shine.

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