Paul Wight says the desire to step back in the ring as a competitor has only intensified now that he has a regular role as a commentator on AEW Dark: Elevation.
Wight recently spoke with WrestleZone and talked about joining All Elite Wrestling this year, where he can be seen each week as a commentator on AEW Dark: Elevation. When Wight joined the company in February, it was explained that he’d initially start as a commentator, but would compete as an in-ring performer in the future. Wight said now that he’s found a regular role in AEW, the desire to step back in the ring has actually intensified, and he’s using his commentary role to not only learn about the roster, but scout them as potential opponents, too.
“Increased [my desire.] I think I said it a couple days ago to Tony—I don’t know if it made it on air or not—I said ‘Tony, have you ever sat here in this chair and really got the desire to lace your boots up again and put them on and get out there and wrestle?’ And Tony goes, ‘no, absolutely not.’ For me as a competitor, I really, really dig the environment in AEW. It’s nowhere near as micromanaged as WWE is, because WWE has a very strict product on how they present their characters, how they present their talent, and the mission directive of what they’re doing, which is a very structured environment,” Wight explained, “and that does work great for WWE and their product.”
Wight said that WWE’s level of success is amazing, but he has a different platform in AEW that allows him some more freedom to experiment and tap into his four decades of experience to helping younger talent.
“There’s some guys there in AEW that I’m already watching. I do it the ‘old-school’ way because I drive usually, when we do our tapings, I live in Tampa and it’s 200 miles, so I’m usually having matches in my head with talent in AEW that I want to work with potentially,” Wight explained, “whether its Darby Allin or its Lance Archer, whether it’s Kenny Omega, [these are] guys that I’ve never had a chance to work with in the ring. I’m already having matches in my head with them, [coming up with] different scenarios that compliment their style and mine. That excitement and that drive is just so invigorating, and I can’t express to anyone how incredibly thrilled I am right now to be in AEW.”
Wight is featured in the new season of Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Mexico, out now on Netflix, and he can be seen every Monday on AEW Dark: Elevation alongside Tony Schiavone.
